Oscar-winning actress Rachel Shenton has launched a groundbreaking video podcast series called “Shaping Tomorrow,” designed to celebrate diversity and amplify the voices of deaf people. The four-part series features fascinating conversations between deaf and hearing professionals, including a deaf architect who talks design with Wayne Hemingway and a deaf makeup artist who shares experiences with her hearing counterpart. The project is particularly notable for its accessibility, offering subtitles and translation into British Sign Language (BSL), and was created with a 90% deaf production team through Shenton’s social enterprise, Hear Art.
The series aims to bridge gaps and challenge misconceptions about the deaf community while showcasing notable talents across various industries. Featured guest Nicky Weir, a successful makeup artist who has worked with major fashion brands and celebrities, highlights how the recent inclusion of BSL in mainstream TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and coverage of the Paralympic Games represents positive progress in visibility. The series debuted on Hear Art’s YouTube channel, with new episodes released every two weeks, and will later be available on major podcast platforms including Spotify, Audible, and Apple Podcasts.
Watch the first two episodes of the podcast below and head to Hear Art on YouTube to subscribe to future episodes.
A potential tool for increasing accessibility, Claude was used as a research and writing aid for this blog post. Do you think this is an appropriate use of chatGPT? Why or why not? Let me know!
