New theatre training course for deaf artists announced

Deafinitely Theatre is to open the Hub in September, a new training course for deaf artists.

The scheme is being created in order to offer emerging deaf artists structured, accessible and professional theatre training.

It will be a year-long programme, developed and expanded from an initial pilot scheme and will include workshops in acting, writing and other aspects of theatre including stage management. After the first year there will also be one-to-one mentorship schemes for two years as well as networking opportunities.

Paula Garfield, artistic director of Deafinitely Theatre said: "It has been amazing to see more mainstream theatre companies hire deaf actors, yet while it's an exciting time we do need deaf actors and theatre makers to have accessible opportunities to drama training."

No current drama school in London is fully accessible to deaf BSL users and there is only one specific course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Garfield said more courses are needed all over the UK and that the long-term aim for the Hub is to establish tailor-made, full-time drama courses accessible for both deaf and hearing.

Membership to the Hub is £5 and participants receive their first workshop free and a discount on subsequent classes. A taster day for prospective members will take place on Saturday 14 July at RADA.