Riksteatrn invests heavily in sign language: “Fantastic opportunity”

– I love sign language poetry and how the two art forms meet, says VV artist Gustavo Guzmவோo from Brazil.

Participants were from Germany, Great Britain and Brazil, all with their own national sign languages. For three days, they met with their Swedish colleagues to explore the possibilities for sign language art forms. Through this initiative, Riksteatrn hopes to contribute to the development of these unique art forms.

“We thought so too”

Participants were divided into two different groups and then grouped together around a specific task.

– Got a picture of a man with a cross on them. Working with visual language and working with sign language poetry – although they did not use any words, they said the same thing, says course leader Giuseppe Giurana when Gulderniheterna visited Hallunda.

– We thought it was a grave too. The man sat on a cross and remembered his family and the dead. But there was a difference in how we technically worked with sign language, says Julie of Clintberg.

This is how the art form works

Plumbing expert explains how the Guyana art form works. Unlike emotionally driven sign language poetry, there is a lot of tempo change and facial expressions. But to the unfamiliar viewer, the difference is not always obvious.

However, referring to visual language, the artist or artist can take in perspective an object such as a microphone or the glass you drink.

The importance of social media

Actress Julie of Clintberg, who started with sign language poetry 30 years ago, believes that social media can be used a lot for the development of sign language art. Practitioners find it much easier to show their work to each other and motivate themselves by what is going on beyond their own geographical and linguistic barriers.

– But if you look around the world it’s a little more. So we are very hungry for such an exchange.

– This is a wonderful opportunity to meet and work together. We are from different countries, so we use international characters. When we discuss it is the high ceiling.

Gustavo Gusmao agrees.

– I work as a teacher myself and teach visual language. I’m an actor too, so it’s energizing to come to Sweden and meet others and be a part of this exchange so I can send it to others when I go to Brazil, he says.