Latest news with #RoseAyling-Ellis:OldHands
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, review: taking sign language outside the deaf community
We may not want to talk about the impact that the sweeping hands of time are having on our senses but, as anyone who spent too much of their youth getting their ears buzzed by Radiohead (substitute your over-amplified rock band of choice) can testify, hearing ain't what it used to be. So why not get ahead of the game and learn British Sign Language? In Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks (BBC One), the deaf actor/Strictly champion/trailblazer tested out her belief that BSL should be taught beyond the hardcore deaf community. The idea is simple enough. At a retirement village where the residents are all 70 plus and some the other side of 100, failing hearing is a fact of time. So teaching them sign language would be an invaluable communication tool. The first of a two-part report injected a slither of fake jeopardy as Ayling-Ellis's initial efforts to whip up interest fell at first (sorry) on deaf ears. But this was at heart a touching and feelgood look at how any project that brings people together can foster wellbeing and prompt slumbering grey cells back into action. The fact that it was BSL at the heart of it became almost secondary as a growing group of students at Hughenden Retirement Village forged new friendships and explored feelings that had been bottled up. As resident Sue discovered, the fact that BSL relies on using facial expressions to emphasise emotions meant that the carefully created social mask we use to protect ourselves began to fade away. As much as it was an entertaining promo for the benefits of having a working knowledge of sign language, the bigger takeaway was its look at how best we should be tackling our senior years. Care homes and retirement villages that have a working knowledge of BSL are as rare as hens' teeth, yet here the social benefits rang out loud and clear. At the deaf karaoke night that brought the curtain down on the first half of this inspiring experiment, it was clear that the impact of learning sign language was as emotional as it was educational. As Eric signed Perry Como's And I Love You So to wife June, who has Alzheimer's, it wasn't only the packed room at Hughenden that was tearing up.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
See Hear returns alongside a range of exciting new programming and innovative digital content showcasing British Sign Language (BSL) across the BBC
The BBC's flagship programme for the Deaf community, See Hear, is returning this April alongside a breadth of new content showcasing BSL in the next few weeks. Programming includes new series, Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks and bilingual drama Reunion; deaf contributors and presenters in popular BBC brands including Sort Your Life Out, Pointless, Morning Live and Make it at Market; as well as the launch today of a special new filter on Snapchat to encourage audiences to learn BSL. The focus on BSL is part of the BBC's broader commitment to accessibility, authentic portrayal and representation both on and off air. See Hear will run across the week from 7-11 April from its new home at the Quayside in Newcastle. Produced by Signpost Entertainment, the magazine-style programme aims to reflect what's most important in the Deaf community and what people are discussing. Presented by a team of new and familiar faces and made by a predominantly deaf team of producers, the new-look See Hear has inclusivity at its core. The first episode will go behind the scenes at Waterloo Road with actor Danny Murphy, who plays the show's first deaf character, Luca. In the studio, presenter Amy Murray is joined by RTS award-winning screenwriter and director Charlie Swinbourne to discuss deaf visibility in mainstream media. Additional items include profiles of influential deaf people and Spill the Tea, which answers some of the questions people are sometimes afraid to ask. There will be a further series plus six special episodes over the course of the year. New series, Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks launching on BBC One and iPlayer, follows Rose as she sets out to prove it's never too late to learn and embarks on a bold and heartfelt mission to transform the lives of a group of retirees by teaching them BSL. Her goal is to explore whether BSL can enhance their quality of life, deepen connections and combat the isolation that often comes with hearing loss. Produced by multi-award-winning Rogan Productions, the production team included deaf creatives in key roles including the series producer, producer director and assistant producer, ensuring authentic representation. A number of measures were put in place to foster an inclusive and collaborative creative environment for all with the whole production team taking part in deaf inclusion training and basic sign language classes. The series is accompanied by the launch of a special filter on Snapchat which shows users how to finger-spell their name. The filter, accessed on your phone via Snapchat, will show you how to spell out your name with the letters of the alphabet in BSL and creates a fun video. As finger-spelling is one of the bedrocks of BSL, this is a brilliant way of starting off on your own sign language journey. The lens (filter) in Snapchat is called 'Your Name in BSL'. Users can also find the filter under the 'lenses' folder on the BBC Snapchat page. New four-part thriller Reunion is a bilingual series filmed in and around Sheffield featuring both BSL and spoken English. Starring Matthew Gurney, Lara Peake, Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan and Rose Ayling-Ellis and produced by Warp Films for BBC One and iPlayer. Reunion is written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager who also served as executive producer. Other members of the crew who are deaf include the BSL coach, 2nd Unit Director, the Shadow Director and Co-1st Assistant Director. Warp worked closely with various organisations including Triple C/DANC, The Deaf Set, and Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV), With the help of Access Coordinators they created a fully inclusive set, including deaf awareness training for all cast and crew and implementation of a bilingual cue-ing system. Demonstrating our commitment to reflecting the diversity of our audience, there will also be a range of incidental portrayal across popular BBC shows in the next few weeks. Sort Your Life Out features the Clarkes, a deaf family from the West Midlands whose home has been overtaken by clutter, in the final episode of the current series. The production team included a deaf producer and a deaf producer director on the shoot and in the edit while the whole team, including on-screen presenters, took part in deaf inclusion training. Throughout production, the focus was on ensuring that filming took place in a way that enabled the family to communicate as authentically as possible. Popular game show, Pointless, will feature two deaf contestants for three episodes at the end of March and RTS NW Award-winning show Morning Live, which won for Best Inclusive Practice, has a special edition spotlighting BSL and the Deaf community as well as continuing items from deaf chef Yvonne Cobb. In addition, Make it to Market continues to feature deaf stone carver Louis Francis as one of the expert mentors. This focus on BSL builds on the BBC's track record in raising awareness and bringing viewers authentic deaf representation across our programming. From Tasha Ghouri on Strictly Come Dancing to Fury on Gladiators, deaf contributors across BBC content have shone a light on the deaf community. Scripted dramas such as Waterloo Road and Silent Witness have also featured deaf characters and storylines and programmes such as Magic Hands and RTS Award-winning Musical Storyland: The Enormous Turnip have introduced BSL to young audiences whilst a signed Newsround bulletin is available every weekday for children. Jessica Schibli, Head of Creative Diversity, says: 'British Sign Language is an essential part of the UK's cultural and linguistic diversity, and we're proud to champion it across our programming. Representation isn't just about who is on-screen —it's about ensuring that deaf talent, stories, and perspectives are embedded at every level, both on and off screen. Our creative diversity commitments aren't just about our programmes, but about making meaningful change for a more inclusive society. By fostering inclusive production environments, supporting deaf creatives, and making BSL available to all audiences, we're working to ensure that everyone sees themselves reflected on the BBC.' Caroline O'Neill, co-commissioner on Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks says: 'Old Hands, New Tricks is a love song to British Sign Language and the Deaf community. It's been a privilege to work on the series with Emma Loach and celebrate a community that is very dear to my heart. Being the only deaf person in your environment can be lonely, but since working on this show, and within the BBC I have been blown away by the enthusiasm and dedication of teams to not only ensure authentic portrayal on and off-screen but also commit to learning British Sign Language, with team members signing up for BSL Level 1.' Rebecca Mansell, Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association says, 'Old Hands, New Tricks showcases British Sign Language (BSL) as a rich, visual-gestural language with its own unique grammar—expressed through handshapes, facial expressions, gestures, and body language. More than just a means of communication, BSL is a cornerstone of Deaf identity, culture, and history, fostering a deep sense of community and belonging. BSL is for everyone, no matter their age—and this programme proves just that. We hope it inspires greater understanding and appreciation of the Deaf signing community while reinforcing BSL's status as a language in its own right, connecting people and preserving Deaf culture.' The BBC is committed to extending its offer of live signed content. Over the years we've increased our live signed content for Glastonbury, Strictly Come Dancing and Comic Relief. All the featured content will be live signed via BBC iPlayer and red button. In addition, upcoming programmes that will feature live signing include Eurovision 2025 and VE Day memorial events, with more to be announced. A wealth of signed content can also be found on BBC iPlayer on a dedicated category page. The page features an ever expanding list of over 750 programmes, from the latest drama and comedy including Virdee, Ludwig, Waterloo Road and Gavin and Stacey to entertainment shows such as Race Across the World and The Traitors to children's favourites such as Bluey and Stick Man as well as the best of the archive including the entire back catalogue of Doctor Who. In addition, BBC Sounds has been using AI tools to add subtitles to some of our programmes including In Touch, Access All, Profile, Sporting Witness and Economics with Subtitles. This has now been extended to include more programmes including The Archers and The Today podcast. EDA
