“This type of project helps us to feel really positive about our deaf identity.”
Project student
Project summary
Deaf Perspectives:
Past, & Future
Deaf Perspectives was a filmmaking project led by The Offshoot Foundation which took place in Suffolk in 2025.
Working with 23 high school students and 22 primary school students the project has:
- Made 12 short films exploring different aspects of deaf life
- Recorded 17 interviews
- Researched 580 deaf people from Suffolk’s past
Copies of all the films, interviews, and research have been deposited with Suffolk Archives for long-term preservation.
Project activities
- Filmmaking workshops
- Interviewing deaf role models
- Presenting
- Acting
- Trip to Suffolk Archives
- Trip to University of Cambridge
Project partners
- The Offshoot Foundation
- King Edward VI High School, Bury St Edmunds
- Northgate High School, Ipswich
- Westgate Community Primary School, Bury St Edmunds
- Rushmere Hall Primary School, Ipswich
Students have...
- Learnt new skills
- Become more confident
- Made and strengthened friendships
- Met and interviewed deaf role models
Feedback and comments
What students, parents, teachers and audience members said about Deaf Perspectives.
Students
You really brought out my confidence, even though I could not pronounce the words right you never gave up on me.
This whole thing built my confidence. This filming shows a lot about deafness and it shows what we can do in the future.
I am proud of stepping out of a bubble and earning new friends.
Parents and teachers
It was enormously positive for the children to celebrate, share and develop their deaf identities, especially the role of BSL and what this means to them.
He is so much more confident and it has enabled him to become an advocate for all disadvantaged people.
Audience
I have a more comprehensive understanding of the barriers deaf students face when accessing education and how a lot of these concerns can fall through the cracks.
Such a beautiful project. As an incoming F1 doctor medical school hasn’t touched on any of this so it’s great to go to a grassroots project like this.
