Our courses

This one day workshop is an introduction to theatre as we delve into the various aspects of the theatrical interpreting domain. As well as being an introduction to professional theatre interpreting, it is highly recommended for school or college plays, or for anyone involved with amateur or youth drama groups.

Open to those with Level 3 BSL and above.

This course unravels the challenges of interpreting plays. Using a live script, participants work with the text and dialogue, play with characterisation and reflection, and produce a translation. Where possible we time the course with an interpreted performance of the show.

Previous courses have been based on The Mousetrap and War Horse. Future courses could include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and One Man, Two Guvnors.

“Ha ha very funny… was it?”

Interpreting comedy can be one of the most daunting challenges an interpreter faces. This one day workshop gives you tools to tackle comedy in a way that visually reflects the ‘gag’, with plenty of practical chances to test your interpretations in a safe environment.

This course explores Shakespeare’s works and how we can approach their beauty in BSL without losing the essence of his language. It suits those who work with Shakespeare’s material in a variety of settings, and anyone who wants to explore the challenges of interpreting Shakespeare in a safe space.

These courses suit interpreters with little or limited theatre interpreting experience through to those with extensive experience. They are for anyone who wants to explore the demands and skills of this specialist domain, in a safe space.

Based around one of our current ‘jukebox’ shows, such as Grease, MAMMA MIA!, On Your Feet! or Tina The Musical.

These courses suit interpreters with little or limited theatre interpreting experience through to those with extensive experience. They are for anyone who wants to explore the demands and skills of this specialist domain, in a safe space.

Based around one of our current ‘classical’ shows, such as The Phantom of the Opera or Les Misérables.

These courses suit interpreters with little or limited theatre interpreting experience through to those with extensive experience. They are for anyone who wants to explore the demands and skills of this specialist domain, in a safe space.

Based around one of our current ‘rock’ shows, such as Bat Out of Hell or We Will Rock You.

These courses suit interpreters with little or limited theatre interpreting experience through to those with extensive experience. They are for anyone who wants to explore the demands and skills of this specialist domain, in a safe space.

Based around one of our current children’s shows, such as Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

These courses suit interpreters with little or limited theatre interpreting experience through to those with extensive experience. They are for anyone who wants to explore the demands and skills of this specialist domain, in a safe space.

Based around one of our current ‘variety’ shows, such as Billy Elliot, Kinky Boots, Hair or Hairspray.

Oh yes we do. Oh no you don’t!

We often hear that interpreters and communicators have ‘done panto’ because “well, it’s just a bit of fun, isn’t it?!” In fact pantomime is one of the hardest genres to offer BSL access to without specialist training.

The introduction guides you through the history of panto and how it relates to the decisions, dilemmas and complexities of interpreting in this field today. We’ll give you tools and tips on your approach, preparation and practice, and on deciding whether to accept this work.

Oh yes you do… NOW – eeeek!

This advanced course focuses on the challenges of interpreting pantomime, puns and the inevitable pies. We guide you through scripts, songs, characters, pace, timing and much more, with tools and tips for reflecting extreme characters and all the delightful wordplay that comes with panto.

Have you ever seen a story told in BSL and thought, ‘Wow, they make it look so easy’? Using a variety of materials and exercises, this one day workshop explores words from ‘the page to the stage’ (theatre, conference, school, home or anywhere else) and helps you develop strategies for stepping away from English to give a visually creative and meaningful interpretation.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin… Once upon a time…

Ever tried to sign a children’s story and found yourself bogged down with words, unable to create a visual that portrays the wonder of the moment? This one day workshop gives you tips and tools to step away from English and create a visual story. It can be paired with Making It Visual for extra practice.

With media attention on people who sign music, signed songs are everywhere on social media, but many lack the meaning, beauty and nuance of BSL as a visual language.

This one day workshop guides you through stripping back and understanding the lyrics, hearing, feeling and portraying the beat and musicality, and producing a meaningful, enjoyable song translation.