Young Deaffest Ambassador Alex Nowak has been busy this month working at the Channel 4 studios in London on a new, exciting project…
Channel 4 is running a pilot scheme which gives a platform to a range of different people whose voices might not usually be heard on a mainstream channel. Five people with communication difficulties have joined Channel 4’s continuity team this December to introduce some of the channel’s biggest shows. An estimated 2.5 million people in the UK have some kind of communication impairment. Channel 4 wants to give them a platform and normalise the presence of disabled people on TV by adding fresh, representative voices.
Alex uses both speech and BSL to introduce the programmes, screened on Channel 4:
– Friday 13th December: Alan Carr Chatty Man, 10:35pm.
– Saturday 14th December: Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, 7pm.
– Tuesday 17th December: Heston’s Great British Food, 9pm.
– Thursday 19th December: Hollyoaks, 6:30pm.
Alex described his experience at Channel 4 as a fantastic one. “The staff I worked with were lovely and truly looked after me. The other announcers were awesome to work with and have a brilliant sense of humour.
In the training process there was a mixture of individuals, including a girl with Tourette syndrome saying biscuit and hedgehog many times a minute, a guy with a stammer, another guy with Tourette’s, swearing and a girl with Cerebral Palsy, using an electronic device to speak. I mean, talk about diversity! A tremendous experience. That’s what I love about Channel 4 – they are very open to taking risks”.
More information on the project can be seen here.
Friday the 13th December turned out to be a lucky day for Deaffest. The Fundraising Quiz which took place at Jones Road Working Man’s Club on Friday evening attracted over 50 supporters who gave up their time and money to raise funds which will go towards providing film and arts workshops at Deaffest on the weekend of 16 – 18 May 2014.
12 teams battled it out for the top prize, with nerves stretched to breaking point in the final round “Wipeout”, where all points could be lost with one wrong answer.
Over £360 was raised from the evening’s activities which included the quiz itself, a raffle, a shove penny game and fines imposed on those who did not wear a Santa hat or festive clothes.
Quiz organiser Jack Smallwood said “Everyone really enjoyed themselves!! I think it’s really important that everyone came on the night to raise money for Deaffest because I feel Deaffest is important for the futures of our younger generation. It was really lovely to see everyone there up for a challenge and some fun, and to feel that we are at one in the Deaf community.
It’s the first time I’ve ever created a quiz and I had a lot of support from Zebra Uno and Zebra Access staff on the evening which was really helpful. I want to say thank you to everyone for turning up, and I’m looking forward to the next Quiz event! Will I return as Quizmaster? Who knows?”
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