★★★★★ ‘A passionate hymn to sign language’ The Sun | ★★★★ Guardian | ★★★★★ ‘Wonderful’ The Times | ★★★★ ‘Powerful’ Telegraph | ★★★★★ TV Times : Monday Highlights – “Refreshingly candid” | ★★★★ HEAT Top Pick | Monday Highlight “Her fire, passion and tenacity about bringing BSL to the fore is infectious. You can’t fail to be moved” Radio Times
Rose Ayling-Ellis fronts an exciting and ground-breaking film from Rogan Productions challenging perceptions of the deaf community and putting audiences at the heart of the deaf experience.
Following the news that as of April 2022, British Sign Language has been officially recognised in law, Signs For Change follows Rose Ayling-Ellis on a personal journey as she speaks to those closest to her, as well as the people pushing boundaries within the deaf community. Exploring whether society is adapting fast enough to allow equality amongst the deaf and hearing worlds, Rose challenges the perception of deafness as something that needs to be cured and highlights the beauty of sign language and the deaf experience.
Filmed over a period of time which sees her performing Shakespeare’s As You Like It and reflecting on her time as the first regular deaf character in EastEnders and deaf contestant and winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Rose explores whether attitudes towards the deaf community are changing.
Prior to Rose joining Strictly, MP Rosie Cooper, whose parents were both deaf, had introduced a bill into parliament, asking for BSL to be legally recognised. Rose meets with her to discuss the misconceptions and attitudes that many faced then and now. Rose reflects on what it meant for her to grow up deaf, discussing with her parents the advice given to them from diagnosis, and questioning if anything has changed for those growing up deaf now.
Rose meets deaf language expert Dr Kate Rowley and tests her own language abilities, raising questions about the role of sign language in her formative years. And she is introduced to Katie who was advised not to learn sign language with her son Alvie, and who has since started a petition to encourage the UK government to make it more accessible.
Rose explores how technology plays a role in the lives of deaf people and asks whether the hearing world focuses too much on technological fixes and too little on encouraging sign language.
Throughout the film, Rose explores her deaf identity and allows us in to her personal world to witness who she is when surrounded by friends and family, compared to the Rose we see on stage and screen.
Credits
Director Ted Evans
Producer Cathy Heffernan
Executive Producers James Rogan, Nancy Bornat, Soleta Rogan
Executive Producers for BBC Emma Loach
Broadcast Details
This programme will be broadcast on: Monday 26th June 2023, at 9pm on BBC One
Articles about the film
Rose Ayling-Ellis: ‘I felt free to be me’
by MIcahel Segalov
She brought the nation to a standstill on Strictly, but for the award-winning deaf actor it was ‘only the start’. As she embraces even greater stardom, her priority will always be to build change for disabled people. read more
The amazing moment Strictly’s Rose Ayling-Ellis confronted her dad
by Sarah Ditum
The actress and Strictly Come Dancing winner showed a core of steel when she revealed what it’s really like to be deaf. … read more
