Shaping Tomorrow is the first deaf-led video podcast to share trail-blazing career journeys and the first episode features deaf architect Christopher Laing in conversation with Wayne Hemingway MBE.
UK social enterprise, co-founded by Cindy Sasha and Academy Award winner Rachel Shenton, Hear Art has announced the launch of Shaping Tomorrow, the brand-new, trail-blazing deaf-led video podcast created with a 90% deaf production team to amplify the voices of the deaf community.
The Shaping Tomorrow series embraces British Sign Language and is the very first deaf video podcast to focus on the careers of deaf professionals in the creative, sports and entertainment industries while unearthing the challenges they have faced along the way and how things have changed over time.
The first instalment of the four-episode series is out on 26th September on Hear Art’s YouTube channel, and sees designer and entrepreneur Wayne Hemingway MBE have an open and honest conversation with deaf architect Christopher Laing. Christopher speaks of the limitations faced by deaf architects and founding the DAF (Deaf Architecture Front) and its support for young people looking to follow in his footsteps: “When I’m fighting and advocating for people, I’m just imagining a deaf person needing that support from someone that has the knowledge to help them so they can switch off and focus on what they need to do for their education.”
Hear Art’s CEO and co-founder Cindy Sasha, who is also the creator/producer of Shaping Tomorrow says: “Podcasts offer an alternative way to access information and storytelling. I realised how podcasts are exclusively hearing experiences, so I created and produced an inclusive video podcast for everyone to enjoy and be inspired by deaf voices and stories.”
Sam Arnold, who was recently a producer on the award-winning film Name Me Lawand, directs series one of Shaping Tomorrow, bringing together a talented deaf crew. Sam comments: “I know that many talented deaf voices have been neglected or overlooked by all industries. Cindy at Hear Art and I shared the same vision to create a platform for them. As a deaf director, I am passionate about enhancing the video podcast experience to immerse deaf and hearing viewers. It is particularly important for deaf viewers who are disadvantaged and unable to access many podcasts that are audio only or end up watching unengaging shots of two people talking.”
Hear Art co-founder, actress, and writer Rachel Shenton says: “Shaping Tomorrow’s conversations are so exciting as it’s our first independent venture. As ever, we are committed to encouraging the deaf and hearing community to work together and learn from each other and these conversations are a perfect way of doing that.”
An award-winning Community Interest Company (CIC), Hear Art was co-founded in 2020 by Cindy Sasha and Rachel Shenton, who won an Academy Award for her short film The Silent Child in 2018, both of whom have deaf family members and who wanted to support the creative talents within the deaf community. It has already successfully produced four deaf-led short films that gained commercial success in the short film festival circuit, and saw podcasting as the next step.
Hear Art was the first to introduce the 50% deaf and 50% hearing crew/cast employment model in the TV/Film industry, improving employment and commercial opportunities for deaf creatives.
The Shaping Tomorrow video podcast is fully accessible to all deaf and hard of hearing audiences, featuring inclusive British Sign Language (BSL), captions/subtitles, and complete transcripts to ensure an engaging and inclusive experience for all.
The first episode is exclusively available on YouTube, with the rest to be released every two weeks, and each episode will follow on Spotify, Audible and Apple Podcasts at the start of November:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPs2FP8mdGk&t=6s
For more information follow @shapingtomorrowmedia on Instagram
