100 Years Heritage of Walsall Deaf Community Film Episode is now OUT!

Zebra Access Shares First Two Episodes of the Walsall Deaf Community Heritage Film Project

Zebra Access is delighted to share Episodes One and Two of our "100 Years of Walsall Deaf Community Heritage" film project, celebrating the rich history, culture and experiences of the Walsall Deaf community.

This important heritage project has been made possible thanks to the incredible support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Players. Their funding has enabled us to preserve and showcase the stories, memories and achievements of local Deaf people for future generations.

We spoke with Robyn Swannack, our Operations Manager, who shared the following statement:

"Today, I'm so pleased to finally share the documentary episodes from our 100 Year Heritage of Walsall Deaf Communuty Project. 

Over the past two years, it's been a real privilege to lead this project, first as Heritage Project Officer and now as Operations Manager at Zebra Access. I've had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, hear stories that might otherwise have been lost and help preserve an importatn part of Walsall's Deaf history. 

The community screening in May was such a special day. Seeing everyone come together, wathcing the fims on screen for the first time, sharing memories, laughing, shedding teats and seeing the stories brought to life twas something I will always remember. Seeing everything come together has been incredibily rewarding and I hope these films bring back memories, spark conversations and give people a real sense of pride in our community and its history.

We'll aslo be publishing a Learing Guide soon, sharing what we've learned throughout the project to help other orfanisation devlop their owl local Deaf-led heritage prijects. A heartfelt thank yo to everyone who shared their stories, photgrapghys and memories, and to everyone who suppored the project along the way. Special thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for making this project possible. 

I hope you enjoy watching the episodes as much as we've enjoyed creating them."

We also spoke with Bob Marsh, our Head of Strategic Development, who shared the following statement:

"Today maeks a legacy that began when we first put pen to paper to tell the poweful story of Walsall's Deaf Community.

What we see today is a testament to Robyn's dedication, vision, patience and hard work, as well as the fantastic and enthusiatic Steering Group members, volounteers and professionals she brought together. Togethe, they helped the project gorw far beyond anything I imagined when I first wrote the bid in 2023.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the project, I am proud that you have made the Deaf Community very happy to be a part of it.

On behalf of Zebra Access and the wider Deaf community, I also want to thank to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Players for their generous funding and support, helping to preserve the histroical memories of Walsall's Deaf community for future generations." 

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Action Deafness for their valued support throughout the project, and to Zebra Uno Ltd for their outstanding dedication, expertise and hard work in bringing these films to life.

The project aims to capture and celebrate a century of Deaf heritage in Walsall, ensuring that these stories remain accessible and continue to inspire future generations.

Episodes One and Two are now available to watch on the Zebra Access website. We hope you enjoy exploring this fascinating journey through 100 years of Walsall Deaf community history.

Watch Episodes One and Two here.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to and supported this project.