As part of Deaf Awareness Week, which starts on 5 May and finishes on 11 May, we interviewed Helen Kindred, our Director of Studies, to learn more about her dance journey, how NSCD supports students from the D/deaf community, and what makes her pleased to be part of the School.
Firstly, Helen, what is Deaf Awareness Week and what does it celebrate?
Deaf Awareness Week is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the D/deaf community, language, culture, and history and to celebrate diversity, promote understanding and build a more inclusive world. It provides an opportunity for individuals and organisations to come together and support the D/deaf community, learn about their experiences, and work towards a more inclusive and accessible society.
The theme for Deaf Awareness Week 2025 is "Beyond Silence". This theme focuses on breaking down barriers to full accessibility for individuals with hearing loss, celebrating the diverse ways D/deaf people communicate, and highlighting the richness of D/deaf culture.
Can you give a little background as to your involvement and why you work at NSCD, and tell us about your path in dance?
I came to NSCD because I am passionate about dance education and ensuring accessible opportunities for people to learn about themselves and the world in which they are a part, through movement. I fell in love with contemporary dance through access to wonderful opportunities to dance, to see dance, to be immersed in diverse movement practices through my secondary school and local community dance programme and Youth Dance Company in Kent as a teenager.
From these experiences and my dance teacher’s belief in me, I went on to study dance at Roehampton University, worked as a performer in the US, UK and Ireland, then worked in community dance for 10 years, went back to study for my Master's in Choreography, then transitioned into teaching dance in Higher Education. I have been in HE for the past 18 years while supporting an active community dance practice. I co-direct DancingStrong Movement Lab CIC with my artistic partner Adesola Akinleye, making accessible dance performance work for children and their families.
How do you go about teaching students with deafness/ hearing loss?
My work, which includes teaching, choreographing, lecturing, writing, and using verbal English and BSL, aims to nurture environments of care, respect, and accountability. I am mindful to check in with students' preferred communication (lip reading, BSL, note taking, voice transcriptions) and share this with the group so that we can help with effective communication together. I try to give information clearly before a task, as it can be difficult to hear/lip read when we are all moving and multi-directional in space. I try to be in full-face visible (for lip reading), offer more gestural information and cues, and use auto captions if talking and using slides or on Zoom.
What are the positives of working in dance in general as a D/Deaf person?
I am very used to non-verbal communication, communicating through many methods that are visual and tactile in dance. I listen more actively and more attentively and question more and encourage others to do the same (good for D/deaf people but also good for communication skills generally). I can share and advocate for many different experiences of dance and many ways to communicate.
Is there anything unique or special about NSCD as an organisation for D/deaf people which you want to highlight?
I have found NSCD to be incredibly open to inclusivity, by not assuming they have it all sorted, but recognising it as a process, and being willing to enter conversation and take action around this. I find the staff and students here respectful and adaptable in their approach, which makes me feel safe and welcome in all aspects of the school.
How does the student body respond to D/deaf students and work with them to get the best performance possible for all?
Via openness, respect and willingness to learn, this applies to working together with identified disabilities. Students this year have been learning BSL, for example. There is a real respect for and celebration of difference at NSCD.
What advice would you give a D/deaf person who wanted to work in dance/study dance?
Do it! Communicate your needs, advocate for spaces for different ways of communicating, not to be a problem, but an asset.
What are the challenges, and how do we ensure we excel in our teaching and learning?
NSCD live by their policies; they do not just sit as documents. NSCD EEDI is a real commitment that threads throughout the school. Joined-up approaches between early years, Learning & Participation, right through to Postgraduate study and beyond are a commitment and responsibility which we all take seriously.
Where do you see the future of dance as a D/deaf person going, and does technology help enhance experiences?
No idea, and I'm happy with that! Technology is great, wearing digital hearing aids means I can communicate in verbal conversations, for starters! New aids and new devices are being developed each year that enhance sound and so access. On the other hand, I am also learning to embrace my deafness more and more (with the help of a supportive environment where I feel I can) and sharing BSL with others so that maybe in the future I can have time where I don’t rely on aids and technology to hear but can communicate with more people through sign language.
What has BSL done to help with inclusion?
BSL means we don’t have to struggle to hear! We can communicate without sound and without the pressure of trying to hear or wondering what we might be missing. BSL helps me to feel part of the D/deaf community as well as living in a hearing world. BSL and the teaching of it is critical for D/deaf people, schools, and families to be able to embrace deafness and identity to excel in all aspects of life and not be limited by the constraints of the dominance of verbal language.
Is there anything we offer to readers and potential staff and students at NSCD?
The value of being who you are and sharing that with others usually means we all learn from many perspectives and can grow.
--
We spoke to 2 students who feel supported by NSCD's approach to pedagogy and how the School values difference.
Here is what they said:
Nina – “I am a third-year student here at NSCD, and I chose it [NSCD] because of the passion and care I immediately felt from everyone involved in the organisation. There was a desire to achieve excellence for everyone, and I was also drawn to the uniqueness of the experience. Everyone is different, and our individuality is celebrated and encouraged, not ignored. There is a consistent, considerate effort to make the training as beneficial as possible to everyone no matter what their access requirements. During my time here, I have been working as an assistant for the adult creative group, which has some deaf participants. This stimulated my awareness of different communication techniques and prompted me to start learning some BSL. Helen has been an incredibly patient and knowledgeable teacher, providing us with skills to better our own teaching practice and make it more accessible. It is so rewarding to be able to communicate effectively with people with hearing difficulties, and by learning BSL, I have been able to form much deeper connections with the students in the class I help with."
Isaac – “I am a current third-year student coming towards the end of my BA at NSCD and have been working with Helen closely for the past few months as part of my Teaching Dance module. I have always had a love of learning and communication, so beginning to learn the foundations of BSL during my teaching module has been an amazing opportunity to overlap my passions. Inclusive practice is at the core of my principles as I believe that all teaching should come from a place of joy, community, and inclusivity. Learning skills like BSL and teaching techniques to support deaf dancers has helped me to develop my personal practice in and out of the studio. I have enjoyed learning signs and about BSL and wish to continue to develop my knowledge in BSL and deaf awareness, especially within dance.”
To find out more about Deaf Awareness Week, please visit the BDA website.
For those interested in studying at NSCD, join us for our next in-person Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 24 May and get a feel for what it's like to be a student at NSCD. Book your place here.
