Starlight Players BSL interpreter shares more about her work ahead of signing tonight's show
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00:00 Meet our BSL trainee interpreter.
00:02 Hello, my name is Lauren and I will be interpreting the Anthemine on Friday night.
00:10 So I will be interpreting what's happening on the stage and what all the characters are saying
00:18 and everything. I am a trainee, will be interpreter, will be starting my studying this month
00:28 and I'm really excited to be able to do the interpreting for this performance.
00:33 Okay, what does BSL mean then? BSL means British Sign Language and it's the language of deaf
00:42 people all around the UK. We use it in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and in England as well.
00:49 So why do you think BSL is important? Well BSL is important so that the deaf community have access
00:57 to local performances and everything. Here in Wales there is quite a small deaf community
01:06 and there's not a lot of chances to learn BSL around it so I think it's important for lots of
01:13 deaf young people and children to see BSL and think 'oh I could learn that' and put myself
01:20 into the community a little bit more. I think it's just more important that they have access
01:26 completely for the deaf community and all over the UK really. So why have you started doing BSL?
01:35 So I started BSL probably five years ago now before I used to be a dancer and I used to be
01:42 in the Slaloch Players here in Grickiv and doing performances every year and I started because I
01:52 loved the idea of a language being movement and making a story and showing it in such a visual
01:58 way. The same as what I used to do with performing and dancing in the past. So I thought 'BSL, I like
02:05 the idea' and then I just fell in love with the language, the community and the culture and
02:11 everything. I just felt more connected and I just wanted to open up the doors for the accessibility
02:19 for the deaf community particularly here in Wales. How do you feel about being a BSL interpreter for
02:24 the show? I'm feeling so excited. I'm in the town that I grew up in and it's in the very company
02:32 that I used to do all this acting and theatre and dance and everything. So I'm really excited
02:40 and I think it'd be nice to have the deaf community come round a little bit more to
02:45 coastal town and just see local talent, actors, actresses, everything. I'm just yet to be able
02:54 to bring that accessibility here to Grickiv and it's a little bit like a dream of mine really to
03:00 be able to have that access, to be back on stage acting a little bit myself with the interpreting
03:07 involved. So yeah, I'm really excited. Perfect, thank you very much.