Film history of sign language

An Ashford man will feature in a ground-breaking documentary about the UK deaf community.

Power in Our Hands will premier at the Gulbenkian Cinema in Canterbury next Wednesday, and Dr Terry Riley, a well-known international deaf campaigner, will hold a Q&A after the screening.

The documentary contains lost photos and film from the British Deaf Association archives, including rare footage of the National Deaf Choir Competition being performed in Canterbury Cathedral.

Dr Riley, an Ashford resident, is a former editor of BBC See Hear who has ben elected to both the European Union of the Deaf and the World Federation of the Deaf.

He is also a driving force behind the 70-minute film, which explores the recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) and deaf rights in the UK.

Dr Riley said: “To see this old film footage is an emotional occasion for me.

“For many years, I never really knew or saw my language on screen. So to be able to sit down and see BSL on a par with any other language is a wonderful thing. To watch a bygone era – one I thought was lost forever to the world is just magical. This film will give the deaf community a feeling of history.”

For more information or to book tickets for the screening visit www.thegulbenkian.co.uk.

‘EMOTIONAL’: Terry Riley