Writer required for innovative Research and Development period based at mac, Birmingham and funded by Unlimited International R & D award. Led by British Deaf dancer Billy Read and Hong Kong Deaf dancer Ariel Fung.

They are open to poets, academics, script writers and novelists with an interest in Deafness and British Sign Language. You will be inspired by the use of digital content, and will support the transformation of Billy Read’s narrative concept into dance and international sign language.

You will join a talented and accomplished team that includes Benji Reid – Dance Dramaturge, Adam Rutherford (2 Faced Dance) – Assistant Choreographer, Chris Bartholomew & Nao Masada – Sound Design, Chris Cuthbert (Acquismedia) – Digital Content.

You should be available to input between June – September 2017 and production period – January – May 2018.

Show: ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ is a cutting edge digital dance show. It will use live streaming to involve deaf audiences, in a narrative that will appeal to young people. Set in a dystopian future, where social justice has gone and tyranny prevails; deaf people/sign language users are under surveillance. Unable to ‘whisper’ the two protagonists will use their dance skills to create a visual vocabulary to lead a rebellion amongst young deaf street dancers. ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ will explore the theme of surveillance; cameras follow our every move. This affects the Deaf sign language using community more than any other member of society as Deaf BSL users are more exposed through surveillance as their language is able to be captured by CCTV, in a way that spoken language is not. It’s a powerful metaphor for surveillance in the information age.

Artistically Produced by mac, Birmingham the show will be premiered at mac as part of the IDFB (International Dance Festival Birmingham) and Sense of mac a festival about access for visually impaired and hearing impaired audiences.

Fee: £1250 for R & D period – Fee for production period to be confirmed

Deadline: 24 May 2017

Apply via email to Alan McLean deafexplorer@gmail.com