deaf arts now is a European cultural festival and workshop for Deaf artists, which started for first time September 14-20, 1998 in Stockholm,Sweden. Professional photographers, filmmakers, poets, actors and visual artists from all over Europe worked together in seminars and workshops. During a week around 60 invited artists create films or performances, which were shown to the public after the workshop.
The artists are already professionally active in their different countries and the festival gave them the possibilty to exchange knowledge and share experiences with collegues from other European countries. With new ideas and perspectives, they can spread these experiences further and actively encourage other Deaf to express themselves. This is important especially in countries where sign language still isn't accepted as a perfectly satisfactory language. Art and Culture are closely linked to the language and the right to express oneself, which has in all time been a perfect tool for justice and democracy.
Deaf culture is expressing through visual language and it has a lot in common over national borders even if every country has it's own sign language. Such a universal community is unique and it's expression is important. To be Deaf is to have another way of expression and an other culture. Deaf people sense the world through their eyes and this forms how to interpret the world and how to express.
deaf arts now opens the door to Deaf Culture in Europe. This festival will enrich cultural life for the Deaf people, but also for cultural life in general by bringing our different view and senses to the ordinary cultural scene in the 3rd century.
Welcome
to Stockholm June 15-17, 2007!