Signs For Change
Rose Ayling-Ellis fronts an exciting and ground-breaking film challenging perceptions of the deaf community and putting audiences at the heart of the deaf experience
Exploring whether society is adapting fast enough to allow equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds, Rose challenges the perception of deafness as something that needs to be cured and highlights the beauty of sign language and the deaf experience.
Filmed over a period of time which sees her performing Shakespeare’s As You Like It and reflecting on her time as the first regular deaf character in EastEnders and deaf contestant and winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Rose explores whether attitudes towards the deaf community are changing.
Rose reflects on what it meant for her to grow up deaf, discussing with her parents the advice given to them from diagnosis, and questioning if anything has changed for those growing up deaf now.
Rose meets deaf language expert Dr Kate Rowley and tests her own language abilities, raising questions about the role of sign language in her formative years.
Rose explores how technology plays a role in the lives of deaf people and asks whether the hearing world focuses too much on technological fixes and too little on encouraging sign language.
Throughout the film, Rose explores her deaf identity and allows us in to her personal world to witness who she is when surrounded by friends and family, compared to the Rose we see on stage and screen
