Lights, mime, action

The Australian Theatre of the Deaf (ATOD) will be performing at Sydney schools for free after receiving a government grant.

After receiving $14,000 from the Clover Moore Salary Trust, the ATOD will be putting on shows at 17 schools in Sydney over a two-week period.

“It’s really important because there’s so many misunderstandings about deaf people, the big one is that no two deaf people are the same and there’s so much diversity among deaf people and their communication needs, it’s essentially about communication difficulties with hearing people,” said Lisa Mills, the shows’ director who is deaf but able to use a hearing aid.

For thirty years now, the not-for-profit organisation has performed at primary schools and high schools all over Australia, working to break down the stereotypes that surround people with disabilities and raise awareness and understanding among students.

Like Mills, the three performers in the group are also deaf. The shows aim to be visually exciting and emphasise visual communication through mime, movement, body language, sign language and dance.

“It was great for the children to see that not all forms of communication involve talking. This led to a very educational discussion after the show,” said a teacher from Kadina primary school in South Australia, who saw an ATOD show in 2008.

Miss Mills believes it’s the active and energetic nature of the performances that communicates the theatre’s message to children.

“The children respond really well, they just pick up visual language very easily,” said Mills.

While the main aim of the shows is to educate children who don’t have disabilities, according to Mills they’re important for deaf children as well.

“I would have loved to have seen a show like this as a kid because I lived out in the country in an isolated region and I didn’t have any deaf role models at all. People and parents don’t really know any other way, they just try and make you like hearing as much as possible but you always feel different someway and when you meet a group like this you discover that you do have another identity,” she said.

After finishing up in Sydney, the theatre will be performing in Perth, Victoria and Queensland.