D-Live! 2 years project for Medway & UK
The Martha Vineyard project aims to uncover and celebrate the rich history of the deaf community from Kent who migrated to America in the 17th century, forming a unique "deaf village" known as Martha’s Vineyard. This initiative seeks to explore the reasons behind this significant migration and its impact on deaf culture, ensuring that the stories of deaf individuals are included in the historical narrative. By sharing this knowledge with deaf children, young people, and adults in Kent, we hope to the resilience and contributions of deaf people throughout history, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of their heritage. Join us in this groundbreaking effort to illuminate the past and inspire future generations.
The school had the exciting opportunity to collaborate with two different workshop facilitators through art and English. Their hard work culminated in a published book, which premiered at the BUP! Festival in April 2025 at Chatham Historic Dockyard. This event allowed deaf children and their families in Medway to experience and celebrate their creations. In the second phase, we visited five UK schools with the published history book, giving other deaf children a chance to see and appreciate their work.
Steven Vevers-Webb
Artistic Director of D-Live! Theatre Company
Digital Documentary & Short Films
Martha Vineyard
Martha Vineyard
The Journey
M.V Documentary
Warren School
Healthland School Video by Cuckoo Class link - https://fb.watch/ztSmD6oVoc/
D-Live! Theatre's successful funding project for Medway
D-Live! Theatre's successful funding project for MedwayD-Live! Theatre's successful funding project for Medway Martha Vineyard project is about 200 deaf people from Kent moved to America in 17th Century which resulted a “deaf village” called “Martha’s Vineyard” where everyone spoke sign language is a very important cultural and historical event that is widely unknown.
Why was it this large group of deaf people moved across the Atlantic? What made them go? This important local heritage needs to be explored and known about by deaf children, young people and adults across Kent for them to realise that there have been deaf people throughout history (as most mainstream history books don’t ever mention deaf people). This project would be the first of its kind to celebrate this important historical event. We would celebrate deaf people in Kent in 17th century and find out all about them and then widely share this knowledge with deaf children and young people today to shine a light on this heritage and what the experience was like for deaf people back then.
The film and student will work with two different workshop faciliators through art and English and thier work will be premiered BUP! Festival in 2024 at Chatham Historic Dockyard where deaf children and their families in Medway will have direct experience through access of BSL language celebrating their work making unique festival. Lastly their work have gone to be published part of history book.
Digital Archive 2nd Phase UK Deaf/Mainstream Schools
Digital Archive 1st Phase with Thomas Aveling & All Faith's school
Photos by Nikki Price & Lidia Crisafulli
