National Lottery Heritage Grants £10,000 to £250,000
British Deaf Association, a Deaf-led charity, is leading a two-year project documenting the experiences of Deaf sign language users as they reflect on life in Northern Ireland and how Deaf culture has changed over time.
Untold Deaf Stories' video library will serve as an accessible, living record of British and Irish Sign Languages, capturing their rich diversity and differences, along with unique expressions shaped by Deaf schools, before they fade from memory.
Our funding is also being used to:
- Deliver intergenerational sign-sharing workshops for Deaf people
- Compile ‘behind the scenes’ footage of the project
- Create a webpage to store and share the video library
- Employ a Project Co-ordinator and Administrator
- Share project findings more widely with those outside the Deaf community
Colette McMahon, Project Co-ordinator for Untold Deaf Stories, says: "For many in the Northern Ireland Deaf community, this project has created a space to reflect on and celebrate their history – something that was too often neglected in the past. Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we now have the tools and training to document stories in sign language, creating an archive that will not only preserve our culture but also educate future generations and support sign language research."
Explore more projects we're supporting across Northern Ireland.
