Watershed, in partnership with Ad Infinitum, are delighted to present a special screening and Q&A of Extraordinary Wall of Silence, a production shedding light on a relatively undocumented history of oppression experienced by Deaf people.
With stories drawn from real-life testimonies collected through 40-hours of interviews with Deaf people from all over the UK, the film of the show features three Deaf actors and one hearing actor. Watershed are also pleased to be collaborating once again with David Ellington, who hosts our monthly Deaf Conversations About Cinema and is a deviser and performer in the production.
David said:
"Extraordinary Wall of Silence will give an insight into Deaf lives that you may not have seen or heard before. It's time to get our messages across to hearing audiences, academics and medical professionals, who may not understand our cultural norms, values and everyday lives... it is not an easy ride! I look forward to having George, Paddy and Lynn join me to discuss the issues raised in the film in more detail.”
Ad Infinitum's project began in 2015, inspired by Dr Paddy Ladd’s book, Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood. The resulting show is a potent and at times shocking piece of storytelling that relates the living history of oppression and misunderstanding of the Deaf community at the hands of the hearing.
The devising company talk a bit more about the project:
This project began in 2015, inspired by Dr Paddy Ladd’s book, Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood. As part of a long and complex process we invited Deaf people from all over the UK to contribute their life stories, which quickly became the backbone of our production. Though the project evolved in many ways, the aim has remained the same: to create connections and understanding between Deaf and hearing people, where there is currently disconnection and misunderstanding. We're really excited to invite you to join us in a long overdue conversation about the importance of Deaf culture and sign language.
After the screening there will be a Q&A panel discussion (with BSL interpretation) chaired by David Ellington (Deaf artist, performer and filmmaker), Dr Paddy Ladd (author, activist and researcher of deaf culture), George Mann (Director of Extraordinary Wall o̶f̶ ̶S̶i̶l̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ and Co-Artistic Director of Ad Infinitum) and Lynn Stewart-Taylor (BSL Consultant/Specialist Researcher/RSLI Relay Interalingual Interpreter).
Louise Gardner, Head of Communications at Watershed says;
"We are so pleased to be working in partnership with Ad Infinitum to have an opportunity to screen the theatrical film of Extraordinary Wall of Silence. Access and inclusion are central to our work at Watershed and I am looking forward to having a conversation about access to culture for everyone with this brilliant panel of guest speakers and of course you the audience."
Photo © Alex Brenner - Extraordinary Wall o̶f̶ ̶S̶i̶l̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ @ Bristol Old Vic
You can watch the trailer here
Synopsis
Helen, Alan and Graham are told they are impaired and need fixing. As they begin to question the world around them, three powerful, coming of age stories unfold uniting in a struggle against violence, ignorance and oppression. Connected through a shared past, the trio are transported to one pivotal moment in 1880 when a dangerous ideology was born: one that would impair the way the world views Deaf people for over a century.
"Ad Infinitum combine the company’s signature style of physical storytelling with the beauty of British Sign Language in an unmissable feast for the senses." The Guardian
There's a righteous anger about social injustice in this show that is palpable in the actors’ performances, and one that audiences can share and take away with them.” Bristol 24/7
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