To mark Deaf Awareness Week 2025, we’re delighted to announce events and partnerships to platform deaf culture and creativity. One of these is our partnership with the Exmouth-based Deaf Academy, the oldest Deaf school in England, to celebrate their 200th anniversary.
Founded in 1826, the Deaf Academy charity’s exciting bicentenary plans aims to celebrate its history and Deaf culture, while also creating a legacy that further supports young Deaf people to achieve their aspirations. The Academy, whose registered charity name is Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, relocated from Exeter to its state-of-the-art campus in Exmouth in 2020. It educates and cares for both day and residential students with additional needs, aged 9 to 25, helping them to develop skills for independence and to excel in the wider world.
With the Deaf Academy, also a charity with a similar ethos to our own, we have forged an exciting collaboration to deliver a programme of events celebrating Deaf culture, inclusion and creativity. The first of its kind in the region, the partnership will bring together people from across Devon, and beyond, to take part in deaf-led comedy nights, theatre performances, talks, workshops, and a deaf rave. The plans also include a production of acclaimed play The Vagina Monologues by Deafinitely Theatre, the UK’s first deaf-led professional theatre company.
Sylvan Dewing, Principal and CEO at the award-winning Deaf Academy, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be approaching 200 years, in 2026, of educating and caring for young Deaf people. We shall be honouring our rich heritage with a series of events and activities, while innovatively looking ahead in our commitment to supporting our Deaf students, who also have additional needs.
We’re delighted to partner with the Exeter Northcott to stage wonderful cultural events and performances, showcasing the talents of Deaf people and also providing important opportunities to raise Deaf awareness and for Deaf people to access culture. As the oldest Deaf school in England, we are honoured to be marking 200 years of Deaf education, culture and community. This is a momentous milestone in our charity’s history, and is both an opportunity to celebrate and to create a legacy for the next exciting chapter.
Sylvan Dewing, Principal and CEO at the award-winning Deaf Academy
Exeter Northcott will stage a series of deaf-friendly new shows in the forthcoming year. In a further commitment to inclusivity, for the first time, each production will have captioning available alongside audio described and BSL-interpreted shows.
Kelly Johnson, Joint Chief Executive of Exeter Northcott, said: ‘At Exeter Northcott, we see each day how theatres can change lives and we want everyone to be able to access the same transformative opportunities. We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with the Deaf Academy and to welcome Deafinitely Theatre to Devon. They’re a game-changing company and we’re delighted to welcome bilingual theatre — for deaf and hearing audiences — onto our stage. Such partnerships with organisations that have the same inclusive values enable us to share brilliant stories with more people — and that’s exciting.’
Photo by Ralph Whitehead
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience and engage with live theatre. We’re currently seeking sponsors to help us help provide accessible performances and offer tickets for people with access needs. This includes the unique opportunity to sponsor our partnership with The Deaf Academy.
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