Creative Connectoins: Deaf Stories from The Black Country by Rinkoo Barpaga
Deaf stand-up comedian and theatremaker, Rinkoo Barpaga, focuses on his intersectionality as a Deaf brown man and the double discrimination Deaf people of colour face.
About the project:
Deaf people tell stories of everyday life with creativity and rich detail and Rinkoo is aiming to capture these stories with his project:
“I want to engage Deaf people in the Black Country with the arts and share the strong traditions of story-telling that are at the heart of Deaf culture.
I invite Deaf people to send me their stories and jokes about COVID-19, lockdown and being Deaf in the Black Country. I want to reveal hidden histories of the Deaf communities in the region.I will gather Deaf people's stories, through video submissions or conversations on WhatsApp / FaceTime. I will then retell each person's story in my own words / signs to preserve anonymity.
I aim to reduce isolation by encouraging connections across hidden pockets of Deaf people in the Black Country, encourage Deaf people to post and share videos of jokes and stories about the Black Country directly to my facebook page aswell as those that have been submitted to me to share anonymously.”
The facebook page will also be used to promote Deaf accessible arts and cultural activity taking place in the region.
How to get involved?
Follow the Facebook page for more information / send Rinkoo a message
Website: www.deafexplorer.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkooBarpaga