Organisers of the region’s first ever Deaf-led community festival have chosen to partner with Gosforth Civic Theatre (GCT) for the unique event.

Over the first weekend in November, the inaugural Wey Aye! Deaf Festival will take place at the Regent Centre-based venue, to be closely followed by the location’s own Freedom Moving event – a physical theatre and dance performance produced by individuals on GCT’s courses for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and in its work with local SEND schools.

Speaking of the charity-run venue, the Gateshead Community Bridge Builder who first proposed Wey Aye!, Paul Kerr explained:

“I love it here. The team has really looked after us and I knew it would be the ideal space having been to events at Gosforth Civic Theatre before. It has a good vibe about the place for what we want the festival to be, and a good ethos.”

The two-day event, which will be open to members of both Deaf and hearing communities, is to showcase the talents of a diverse group of Deaf individuals who will lead a series of workshops and performances, and offer an exhibition of Deaf artists’ work. The line-up includes work from celebrated Northumberland artist Sarah O’Dowd, comedy from David Sands and John Smith, cookery from ‘Punk Chef’ Scott Garthwaite, who trained under the Michelin starred Kenny Atkinson, film motion, improvisation, animal care, mindfulness and mental health.

The packed itinerary will also feature stalls from local organisations supporting the Deaf community, and some of its talented makers and doers in the fields of puppetry, visual art, and theatre to name a few. Much of what is on offer is free, but booking is recommended to secure your spot, and visitors are asked to support stallholders using cash where possible.

Supported by Deaflink, Deaf Awareness North East, SignVideo, St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Society Deaf Centre Newcastle, Sunderland Deaf Society, the Maldron Hotel Newcastle and GemArts, as well as Gateshead Football Club Foundation, the occasion, which has been 18 months in the planning, will be as accessible and inclusive as possible, with British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf-Blind interpreters provided by the main event partner Becoming Visible.

GCT’s Community Engagement Manager Helen Kumar said:

“We’re proud to have been selected as a partner to Wey Aye! and to play a part in celebrating the richness of Deaf culture, both generally and in the North East.

“The event very much complements what we do to actively promote and develop work with and by Autistic people and those with Learning Disabilities, much of which culminates in Freedom Moving each year.”

At only £6 for a single ticket and with the carers of audience members able to attend for free, Freedom Moving, which takes place on November 29th, features several pieces created and performed by GCT’s in-house programmes alongside other learning disabled dance companies from throughout the region.

Helen added:

“Events such as these are what GCT is all about, in keeping with the aims of the group that founded the project, Liberdade, to provide training and performing opportunities, as well as a sense of civic belonging to those marginalised by disabilities.”

Paul said he hopes Wey Aye! will become a bi-annual event and added:

“As well as letting people know about our talents, we also want Wey Aye! to raise awareness of the experiences that can come with being Deaf. With that in mind, I hope Gosforth Civic Theatre will be the home of Wey Aye! as it develops.”

Grab your tickets for both events mentioned, along with further details about what else is on at GCT at gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk/whats-on.


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