Barriers on stage: Leipzig study reveals challenges for deaf people in theatre

People who cannot hear often encounter barriers in theatre. Researchers at Leipzig University spent a year and a half investigating how deaf and hard-of-hearing people experience the theatre. Their conclusion: far more is missing than just an interpreter.

The project “Cultural Participation – Audience Development by and for People with Disabilities” was led by the Institute of Cultural Studies at Leipzig University. Cultural researcher Dr. Uta Karstein and her team conducted a nationwide online survey of deaf and hard-of-hearing people on their leisure activities and cultural interests. They also carried out 14 interviews with theatre professionals and held a group discussion with visitors to an inclusive performance in Leipzig.

Invisible on stage

Respondents described a similar experience: a sign language interpreter at the edge of the stage is not enough. “We were particularly interested in what barriers and needs deaf people perceive in relation to their cultural participation,” says Uta Karstein. The answer was clear: deaf culture and the lived realities of deaf people must be visible on stage. Deaf artists also need to be involved in productions from the very beginning. “This means developing plays differently, finding new artistic approaches and including deaf performers from the outset,” Karstein explains.

Interviews with actors, directors and interpreters showed that the challenges begin long before the stage. There are too few training opportunities for deaf people at German drama schools. Funding applications in the cultural sector are often not accessible. And even when deaf artists are invited to theatre projects, they are often brought in too late or lack proper interpretation. “The interviewees described far-reaching difficulties that limit their cultural participation,” says Karstein. Her conclusion: structural changes are needed across the entire theatre system.