Tag: Edinburgh Deaf Festival

History made accessible

The Real Mary King’s Close launches first-ever sign language tours ahead of Edinburgh Deaf Festival

One of Edinburgh’s most iconic attractions is making its own history by launching digital sign language tours for the first time. The Real Mary King’s Close will offer tours in British Sign Language (BSL) and International Sign Language (IS) using a multimedia app, launching to coincide with Edinburgh Deaf Festival which began on 8th August.

The milestone is a significant step in The Real Mary King’s Close’s commitment to making history immersive and more accessible than ever to anyone wanting to step back in time into the fascinating world of 17th-century Edinburgh.

Developed in close collaboration with Deaf Action, the translation is delivered digitally by a storyteller portraying Alexander Blackwood – the founder of the world’s first deaf church and deaf organisation in 1830, whose early meetings were held at nearby Lady Stair’s Close – a stone’s throw away from Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. The historical connection helps root the experience in the city’s wider cultural and deaf heritage.

From initial scripting to on-screen performances, every aspect of the project has been shaped with deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences in mind. The result is a fully accessible and engaging guest experience, allowing more people to step into the streets and understand the stories hidden beneath the Royal Mile.

Paul Nixon, general manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “We want everyone to feel the thrill of stepping into Edinburgh’s hidden past. These new BSL and IS options are more than just a translation – they’re a meaningful extension of our storytelling, built in partnership with the deaf community.

“Reprising the Alexander Blackwood character adds an extra dimension to the tours, allowing our guests to connect not only with the history of the Close, but with a pivotal figure in deaf heritage, rooted in Edinburgh. His story belongs here and we’re proud to honour it in a way that makes our experience more accessible, more immersive and more representative of all who shaped this city’s past.”

The idea for these new sign language tours came directly from The Real Mary King’s Close team, who used the expert guidance of Deaf Action to ensure the needs of deaf guests were met. From scripting to filming, every stage was thoughtfully designed to ensure deaf and hard of hearing guests can fully engage with the stories.

Richard MacQueen, commercial manager at Deaf Action, said: “As the world’s oldest deaf charity, established in 1835, Deaf Action is proud to partner with The Real Mary King’s Close to make this iconic Edinburgh attraction accessible in both British Sign Language and International Sign.

“With such a strong shared connection to the city’s history, it’s fitting that two organisations with deep roots in Edinburgh are working together to break down barriers. We applaud The Real Mary King’s Close for taking meaningful steps to ensure deaf residents and visitors can fully experience the fascinating stories hidden beneath the Royal Mile.”

The Close invites the public to experience this new offering and celebrate the launch during the Edinburgh Deaf Festival, which highlights deaf culture, language and creativity.

Guests can access the new tours from The Real Mary King’s Close free language guide app, which also features translations in 11 other languages.

For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close and bookings please visit: www.realmarykingsclose.com

Edinburgh Deaf Festival: Stacy’s story

RNID’s STACY WORBOYS writes about her time at the second Edinburgh Deaf Festival (11-20 August 2023) and the community she found there as a deaf person:

“This year was the first year that I have been back to Edinburgh since before the pandemic, so I thought I’d make the most of it and visit during the second Edinburgh Deaf Festival. 

A little bit about me – I have been deaf since birth, diagnosed when I was 4, but grown up in a hearing family, attending mainstream schools with support and equipment and not learning sign language. There was only one other deaf person (that I know of) when I was at secondary school.

I relied entirely on lip reading and my chunky radio aid linked, to my hearing aids, to understand speech. My mum tried to get us enrolled on a family British Sign Language (BSL) course, but they were too expensive, and we couldn’t afford them. 

Starting to sign

When I was 18, I moved from the outskirts of Sheffield to Cardiff for university and, after attending a volunteering fayre, started volunteering with RNID on their information stalls and campaigns.

This is where I started to meet other deaf people and learn more about sign language. It wasn’t until I left university and started working that I started learning BSL.

After passing my Level 1, I felt confident to start signing with other deaf people, so began going to deaf clubs and joined different events in the deaf community to meet new people. In the last eight years, I have worked my way all the way up to Level 6 and now use BSL regularly to communicate with friends and work colleagues. 

Growing up, I used to love going to the cinema and theatre, but I always struggled to understand what was happening. I relied entirely on the visual aspect of film and theatre and the occasional chance to lip read what someone was saying.

I still love going but I cannot manage without captions or BSL interpreters. 

So, I jumped at the chance to attend a week full of performances and events that were done entirely in BSL, with voiceover provided for any hearing attendees and captions for deaf people who didn’t use BSL. 

For the first time, I was surrounded entirely by BSL users from different walks of life. A truly different experience and one that I will remember for a long time. 

Developing my knowledge and identity

For the last 6 years, I have been developing my knowledge of BSL, deaf culture and deaf identity – including finding my own deaf identity.

I was lucky enough to meet a great group of deaf people, who welcomed me into the local deaf clubs and were patient with me, as I practiced my BSL and learnt about different parts of their culture.

Many people shared their experiences of education, work and social lives with me and made me more aware of the barriers that people with profound deafness have. 

In a normal week, I spend time with deaf friends around three times a week. At work, I rely on lip reading and speech-to-text reporters for catch-ups and meetings.

Going to Edinburgh

An outdoors poster saying "Edinburgh Deaf Festival"

When in Edinburgh, I was surrounded by deaf people every day and it was such a different experience. 

It was so nice to see deaf people all packed into a room chatting away before the show, and then continuing the conversation afterwards.

It has always been said that deaf people are the last to leave, and almost everyone stuck around, so I knew that was true! 

I was fully emerged in the culture for the first time. For one week, I really embraced and accepted my own deaf identity, knowing that there were people in the room who shared similar experiences.

Everyone had a different story to tell, and no-one’s experience was the same. Being deaf doesn’t mean that you cannot hear anything, it is a spectrum. There were people in Edinburgh with similar levels of deafness to myself. This is something that I have struggled with in my local deaf community, because there aren’t many people with my level of deafness. 

At the festival, there was a complete range of performances and events that I was able to attend. This included stand-up comedy shows with John Smith, Gavin Lilley and Elf Lyons and Duffy, to dance, comedy, magic and drag shows. There were also BSL tours of the Edinburgh Castle and Botanical Gardens, and – my absolute favourite – a good old fashioned pub quiz!  

My personal highlight was just getting to spend time with like-minded individuals and loving life in a different city for seven days. 

I really am glad that I made the decision to go to Edinburgh’s Deaf Festival and I am already looking forward to going back in 2024.”