Deaf Art Science Festival will explore accessibility in emergency and disaster response
Science Gallery Melbourne will host the Deaf Art Science Festival, bringing Deaf and hard of hearing perspectives to conversations about climate change and emergency preparedness.
The Deaf Art Science Festival has been developed in response to Science Gallery Melbourne’s current exhibition EMERGENCE[Y], which explores creative responses to ecological collapse and climate change through art and science.
STEAM Coordinator for Deaf and hard of hearing programs at Science Gallery Melbourne, Dr Ramas McRae, said deaf people are too often left out of conversations about emergency preparedness.
“Emergencies can affect us in very different ways. Information needs to be accessible, timely and available in languages that deaf people understand, including Auslan,” Dr McRae said.
“This event is an opportunity for deaf and hard of hearing people, and all visitors, to experience science, art and culture through different perspectives, and highlights how accessibility and inclusion can make our communities stronger.”
Director of Science Gallery Melbourne, Dr Ryan Jefferies, said he was excited to host the event at Science Gallery Melbourne.
“The Festival brings together art, science, technology and Deaf culture in ways that celebrate new perspectives and different ways of experiencing the world,” Dr Jefferies said.
“It also creates a platform where Deaf and hard of hearing communities are not simply invited to participate, but are at the centre of shaping the experience, reflecting our broader commitment to co-design, inclusion and accessibility.”
The Festival will be held on 19 September, with a program that includes a showcase of Deaf organisations and emergency services, alongside a keynote forum featuring Deaf and hard of hearing panellists working in climate change and disaster response.
Visitors can also take part in Auslan Storytime and creative workshops with artist collective DARE and experience a work by Deaf artist Chelle Destefano and students from the Victorian College for the Deaf and Sunshine College.
The project is co-designed by Science Gallery Melbourne, Sunshine College and the Victorian College for the Deaf. It is funded through the Australian Government’s Maker Grant and the Beth McLaren Smallwood Foundation.