Deaf People in the Arts - The Real Talk

In this candid conversation, Olivia sits down with Jess, a Deaf director, actor, and storyteller — to talk openly about what it's really like to be Deaf in the Australian performing arts industry. They cover the journey from first crossing paths over a decade ago through a show for Gaslight Deaf Festival, to the realities of building a career in spaces that weren't designed with Deaf people in mind. Jess shares her experience navigating hearing theatre spaces, making the leap to directing, and what it meant to finally be brought into a creative project from the very beginning not as an afterthought. Together they get into the big stuff: the resourcing gaps, the geographic spread of Deaf creatives across Australia, the burnout that comes from always wearing multiple hats, and an industry too focused on outcomes to bother with the groundwork.