Announcing Can Bears Ski? our upcoming family co-production!

Watch Artistic Director, Paula Garfield announce our upcoming co-production with Pied Piper Theatre Company, Can Bears Ski?

Can Bears Ski? is based on the book by award-winning poet, Raymond Antrobus, in a new adaptation for the stage by Tina Williams, Artistic Director of the Pied Piper Theatre Company, who will co-direct the production with Paula Garfield.

The story draws on the Raymond’s own experience as a deaf child in a hearing world with a set inspired by Polly Dunbar’s illustrations. The story is brought to life on stage with puppetry, music, British Sign Language and spoken English in a world première production for hearing and deaf young people aged 3+ and their families.

The show will have a 12-week national tour to schools, theatres, and arts community venues, including 19 performances for deaf schools and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities units. 

Paula Garfield said “We are very excited to collaborate with Pied Piper Theatre Company to bring Raymond Antrobus’ moving story about growing up as a deaf child in a hearing world to the stage. Productions for families and young people are a key part of the work we do at Deafinitely, as we work to increase awareness of deaf communication, culture and talent for future generations to come. 

As we know, 9 in 10 deaf children are born to hearing families and this new production champions the power and expressiveness of British Sign Language, giving families and mixed school audiences rare access to sharing the same experience in two languages.”