Yesterday, Deaffest Co-Founder and Festival Director Nikki Stratton, along with Communications & Engagement Manager Lou Parrott, proudly took part in BDA and Wellcome Collection’s ’SIGN ALIVE!’ event.
The day brought together passionate perspectives and thought-provoking presentations celebrating the richness of British Sign Language Living Heritage. It was an exploration of intangible culture and heritage – from language and identity to shared history and community – culminating in a panel discussion later in the afternoon.
Held on the International Day of Sign Languages and during the International Week of Deaf People, the event carried even deeper meaning – a celebration of our language, culture, and community, led by leadership, lived experience, and pride.
Together, in the Henry Wellcome Auditorium, we reflected on how living traditions are passed down, renewed, and elevated – especially within the arts sector – so that the stories, contributions, and cultural legacy of the Deaf community are recognised, supported, celebrated, and protected for future generations.
“SIGN ALIVE! was a truly moving and inspiring day. Watching the Deaf creatives share their journeys – the challenges, the triumphs, the passion that brought them to where they are today – touched me deeply. As someone born in the heart of London, from a long line of Deaf ancestors, the experience stirred something special in me. It brought back cherished memories of the BSL stories I grew up seeing and hearing – stories that lived in our homes and communities, but were rarely shared with the wider world. To share our story about Deaffest, to see so many other stories now taking centre stage, and to witness the incredible talent of Deaf creatives being celebrated so openly filled my heart with pride. A huge thank you to the BDA team and Wellcome Collection for curating such a powerful event. Here’s to the continued celebration of our BSL heritage – and to even more stories being seen, heard, and honoured.” – Nikki Stratton, Deaffest Co-Founder & Festival Director
Presenters included BDA’s Chief Executive Rebecca Mansell, Professor of Sociolinguistics Annelies Kusters, Nikki Stratton, Scriptwriter Billy Mager, and Curator Cathy Mager, as well as representatives from the Wellcome Collection, the BBC, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
It was a privilege to experience the powerful exhibitions at the Wellcome Collection during the SIGN ALIVE! event – from Cathy Mager’s inspiring ‘Finger Talk’, which celebrates BSL as a vibrant, dynamic language with deep cultural roots, to Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader’s thought-provoking ‘1880 THAT’, which reflects on the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf in Milan and the fundamental right to communicate.
The exhibition is free to visit, with ‘Finger Talk’ on display until 17th October and ‘1880 THAT’ until November.
Check out the video and photos here!
Deaffest 