WHO WE ARE

The Short & Girlie Show are 8 women from the lesbian, bi and pansexual community. We put on small-scale improvised comedy shows and workshops with the aim of making enough money to cover our travel. Our mantra is "We do it because we love it". Our financial model doesn't allow for us to generate income, therefore we all have alternative employment to allow us to perform with the troupe.

WHAT WE DO

We provide accessible comedy shows involving silly sketches and songs inspired by audience suggestions - think "Who's Line is it Anyway?". We demonstrate a diverse range of comedy styles for enjoyment by a mixed audience. Over half our audiences tend to be from the LGBT community, which creates a relaxed environment for people to be themselves. Those with little experience of the LGBT community can experience comedy that addresses a variety of orientations and genders, helping break down stereotypes and negative assumptions.

WHAT WE NEED

We need to fund a BSL interpreter for two of our comedy shows at the Brighton Fringe this May. On Sat 16th May at 8.30pm we are doing an evening show for adults. On Sun 17th May at 4pm we are doing a matinee for kids and adults.

The total cost including fees and expenses is £608.72. This is in line with the Royal Association of Deaf People guidelines. We have some sponsorship from the Rainbow Fund but we still have a way to go! Should we exceed our goal we will put the extra money towards interpreting our show at the Women in Comedy Festival, Manchester this October.

OUR INTERPRETER

Katie Fenwick has collaborated with us several times and is a Level 6 qualified registered interpreter working in theatre and events. She is adept at interpreting comedy shows and is part of the LGBT community.

Many interpreters will not work in comedy as humour can be difficult to translate, therefore we were lucky to find her. Katie spent hours researching and observing our methodology and went down a storm at our shows in Manchester and Newcastle last year as part of our “Spreading the Love Tour”. Although residing in Leeds, Katie has a large following within the Deaf community in Brighton, having lived there for many years.

WHY IS BSL INTERPRETING NEEDED?

The Brighton Fringe has over 760 shows this year, but none are providing BSL interpreters except us. The Short & Girlie Show are relatively new to the world of accessible theatre and have been shocked by the lack of provision, particularly in the comedy arena. Therefore it has been our mission to fulfil an obvious need.

They say laughter is the best medicine and with Deaf people twice as likely to experience mental health issues including depression, we feel there has never been a more important time to provide accessible comedy shows.

Last year our BSL interpreted shows attracted audiences from both the Deaf and LGBT community, and many had never experienced anything like it before. Therefore we are keen to provide shows that cater for a minority within a minority, as well as doing a show for Deaf kids who are unlikely to have experienced this type of comedy before.

SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES

1. Provide an inclusive comedy show for Deaf kids and adults

2. Raise awareness of the current poor provision for the Deaf community at arts events

Thank you for caring.

Ali, Other Ali, Kate, Christine, Mitch, Lara, Hannah, Samantha

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www.shortandgirlie.com/brighton-fringe-2015