The King’s Cross Outside Art Project, renowned for turning King’s Cross into one of the largest outdoor gallery spaces in Europe, will mark National BSL (British Sign Language) Day on Friday 28 April with the launch of its first-ever exhibition by a deaf photographer.
Deaf Mosaic by Stephen Iliffe will feature 54 poster-sized photographs of deaf and deafblind people from all walks of life, illustrating the rich mosaic of the deaf community of the UK in a series of intimate portraits. Its headline message is that with the right support in place, deaf people can achieve anything.
The free exhibition will be on display on Battle Bridge Place, Pancras Square and Granary Square from 28 April – 28 May, including throughout Deaf Awareness Week (1-7 May).
The Deaf Mosaic photography exhibition is supported by Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, adult education college City Lit and King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP), owners of the King’s Cross estate.
One year after the BSL Act, deaf photographer Stephen Iliffe’s project to capture the ‘deaf mosaic’ of the United Kingdom in a series of intimate portraits will open to the public in its biggest and most prominent exhibition location yet – King’s Cross – on Friday 28 April, marking the UK’s first-ever National BSL Day.
For one month (28 April – 28 May 2023, including throughout Deaf Awareness Week (1-7 May)), Deaf Mosaic will form the latest King’s Cross Outside Art Project, which regularly turns Granary Square and Pancras Square into one of the largest outdoor gallery spaces in Europe.
The free exhibition will feature a diverse cross-section of 54 deaf and deafblind people from all walks of life – from charity leader to fashion model, NHS nurse to fairground traveller, Quran translator to women’s rugby player. Its headline message is that with the right support, deaf people can achieve anything.
An estimated 90,000 deaf and deafblind people in the UK use British Sign Language (BSL) as a first or preferred language. BSL was finally recognised in law in April 2022 as a language of Great Britain, after decades of passionate campaigning by the deaf community.
Stephen Iliffe, photographer and creator of Deaf Mosaic, said:
“Deaf Mosaic is my most personal project yet. It aims to spark urgent conversations about the invisible barriers unwittingly created by hearing society which deaf people face every single day.
“I grew up the only deaf kid in a mainstream school. I had no adult deaf role models to show me what I could aspire to in life.
“It wasn’t until my 20s that I stumbled across the deaf community. It was as if a light had been switched on in a dark room. Overnight, my deafness went from being a negative to a positive. Finally, I began to understand that it isn’t deafness itself that disables people, but the barriers in society that often prevent us achieving our dreams.
“There are so many practical ways to create access for deaf people – from sign language interpreters to technological aids, from TV and video captions to inclusive classrooms and workplaces.
“As the stories behind these portraits tell us: with the right support in place, deaf people can achieve anything.”
Dani Sive, Headteacher of Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, said:
“Deaf children often grow up as the only deaf person in their family, their school and, later, their workplace. It is crucial that they have deaf role models to look up to and learn from as they begin to develop their sense of self.
“With Deaf Mosaic, Stephen Iliffe has beautifully captured both the challenges of everyday life as a deaf person in a hearing world and the impressive achievements of the deaf people of Britain, who come from a diverse range of backgrounds but are all united by their deaf identity.
“We are very proud that a number of Frank Barnes pupils are featured in the exhibition and delighted to support this honest and hopeful portrayal of the untold stories of the British deaf community.”
