Everyone welcome at Deaf Festival Sydney this Saturday

Key points:

• Deaf Festival Sydney is being held on August 24, 2024 at Cathy Freeman Park where Australians are invited to enjoy performances and workshops and celebrate Deaf culture
• Deaf Australia estimates that close to 20,000 Australians communicate using Auslan, which is the language used in the Australian Deaf community
• A meet-and-greet with Emma Memma, an ex-Wiggles member, is sure to excite younger festival go-ers, while presentations and conversations on the main stage will engage adult attendees

Deaf Festival Sydney is set for this Saturday, August 24, 2024 at Cathy Freeman Park in Sydney Olympic Park with an abundance of performances, workshops and stalls for the whole family. 

Presenters at the festival will include Fiona Murphy who is a writer, poet and essayist, and Sue Jo Wright, a Deaf artist and community activist.

Plenty of other activities are set to create a fun-filled weekend including a competition for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, a kids’ yoga workshop and a meet and greet opportunity with Emma Watkins who performs as Emma Memma in a show that incorporates Auslan with dance.

A complete program list is available on Deaf Festival Sydney website. Tickets to Deaf Festival Sydney are free but attendees must register on the Deaf Festival Sydney website. 

Deaf Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, estimates that close to 20,000 Australians use Auslan to communicate on a daily basis. Auslan is the language used by the Deaf community in Australia and is also known as Australian Sign Language.

To facilitate communication between the Deaf community and people who don’t use Auslan, dedicated volunteers will be available throughout the event.

Food vendors such as Turkish Gozleme and Cupcakes and Co will be present, with some vendors also offering a variety of options including gluten free, vegetarian and vegan foods. 

Stallholders will include Anytime Auslan, Deaf History Collections, Hear No Evil – Australian Deaf Dog Rescue and Deaf Connect.

Deaf Connect offers services such as accredited and non-accredited Auslan classes, Auslan translations, support work and interpreting, as well as being a platinum sponsor for Deaf Festival Sydney. 

Deaf Connect Chief Services Officer Brent Phillips highlighted the variety of performances and activities available at this year’s Deaf Festival Sydney.

“With an incredible array of Deaf performers and a record number of stallholders, Deaf Festival Sydney brings people together for a vibrant celebration of our culture, values and language,” he said.

“The stallholders, various organisations, and representatives will be present to share resources, information, and support services that empower and unite the Deaf community.” 

Mr Phillips reiterated that everyone is invited to attend the festival, whether you are Deaf or not.

“Whether you’re coming with your family, loved ones, or want to build out your connections in the community, Deaf Festival Sydney embraces people from every part of society,” he said.

Dogs are also welcome but must be kept on a lead at all times. 

Approximately 3.6 million Australians are affected by some form of hearing loss, according to the Australian Government. 

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Deaf Festival Sydney?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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