DeafJam
There are an estimated 560 million people in the world some degree of hearing loss. Nearly 2 million Americans are Deaf. 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Many of these children are brought up in households where sign language is not used and their most basic form of communicating their deepest thoughts is cut off.image

home
about the film
asl poetry?
participants
contact
outreach
film clips
mission

DeAf Jam Outreach is a two year national initiative that aims to revitalize the endangered art form of American Sign Language (ASL) poetry, and empower deaf youth. The plan also includes an educational component with an unlimited lifespan. The goal is to cultivate communities of young ASL poets across the U.S. and link them with their hearing peers involved in the national poetry slam scene. Current education for the Deaf tends to focus on skills that will merge the Deaf into the hearing world without any consistent programs to cultivate creativity and champion what is unique to the community – the language. The project is aimed at both a general public and the Deaf community.


funding

Awarded a $30,000 Matching grant for Outreach from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) !!
Every gift in any amount will help us match our NEA grant and realize our mission. To make a tax deductible donation click here:

Donate

On the donation form you will need to fill in:

artist name - Judy Lieff 

project name - Deaf Jam
components

A Weekend Conference - The conference will bring together key consultants from the film and representatives from partnering organizations to develop a curriculum guide and distribution strategy.

DVD (two disc set) and Accompanying Curriculum Guide. Disc one will be used for community and school screenings. Disc two will be a series of ASL poetry lessons and exercises.

Community Screenings and Tour group – a two-year plan, Community Screenings will include Q&A and an “open mic” for local poets/storytellers. The tour group will consist of a mentor and student poet from the film.

YEAR ONE - the group will perform for students of 4 select schools from throughout the U.S.

YEAR TWO connects the selected schools with a local mentor and poet from the National Spoken Word Coalition in order to inspire collaborations between deaf and hearing poets.

Website – After the release of the film, this site will be an ASL poetry hub and network for deaf and hearing poets. There will be a monthly on-line poetry contest.