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Closed 13/09/2022

0%
£1,435
raised of £5,000 target by 28 supporters

    Iʼve raised £1,435 to to make future Fringe shows accessible to the deaf

    Edinburgh
    Funded on Tuesday, 13th September 2022

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    I wanted my show, Deaf Ears, to be signed and captioned for the deaf community. However, it turned out there is no funding available. GREAT NEWS! YOU HAVE NOW FULLY FUNDED THE SIGNING FOR MY SHOW! (See below for what happened when we wanted to provide captioned shows.) Now, we are going all in to raise money to make a fund (to be administered by the Fringe Society) to pay for making others' fringe shows deaf accessible in the future. ALL FUNDS RAISED NOW WILL GO INTO THIS FUND.

    HOW I GOT INTERESTED

    My solo show, Deaf Ears - How I Learned to Hear, is about how growing up with deaf parents shaped my life. I first performed it at the Brighton Fringe last year. This year, I’m taking the show to Edinburgh (a life-long bucket list item – and at 71 there’s no time like the present!) and have been lucky enough to get my theatre of choice, the Pleasance Below.

    An excerpt from the show has been featured on BBC Radio 4’s Four Thought. It’s been a Finalist in the Standing Ovation Awards, and it was "Highly recommended" by the Fringe Review which also said it featured “Spellbinding storytelling."

    Deaf Ears Website

    Promo video for Deaf Ears

    ACCESSIBILITY AT THE FRINGE

    I wanted Deaf Ears to be accessible to the different parts of the deaf community. I thought that because the Edinburgh Fringe and all the main theatres have accessibility policies, this would be no problem. I’d apply for funding and get it.

    BUT I FOUND THAT THE ACTUAL COST OF PROVIDING ACCESS FALLS SOLELY ON THE SHOW ITSELF.

    Perhaps you don’t know this, but, once you factor in accommodation costs, even if they play to full houses, most shows at the Edinburgh Fringe lose money.

    We have now raised the cost of providing BSL signing for two of the performances (£800). (I wanted to have two shows captioned, but was told that the Fringe Society open captioning equipment wasn't suitable for the venue. I'm hoping some of the money raised will go to the purchase of portable captioning equipment!)

    Talking with my producers, Graham and Townley Productions, we came up with the plan of providing a fund to make others' future fringe shows deaf accessible. Hence this JustGiving page.

    BUT WHY STOP THERE?

    This is a problem for all shows at the Fringe, a problem we could potentially help with. So any money we raise now will be used to create a fund administered by the Fringe Society to provide money for deaf access for other Fringe shows in the future. We hope this fund will bring attention to this major need. I'd love to raise £5000 to make this fund truly useful.

    THE RIGHT TIME

    Especially now, a year where Rose Ayling-Ellis enchanted the nation with her dancing in Strictly, and CODA won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the time seems right.

    Let’s bring accessibility to the Edinburgh Fringe!

    Updates

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    Joe Friedman

    Updates appear here

      2 years ago

      Joe Friedman started crowdfunding

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      Page last updated on: 8/18/2022 20.45

      Supporters

      28

      • Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Aug 18, 2022

        £100.00

      • Joy

        Joy

        Jul 25, 2022

        Hope the show is a great success in Edinburgh

        £30.00

      • Gavin + Siobhan

        Gavin + Siobhan

        Jul 25, 2022

        £50.00

      • Sean & Fionnuala

        Sean & Fionnuala

        Jul 24, 2022

        Such a great cause. Good luck with your show, Joe.

        £100.00

      • Graham Jane

        Graham Jane

        Jul 23, 2022

        £50.00

      • Tom, Hannah & Charlie

        Tom, Hannah & Charlie

        Jul 17, 2022

        Good luck Joe!

        £20.00

      • Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Jun 8, 2022

        £10.00

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      About Crowdfunding
      About the fundraiser
      Joe Friedman

      Joe Friedman

      Edinburgh

      Born in Chicago to two deaf parents, Joe moved to London and trained as a psychotherapist. He did stand up, and improvisation, and wrote a series of successful children's books, Boobela and Worm. During lockdown, he took a "Write Your Solo Show" course. Deaf Ears was the result.

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