HSE University and GES-2: Second Conference ‘Researching the Deaf Community’
From May 31 to June 2, 2024, the second interdisciplinary conference ‘Researching the Deaf Community’ was held at the GES-2 House of Culture, organised in collaboration with HSE University. The international forum brought together experts from 11 countries and four continents. Participants discussed topics related to the social, cultural, and linguistic characteristics of people within the deaf community in the modern world.
In his opening remarks at the conference Artem Bondarevsky, General Director of the V–A–C Foundation and the GES-2 House of Culture, emphasised that this forum was made possible through the cooperation of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research of HSE University and the GES-2 House of Culture. He also expressed confidence that this conference would not be the last: the topics raised here are becoming even more relevant, and the results of the work being done are influencing the development of education and culture. ‘Our duty is to give community representatives the opportunity to design and implement programme projects with us, including exploring their own communities,’ noted Artem Bondarevsky.
On the first day of the conference, a plenary session was held, moderated by Professor Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova, head of the HSE International Laboratory for Social Integration Research.
Researchers from Indonesia, Israel, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, and Russia presented their projects. They discussed pressing social issues related to the exclusion of the deaf in these countries, as well as inclusive prospects opened by social policies, education, and initiatives of public organisations and particular leaders. To ensure mutual understanding among participants, nine interpreters simultaneously translated presentations and discussions into several sign and spoken languages.
Vlad Kolesnikov, curator of programmes for the d/Deaf community of the V–A–C Foundation and the GES-2 House of Culture, as well as the interdisciplinary project ‘Researching the Deaf Community,’ spoke about the goals and plans for working with deaf communities. ‘We have adopted two approaches: the first is adaptation for the deaf and hard of hearing. These are people who may or may not use hearing aids, and may or may not know sign language. It is important for us that all people, whether deaf or hard of hearing, and with different experiences, have the opportunity to interact at the House of Culture. The second approach is interaction with the deaf community. Thus, we have a permanent programme ‘Deaf and Voiced,' with community-oriented projects. This includes not only the deaf and hard of hearing but also children of deaf parents, hearing parents of deaf children, cochlear implant users, sign language interpreters, and so on. We want to work with various representatives of the deaf community,’ explained Vlad Kolesnikov.
He also introduced the ‘Deaf and Voiced’ programme to the conference participants. This programme includes four areas of work:
Support for sign language;
Special events where deaf and hard of hearing children and teenagers can communicate and engage in joint activities;
Cultural production, where the deaf and hard of hearing can demonstrate their experiences through artistic expression;
Researching the d/Deaf community, which is the primary area of collaboration between the GES-2 House of Culture and researchers from HSE University.
Vlad Kolesnikov also spoke about the ‘Act Three’ project at the GES-2 House of Culture. ‘It all started in 2023 with the “Act Two” project. Together with the deaf and hard of hearing, we share various stories from childhood and recent events. We collect these stories and stage performances based on them. For us, this is a continuous exploration of the community's history, and each work-in-progress show, as the culmination of a laboratory, is like a new episode but not the end of the journey. On June 8, 2024 we will show it in the town of Vyksa, and I am sure we will continue to share the community's stories further,’ he explained. On the last day of the conference, one of the project's performances, ‘MUMU. Act Three,’ was presented. The creative team addressed the theme of laughter in everyday life, discussing communication between the deaf and the hearing, which includes awkwardness, mistakes, distrust, and complete understanding.
The conference also presented the first almanac ‘Researching the Deaf Community.’ This collection of written materials combines scientific works by scholars, practitioners, students, and graduate students in the field of Deaf Studies, which were selected based on the results of last year's conference. One of the authors was Maria Malofeeva, Research Assistant at the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research at HSE University. ‘This is a wonderful opportunity to share our results and become acquainted with the work of researchers and practitioners studying the social life of deaf people,’ she said. ‘I am very pleased that the organisers are already planning to collect new articles for the second edition of the almanac!’
Over the three days of the conference, a lot of presentations, sessions, and discussions took place, covering contemporary media and media consumption practices of the deaf and hard of hearing, current approaches to linguistic studies of the deaf, issues of education and employment, new challenges and opportunities faced by the community, and much more.
Nikita Bolshakov, Deputy Head of the HSE School of Sociology and Leading Research Fellow at the HSE International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, spoke to the HSE News Service about the conference outcomes.
Nikita Bolshakov
‘The fact that in its second year the conference has become truly international and extended over several days indicates a huge interest in its theme. The field of Deaf Studies, most adequately translated into Russian as “studies of the deaf community and sign language,” though seemingly narrow at first glance, is truly interdisciplinary, bringing together sociologists, linguists, educators, cultural researchers, psychologists, media, and technology researchers. This interdisciplinarity was fully reflected in the conference programme, where, by the way, presentations by hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing speakers were presented in approximately equal proportions. It is hard to single anyone out, but for me, the most memorable presentations were about the experience of a deaf woman in the Bedouin society by Senior Lecturer at the School of Social Work at Sapir Academic College Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail (Israel), about calibration in sign languages by Professor of Sociolinguistics at Heriot-Watt University (UK) Annelies Kusters, and, of course, the presentations of research by participants of the “Researching the Deaf Community” club on the perceptions of sign language interpreters, deaf theatre, media consumption practices of the deaf, and literacy in Russian and Russian Sign Language, which will definitely be published in the second edition of the almanac.’
See also:
HSE University and GES-2 to Hold Second Annual Conference 'Researching the Deaf Community'
HSE University's International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, together with the GES-2 House of Culture, will hold the Second Annual Interdisciplinary Conference 'Researching the Deaf Community.' The forum will address issues related to the social, cultural and linguistic aspects of deaf people’s lives. The conference will be held from May 31 to June 2 at the GES-2 House of Culture.