German Sign Language is more than just a language – it is a living culture, an expression of its own history and identity. Yet it has had to fight for recognition over generations. As part of the Kunstfest, Franziska Winkler’s staged reading*Schlucken* tells the story of a family comprising both deaf and hearing members, and of the abuse suffered by deaf children in GDR boarding schools.

This accompanying workshop provides an insight into the history of the suppression of sign language over the last 150 years. What does it mean when an entire language community is banned from using its language? What impact did this ban have – on education and on the self-image of deaf people – and how does it continue to affect them today?

Participants will also be given a practical introduction to German Sign Language: their first signs, their first sentences, and their first insights into a language in its own right. Using short texts from the ‘Schlucken’ project, participants will also learn about artistic translation strategies between written language and German Sign Language.

In conversation with workshop leaders Helmut Vogel and Thomas Wartenberg about their personal experiences of the ban on sign language, we reflect together on what we have learnt and explore the issues of inclusion, linguistic diversity and the right to education from a contemporary perspective.

The event is open to anyone interested, particularly young people aged 14 and over. No prior knowledge is required.
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