Deaffest on Tour & Tottenham Literature Festival 2024: Meet the Deaf Creatives

Join Tottenham Literature Festival (TLF) to discuss, dream, and explore how imagination powerfully transforms stories and realities for this year’s theme, ‘Black Imaginations‘.

Find out about TLF’s BSL-interpreted main theatre talks happening from November 11th to 17th, 2024, and find ticket information here. To inquire about workshop access on the 16th, please contact the Bernie Grant Arts Centre here regarding interpreter availability

On Saturday, 16th November, Deaffest on Tour and TLF are delighted to introduce the Deaf creatives who will launch the main theatre talks, offering a unique glimpse into their imagination and artistic talents!

(Must be 18 or older to attend the afternoon events on the 16th).


Saturday 16th November 2024 | Bernie Grant Arts Centre

1.30pm: The BSL-interpreted panel discussion on ‘Black Ballad and Irenosen Okojie‘ will open with a dynamic, immersive set by DJ Inigo!

Since the late 1990s, DJ Inigo has been a prominent figure in the music scene, actively contributing to Deaf Rave, a groundbreaking movement that highlights the significance of music in the Deaf community. His DJ style has evolved over the years, featuring a vibrant mix of sounds and genres.

Through his performances, DJ Inigo breaks down barriers and fosters connections between the hearing and Deaf communities. His fluent communication in British Sign Language enhances the bond with his audience, creating a groove that harmoniously blends music and sign language.


3.15pm: The BSL-interpreted panel discussion on ‘Black Imaginations – Reimagining Self, History, and Future‘ will begin with a live poetry performance by Sarah Adedeji!

Sarah is a Black Deaf artist who explores various forms of expression, including poetry, spoken word, and dance. In addition to her artistic pursuits, she is a British Sign Language performer and a full-time audiologist. At TLF 2022, she presented her poetry centred on the theme of ‘Black Love,’ and this year, she will share her work inspired by the theme of ‘Black Imaginations’.

National Lottery’s Game Changers unveiled

Deaffest Co-founders and Festival Directors Nikki Stratton and Marilyn Willrich are being celebrated as Game Changers!

Tomorrow, seven stories of people who have had game-changing impact on Arts & Film will be bought to life at V&A Exhibition Road Courtyard.

Created by Ouchhh Studio, a pioneer of data-based technology, the artwork will use state-of-the-art cognitive AI technology to transform the brainwaves of these individuals into a living, breathing canvas. It will be a UK-debut artwork for the Istanbul-based artists, who use ground-breaking cognitive technology to illuminate iconic buildings across the world.

From the director of Bend It Like Beckham, to the founder of a music charity that has nurtured some of the most recognisable names in recent times, each chapter of the artwork brings to life the unique journey and passion of a Game Changer.

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £30 million is raised every week for good causes, such as the restoration of thousands of arts venues across the UK, including the V&A.

This is the final of four unique activities taking place across the UK in the build-up to celebrating The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday in November.

The artwork will be on display 5.30pm-9.30pm, Friday 1 November.

Deaffest on Tour & Tottenham Literature Festival 2024


This November, Deaffest on Tour will be making its way to London for the Bernie Grant Arts Centre’s Tottenham Literature Festival (TLF) from the 11th to the 17th of November 2024. Following a successful collaboration in 2022, Deaffest is thrilled to partner with TLF for this year’s festival.



The week celebrates Black narratives and showcases the work of Black authors and creatives with the theme of Black Imaginations. Join TLF to discuss, dream, and explore how imagination powerfully transforms stories and realities. TLF invites you to meditate on this quote by Walidah Imarisha: ‘When we free our imaginations, we question everything. We recognise none of this is fixed, everything is stardust, and we have the strength to cast it however we will.’

Throughout the week-long festival, British Sign Language interpretation will be available for the main theatre talks, with a roaming interpreter present during the daytime on Saturday the 16th of November. 

D/deaf creatives will open the main theatre talks on Saturday to showcase their incredible art. Stay tuned for updates from TLF and Deaffest!