Deaf Explorer are pleased to announce that Rinkoo Barpaga and Billy Read have won Unlimited R&D awards with the support of Deaf Explorer.
Rinkoo Barpaga Unlimited R&D
Rinkoo Barpaga will tell the story of Bubble and Butch and reveal the vulnerability of young diverse deaf people. The bullying and discrimination stops when Bubble is asked to look after a mean looking dog called Butcher. The dog is a metaphor for Bubbles access, acting like a superhero at every encounter in the hearing world. Butcher transforms Bubbles life for the better. The whole story will be communicated in a highly visual style; using for the first time urban sign language – a slanguage to demonstrate the creativity amongst deaf people on the streets of the Uk. It will be a defiant new work tackling double discrimination, and mental health in the deaf world from a new script writing voice in the West Midlands, that is supported by Birmingham REP theatre and Unlimited.
Billy Read Unlimited International R & D
‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ is a cutting edge digital dance show, that will deepen audiences and dancers experience of sound. It will use live streaming to involve deaf audiences, in a narrative that will appeal to young people. Set in a dystopian future, where social justice has gone and tyranny prevails; deaf people sign language users are under surveillance, Unable to ‘whisper’ the two protagonists Billy Read and Ariel Fung Ching-wai use their dance skills to create a visual vocabulary to lead a rebellion amongst young deaf street dancers. Artistically Produced by mac, Birmingham the show will be premiered at mac as part of the IDFB (International Dance Festival Birmingham) and Sense of mac a festival about access for Visually impaired and hearing impaired audiences. In Hong Kong where Ariel Fung Ching-wai is based the show will be presented at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, following teaching at the school of Contemporary Dance, Fringe club a vibrant contemporary arts space that promotes emerging Hong Kong artists abroad through cultural exchange and overseas touring will support touring of the show in far East.
http://www.unlimitedimpact.org.uk/announcing-unlimited-commissions-2017/
Deaf Explorer contacting schools in Wolverhampton, and offering a free high-quality dance workshop with Billy Read. Billy wants to involve young deaf children and young deaf people with an interest in dance in his project at The Way Youth Zone during the October Half term. He hopes that by involving schools in the recruitment and audition process young people who are new to the Way will get involved in the show Like Mirabai on Friday 28 th October 2016.