Create your own character for Young Deaffest 2019
For the first time ever, the UK’s leading Deaf-led Film & Arts Festival Deaffest is looking for a new character to feature in Young Deaffest 2019.
Do you know a deaf kid with a great imagination, who loves telling stories? Could they create an amazing character to feature on the posters for Young Deaffest 2019? Enter and be in with the chance of winning a prize!
Deaffest has teamed up with Artists & Illustrators, the UK’s leading art magazine offering expert advice and inspiration for amateur and semi-professional artists, to launch an exciting art competition for UK-based young deaf people aged 11 – 16 years.
Launched in 2007, Young Deaffest is an integral part of the festival, offering an exciting programme of films, performances and workshops where young deaf people get involved, engaging in the films and arts, as well as being inspired by role models. Young Deaffest 2019 will take place at Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton on Saturday 18th May 2019.
The winner of the competition will be announced prior to the festival and will see their character featured both on Deaffest and Artists & Illustrators’ website and social media. The winning character will be featured on the big screen during Young Deaffest 2019, on the official Young Deaffest 2019’s posters displayed throughout Deaffest (17th – 19th May 2019) and in the Deaffest programme. The prize also includes a certificate and voucher worth £50, which will be presented by a surprise guest!
Runners-up will be announced at Young Deaffest 2019 on Saturday 18th May 2019 and will see their character featured on both Deaffest and Artists & Illustrators’ websites and social media, and will also receive a certificate.
How to enter:
- The competition is open to young deaf people aged 11-16 years, who are based in the UK.
- You must only create one character and also must create a background scene (i.e. forest, beach, buildings etc).
- Character to be created on A4 paper in a portrait format.
- Give a name to the character and share the story behind this character.
- The acceptable media are 2D mediums such as painting, pencil, pastels, inks and mixed media (no photographic, digital or 3D pieces of work).
- Entries must be submitted as hard copy/ original work.
- Parents/guardians are required to fill in a parental consent form (download here). Entries without parental consent will not be accepted.
The competition closes at 11.59pm on Tuesday 5th February 2019.
For further details about the art competition you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter or use the hashtag #YngDeaffest19Art on social media.
If you have any queries contact us at enquiries@deaffest.co.uk.
We asked you to vote for our videos a while ago and while I Believe didn’t get through to the final round, we’re delighted to share that the Deaffest 2017 promo has gotten through to the final round for Best Advert/Trailer at the Hothouse Theatre’s Nottingham Film Festival 2018.
Huge thanks to those who have voted for our videos!
The Deaffest 2017 promo will be screened this Sunday 8th July at the Hothouse Theatre’s Nottingham Film Festival 2018, Bulwell United Reformed Church, Broomhill Road, Nottingham NG6 9GJ.
The audience at the event will be voting for the Best Advert/Trailer so fingers crossed!
We’ll update you on the result after the event.
Sunday 24th June 2018 has been an absolutely wonderful day for Deaffest’s Co-Founder and Co-Director Nikki Stratton, who attended the Royal Windsor Cup 2018.
The event was organised by the Guards Polo Club, known as the largest polo club in Europe, which was founded in 1955 with HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh as the President. The Royal Windsor Cup is Guards Polo Club’s oldest competition and is the UK’s leading 15-goal tournament.
The main sponsor of the Royal Windsor Cup is Outsourcing Inc., a recruitment company which was established in 1997 and operates global wise. The Tokyo-based company supports people of Japan across multiple levels of employment. They have a subsidiary company called Outsourcing Business Service Inc., which was established in 2015, and they supports disabled people in recruitment and employment.
“Out-Sourcing has been impressed with Outsourcing Business Service Inc. and WP Group for their work and accomplishments in running their organisations, and maintaining their viability in competitive markets, and therefore wanted to reward and honour them with a trip to the polo. There is also a sense of importance of building exposure and links with Deaf communities across the wider world.” – Outsourcing Inc.
At the event, the Outsourcing Business Service Inc. presented a promotional video, which demonstrated their business and showed deaf employees working together with hearing employees.
Outsourcing Inc. invited a number of Deaf professionals including those from the UK and Japan to the Royal Windsor Cup, as they wanted to have a welcome party and to establish a fruitful relationship for the future.
“It was a spectacular day with many surprise guests. I was not able to disclose my attendance to anyone for security reasons and I had no idea who would be attending other than HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, alongside hearing and Deaf Japanese and UK guests. The day itself was incredibly prestigious with Champagne handed out, ladies in their pretty summer frocks and men in their smart suits. Mingling amongst the smartly dressed guests with champagne glasses in their hands and soaking up to the glorious sunshine, learning about Polo through our interpreter was indeed delightful and was a real education.
Kat Wright, Sign Language Interpreter and Paula Garfield, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre
Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq, Artist and Richard Carter, Poet
Yoko Yuyama, International Coordinator of Tokyo International Deaf Film Festival with Nikki Stratton, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Deaffest
As we were seated at our table, where a three-course meal was served (which was scrumptious by the way), I was delighted to get acquainted with Deaf Japanese guests and we exchanged cultural and life experiences. There were also two Deaf Japanese children who were a pleasure to have on my table. The girl, aged 10 years old, proudly presented her JSL poetry which gave me goosebumps, as it was presented so visually and emotionally. Richard Carter – the infamous BSL poet was also in awe and filmed the performance. The children explained that they came from a Deaf school which was founded 10 years ago and relied on JSL as their main communication method. I also learnt that Japan have a strong Disability inclusion policy in the workforce. Such positive vibes were flowing from the Japanese Deaf people and some of them worked for Out-sourcing. If only the UK could adopt the same policy, as there is a high unemployment rate amongst Deaf people who have struggled to gain employment in the hearing workplace.” – Nikki Stratton, Deaffest Co-Founder and Co-Director
With the beautiful weather that day, the bustling atmosphere among the vast green field at the Clubhouse of Guards Polo Club was treated to the sight of the British Driving Society Show parade and the final Polo match, as well as the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip. Patron of Deaffest Rachel Shenton also attended the event, along with star of the Oscar-winning film The Silent Child, Maisie Sly, who presented the Queen with flowers!
The Polo match commenced at 3pm and, as is traditional, when the match was over, visitors would cover the patches on the ground left by the hooves with grass!
“It was an honour to be invited to attend this unique event, and I’m sure that many others will agree that the day was truly pleasant, filled with warm smiles and laughter. Seeing the Queen was a particular highlight. Above all, I am so grateful to Out-sourcing for inviting me to share this day, it was indeed a memorable one that will not be forgotten for years to come.” – Nikki Stratton, Deaffest Co-Founder and Co-Director
Deaffest 