Deaf and Voiced

A permanent program at GES-2 for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing, and also for hearing people who take an interest in the culture of this community.

We invite both members of the community and their hearing fellow-thinkers to take part: parents of d/Deaf and hard of hearing children, hearing children of deaf parents, CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), educators of inclusive schools or for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing, and researchers and specialists studying Russian sign language and the culture of the deaf.

The programme brings together projects that give the d/Deaf and hard of hearing the opportunity to take part in cultural practices that are accessible to everyone, to develop the culture of the Deaf and investigate the features of this culture, and also to tell the world about the identity of this community, explaining who can be included in it, and how. This approach broadens the understanding of contemporary culture as a whole, brings together more people in various forms of involvement, and creates opportunities for hearing people and the d/Deaf and hard of hearing to communicate.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, the focal points for the Russian society of the Deaf and hard of hearing were the houses of culture of the National Society of the Deaf. For many people, these houses became a second home: here they participated in creativity and handicraft groups and sport clubs, found friends and often spouses, learned about the culture of the hearing majority and developed their own culture through sign singing and theatre performances in Russian Sign Language. At these institutions, storytelling in Russian Sign Language was born and developed. In the 1990s the houses became less active, but the demand for them remained.

In this new permanent programme, the GES-2 team appeals to the experience of the houses of culture of the National Society of the Deaf. Members of the Deaf community take part in the projects: this integration process is very important in the GES-2 system of coordinates.