Chris is Deaf in a hearing world. Chris is Black on a racist island.
No code. No imprint. No escape.
But this is not a tragedy. This is a story of hope. This is a story about owning your identity.
Once upon a time there was a boy from down the road
He contracted meningitis at the age of two years old
His life had been ok but now little did he know
His hearing was to leave him and was due to change his world
A fully BSL-led hip-hop gig theatre show, Follow the Signs is performed through BSL, rap, spoken English, movement, and creative captioning, to be shared and celebrated by Deaf and hearing audiences together. It tells the story of acclaimed dancer and choreographer Chris Fonseca: from infanthood when he became Deaf after contracting meningitis, through a school system unable to value his differences, into teenage years where music and dance entered his life, to meeting Raffie Julien, a mixed-race Deaf woman who’s lived experience couldn’t be more different…or is it?
You’ve heard of the 5 elements of hip hop right? Emceeing, deejaying, breakin’, graffiti and beatboxing. Well now it’s time to introduce you to the 5 elements of Raffie. I’m half black, half white. I’m oral and I sign. On top of that, I’m a woman.
All performances will be in BSL, Spoken English, Rap and English Captions.