IDK was invited by the Arts Council to attend its Future Arts: FYI 2010 event for youngsters aged 15 to 23, in Dublin (March 27 – 29, 2010). Our role was to give a ‘hearing’ angle to the young delegates at the weekend’s discussions and workshops.
This included basic hearing-awareness, explaining how Speedtext & ISL support deaf people, and that a deaf person in a group discussion may need to self-advocate to track a topic. Everyone was really interested and asked questions, like do deaf people hear music, can we dance/act (yes!), and where we hang out.
With all this new awareness, we pointed out that their own videos need captions to be accessible. Our line was, “can that video be understood without sound?”
Future Arts: FYI 2010 Broad Outcomes: On Day 3 (March 29th), policy-makers from the government & arts world (“guests” in our parlance) met the young delegates for heated discussions. IDK has put a ‘hearing’ angle on the broad outcomes of these discussions.
Access To The Arts/Actions By Established Groups
- Deaf children of school age should be encouraged in arts activities
- Deaf people need arts information in plain English (online/print)
- Event booking needs to be available online/via email/SMS
- Podcasts should be posted with a transcription by default
- Online videos need to be subtitled by default
- Captioning should be considered for theatre/comedy/other shows
- ISL interpretation will always be supported by the deaf community
- Accessible events need advance publicity for return on investment
Education
- Artistic practices are key in teaching deaf children new concepts
- Creative and academic learning needs blending for students’ benefit
- The arts should be used to develop & maximise students’ potential
- Art in schools must qualify students for college on art ability alone
- Deaf people training as art teachers need encouragement & funding
Policy Makers & Young People: Hearing Both Sides
- Youth advisory committees are needed to ensure policy is inclusive
- Representation is needed from different art forms for true equality
- An online arts directory for the arts should be compiled
- Local arts initiatives require clear co-ordination (funding & staging)
Empty (Studio) Space In Irish Towns/Cities
- Reservation of space needs to be available online/by SMS texting
- Universal design principles should be used in retro-fitted space
- Visible doorbells/fire alarms to alert artists/musicians as relevant
- All arts information needs to be distributed online where possible
All comments/points of discussion are welcomed: just say your bit below!
