CCB Magazine

Elisabeth Kaufmann: "Watching deaf performers is like magic"

Photo: © GMU

Around 80,000 deaf people live in Germany. How can they participate in music events? Elisabeth Kaufmann is the first vice-president of the German Federation of the Deaf (DGB) and part of the action group "Deaf Performance", which campaigns for the rights of deaf people in culture - and is part of Pop Kultur Berlin this year. We talked to her about her work, the future of inclusive events and how music as a language of feeling can connect people.

INTERVIEWAnna Raab

CCB Magazine:Elisabeth, you are vice-president of the German Federation of the Deaf (DGB) and part of Pop Kultur this year.  How often are you actually mistaken for the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB)?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:Oh, actually, hardly ever. Thank God!

CCB Magazine:First of all, introduce yourself: What exactly do you do and what is your background? And what exactly does the German Federation of the Deaf (DGB) do in the field of culture?

Elisabeth Kaufmann: I am the first Vice-President of the German Federation of the Deaf, or DGB for short. The DGB has been campaigning for the rights of deaf people for almost a century, representing their interests and working for more visibility at all levels - we currently have around 30,000 registered members. My work focus at the DGB is on the promotion of women and gender equality, also on music performances and generally on the promotion of cultural participation. Every four years, the DGB organises the German Culture Days of the Deaf - next year it will be the seventh round, this time in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance.

CCB Magazine:You are also part of the action group "Deaf Performance", which campaigns for the rights of deaf people in culture, it is closely linked to the initiative "Deaf Performance Now". How closely do the German Deaf Association and the action group "Deaf Performance" work together?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:"Deaf Performance" is first of all a working group which I lead and which works on a voluntary basis. The "Music/Deaf Performance" basically demands the participation of deaf artists and interpreters in artistic processes, the topic is also firmly anchored in the organisational chart of the DGB, which is why I, as the first vice-president, have taken on the task of leading it. "Deaf Performance Now", on the other hand, is an action group that came into being in 2019, which is something else again.

There is culture for hearing people everywhere and I want the same for everyone else. Sign language is a human right and we will continue to fight for it

CCB Magazine:Can you give an example of a Deaf performance? Which projects are based on this? How is it performed there?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:The focus is on the perception of music by deaf people. The discourse on empowerment and the critical awareness of the exclusion and vulnerability of marginalised groups is of central importance. To give you an example: A hearing person sees the signs of a deaf person and improvises to them - with the help of a musical instrument or simply with his voice. Or a song or piece is chosen that the deaf and hearing people first process individually. Then the two groups meet and try to harmonise and unite their respective interpretations. Short passages of text can also be spoken in "singsong". In my opinion, this is how exchange works: hearing people do not suppress the ideas of the others. There is a dialogue.

CCB Magazine:Are there any special bands or groups that are worth being mentioned? And what is important in a "Deaf Performance"? It is not only about translation, but about performance.

Elisabeth Kaufmann:There are many deaf artists, but unfortunately it is rare that they actually perform with their own band. Instead, they are sometimes booked for projects by hearing people who want to advertise inclusion in order to get funding - that's sad, but it's true. To the second part of your question: Eerything depends on rhythm and metrics, which are perceived via floor vibrations. This effect can be created mainly with drums, possibly also with marimbas. Of course, this means that deaf people have limited means at their disposal. But as you say yourself: it is about performing and thus much more than just the sounds or better: vibrations of the musical instruments. Dance and gestures are the central components of the performance. Watching the Deaf performers with their flying hands interpret the songs is like a magic spell in which time and space dissolve through the grace and elegance of their gestures. Emotions and music come together in that moment, because music is first and foremost a language of feeling.

CCB Magazine:There are about 80,000 deaf people living in Germany, which is about 0.1 per cent of the population. How high is the demand for cultural offers - especially concerts - in the deaf community? Do people even know where they can get culture?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:Unfortunately, there are still far too few opportunities for deaf performers to appear in concerts. My dream would be to see deaf performers perform an entire concert with their sign poetry alone. That is still an utopia at the moment, but it should no longer be one in the future. In addition to the aforementioned DGB Culture Days, the German Deaf Theatre, for example, organises an event every two years and goes on tour with it.  And the Munich Deaf Association organises the German Sign Theatre Festival every three years and leads several theatre groups. One of my goals is to set up a cultural agency with a pool of all Deaf performers who can then receive and work on commissions from all kinds of cultural events - regardless of whether the organisers are hearing or deaf.

CCB Magazine:Your aim is to make the music world and culture more inclusive. How does the music scene in general react to your actions and demands? Are they open to it or is there some opposition?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:People have definitely become more open, more careful and also more sensitive. In the meantime, I even get requests from hearing people who are willing to seriously engage with deaf performers. But it is a gradual process, because for a long time it was not like that: when hearing people planned and realised music for the deaf, it often went wrong. You have to know that deaf people perceive music very differently than hearing people. Therefore, it is also urgently necessary to actively involve deaf performers in the planning. At the same time, it is counterproductive if the discourse is always dominated by the discussion of power and exclusion. Much more important is the question of how hearing and deaf people can meet together in the music scene in a positive and productive way. That is exactly what my work is about. And the fact that I am part of pop culture this year shows that the topic is finally being heard.

Exchange can only work if hearing people do not suppress ideas of others. Without the necessary support, the path to music remains closed to deaf people

CCB Magazine:How does an association like the German Federation of the Deaf finance itself?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:We receive a contribution from all members. In addition, we are always applying for grants, for example from Aktion Mensch or we receive self-help funding for our voluntary work. The rest comes from donations and participation funding.

CCB Magazine:In 2019, a debate about the inclusion of deaf people was launched, because until then it was primarily about translation into sign language, not infrequently also by hearing people themselves. The deaf community felt poorly represented as a result. Since then, the movement "Deaf Performance Now" has become quieter. Is this because there have been sufficient legislative advances in the meantime? What has changed - for better or worse - since then?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:Well, we are still basically talking about one and the same problem: when hearing people advocate for the deaf without really getting in touch with them, the end result is things that correspond to the perception of hearing people but have nothing whatsoever to do with that of deaf people. When hearing people "interpret" into sign language at performances, they only translate the elements that are relevant to their perception, such as the lyrics of the song. A deaf person, however, may pay attention to completely different things that fall by the wayside when non-native speakers translate. In the end, hearing people only benefit from deaf people, that was the case in the past and will continue to be the case - to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln: "You don't help people by doing for them what they can do for themselves." Nevertheless, the movement has set some things in motion. It is very important that artists decide for themselves to perform and are not simply allowed to participate in predefined projects. Deaf performers are not instruments that can be used for the inclusion ideas of the hearing society. Without the space and the necessary means, the path to the cultural sphere of music remains closed to them. But, as I said, there is also progress that can be seen. The invitation from Pop Kultur Berlin in itself made me happy. It is a pleasure for me to inform here about the motivations of the Deaf Community and to get into conversation with other participants.

CCB Magazine:Finally, please take a look into the crystal ball: There have been repeated legislative attempts to improve things in recent years. For example, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force in 2009, Article 30 of which is intended to ensure active and passive participation in culture. What legal changes are (still) needed to include deaf people in society, especially in culture?

Elisabeth Kaufmann:Oh, quite a lot. I would firstly refer to the *UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities*. Concepts such as dignity, accessibility, equal opportunities, inclusion, self-determination, empowerment and participation can be understood in relation to this as central guiding concepts around the rights of people with disabilities. The *UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities* makes it clear that human rights conventions always serve the empowerment of people, now we have to anchor the points in a legally binding way and link them to the most effective enforcement instruments possible. The sign language community, on the other hand, wants to open up a different approach to the topic of music performance - it wants to bring its own potentials into the focus of concert organisers. The goal of empowerment, however, is basically to create opportunities for deaf people to be able to determine their own lives and culture and to use their potential. For hearing artists, performers and actors, there are cultural events every day and everywhere, in every village and in every city, which they can take advantage of as they please. I want the same for all deaf artists, performers and actors. We will continue to fight for this. Sign language is a human right that must be implemented.

Category: New Player