Deafiant
My Journey in Theatre
Will be published approx. on 7. January 2027
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-350-53495-7 (ISBN)
Description
Jenny Sealey has spent her career to date championing the work of Deaf and Disabled artists and the importance of having their stories on our stages and screens. Now, she shares her own experience as a Deaf theatre-maker and advocate in a highly personal book.
In this book, she discusses running disabled-led Graeae theatre company for the past 30 years. She reveals her passionate and long-standing commitment to inclusivity and equality within the arts and how she and Graeae have made strides in the area, including the creative integration of sign language, captioning and audio description in performance.
Irreverent, frank and profound, Sealey is an inspiring spokesperson for disabled artists' rights, the importance of theatre within our cultural ecosystem and the power of performance to find connections and make positive change in the world.
The stories she shares in this book of growing up in a family where she suffered abuse and shame amongst her peers and teachers for her deafness are not easy to read, but they're crucial in understanding the unjust struggles that have accompanied Sealey on her remarkable journey.
In this book, she discusses running disabled-led Graeae theatre company for the past 30 years. She reveals her passionate and long-standing commitment to inclusivity and equality within the arts and how she and Graeae have made strides in the area, including the creative integration of sign language, captioning and audio description in performance.
Irreverent, frank and profound, Sealey is an inspiring spokesperson for disabled artists' rights, the importance of theatre within our cultural ecosystem and the power of performance to find connections and make positive change in the world.
The stories she shares in this book of growing up in a family where she suffered abuse and shame amongst her peers and teachers for her deafness are not easy to read, but they're crucial in understanding the unjust struggles that have accompanied Sealey on her remarkable journey.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-53495-7 (9781350534957)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jenny Sealey OBE has been Graeae's Artistic Director since 1997. She has pioneered a new theatrical language entitled 'aesthetics of artistic access', embedding BSL (British Sign Language) and English, pre-recorded BSL, creative captioning and in-ear/live audio description into the heart of all productions. She co-directed the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony alongside Bradley Hemmings and has won the Liberty Human Rights Arts Award and appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. She is an honorary fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Middlesex University, University of Kent, Nottingham Trent University and Rose Bruford College. She received an MBE in 2009 for her contributions to disability arts and an OBE in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Content
Introduction
Chapter 1
What does being an artistic director mean? How the role has changed in 25 years and what I have learnt
Chapter 2
Planning, prep and casting for Romeo and Juliet 2024 co-production with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake; rehearsal process and production
Chapter 3
What happens in between productions - the ins and outs of being in a small company with a mission for human rights and equality
Chapter 4
Self-Raising and making autobiographical work
Chapter 5
Workshops and panels, conversations with drama schools and moving the inclusive agenda forwards
Chapter 6
Doing opera, Paradis Files as a Deaf person, working with Errolyn Wallen and BBC Orchestra
Chapter 7
Boards and governance
Chapter 8
Working with disabled veterans on WW1 commission
Chapter 9
Work in development; working with writers; the ever-changing theatre/political landscape.
Chapter 10
What next Graeae and what next for me
Bibliography
Index
Chapter 1
What does being an artistic director mean? How the role has changed in 25 years and what I have learnt
Chapter 2
Planning, prep and casting for Romeo and Juliet 2024 co-production with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre by the Lake; rehearsal process and production
Chapter 3
What happens in between productions - the ins and outs of being in a small company with a mission for human rights and equality
Chapter 4
Self-Raising and making autobiographical work
Chapter 5
Workshops and panels, conversations with drama schools and moving the inclusive agenda forwards
Chapter 6
Doing opera, Paradis Files as a Deaf person, working with Errolyn Wallen and BBC Orchestra
Chapter 7
Boards and governance
Chapter 8
Working with disabled veterans on WW1 commission
Chapter 9
Work in development; working with writers; the ever-changing theatre/political landscape.
Chapter 10
What next Graeae and what next for me
Bibliography
Index