Deaf-led theatre company D-Live! has announced the launch of their newest project, Big Dreams, which will see them working with deaf young people aged 11 to 14 in Medway who will create a piece of digital theatre informed by their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big Dreams was commissioned by Theatre 31, the youth theatre programme of Icon Theatre, and will see D-Live! work with young artists from the Thomas Aveling School to help them develop a wide range of skills, including filmmaking, editing, 3D art, and visual storytelling.
Launching at the Thomas Aveling School in February, D-Live!’s team of artists, headed by artistic director Steven Ververs-Webb, will work with deaf and hearing-impaired students at the school before holding weekend workshops at Sun Pier House in Chatham in March. At the end of the project, the young artists will create a piece of digital theatre, supported by the artists but entirely led by their ideas and the skills they have learned.
D-Live! artistic director Steven Vevers-Webb said: “D-Live! is very proud to be working with Icon Theatre and Theatre31 on this brand-new digital project for deaf young people in Medway. This project is being led by local deaf young people from The Thomas Aveling school and we are so proud to support them in their creative journey. This is the first step on the road to Medway becoming a hub for British Sign Language and deaf people, so watch this space for more events coming later in 2022 and beyond.”
Icon Theatre founder and artistic director Nancy Hirst said: “We’re thrilled to be working with D-Live! through our Theatre31 young people’s programme, which is built on the belief that access to arts and culture is a child’s right, not a privilege. We share in DLive!’s vision that theatre should be accessible and inclusive, and we’re so excited to join them on their journey to create a unique genre of theatre that is inherently deaf and appreciated by all. Big Dreams is a fantastic opportunity for deaf young people in Medway to connect with and learn from professional artists, who will empower them with the skills to tell their stories in their own way.”
To learn more about the project, visit D-Live!’s website.
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Image courtesy of D-Live!
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