CCB Magazine

Inna Shparber: “Hip-hop festivals are not my thing”

Photo: © Sarah Scheiber

People who are deaf often find it difficult to take part in cultural events. That doesn't have to be the case, says Inna Shparber, herself deaf and a performance artist. At this year's Pop-Kultur Berlin, she discussed with others how music festivals for the deaf can be made more inclusive - and her own experiences at such events. A conversation about open ears and deep bass.

INTERVIEW  Boris Messing    

CCB Magazine: Hello Inna, you are a performance artist and deaf. How often do you go to music festivals? What have your experiences been so far?  

Inna Shparber: It varies depending on the year. But I would say that I go to music festivals at least once or twice a year. The decisive factor for me is of course the respective music genre. For example, I only go to Goa festivals. Hip hop festivals, for instance, are not my thing. What I enjoy most at festivals is the bass, which you can feel all over your body, and the loud music. It's always very funny that many hearing people are surprised to meet a deaf person at the festival. 

CCB Magazine:At this year's Pop-Kultur, you took part in a panel on the topic of inclusion - specifically for deaf people - at festivals. Does that mean that as a deaf person you don't feel excluded from festivals in principle? So there are no problems at all?

Inna Shparber:I feel excluded, for example, from yoga workshops or similar. Such offers are not accessible to deaf people because of the language. I always find that a shame. These language barriers are also the reason why I don't go to hip hop festivals. Lyrics play an essential role in this music, and I don't get them. But if more festivals would organize deaf performances, then I would love to be there! 

CCB Magazine:What do you think is the best infrastructure for deaf people at a music festival? How can the deaf community be better integrated?

Inna Shparber:When I think of an optimal infrastructure, I think of very specific points that I often come across at music festivals. These are mainly emergency situations in which no information is provided in sign language. It would also be important to have interpreters or people with sign language skills working at the info point at festivals or in general. In this way, offers such as yoga courses could also be made accessible to deaf people.

What I enjoy most at festivals is the bass, which you can feel all over your body, and the loud music. It's always very funny that many hearing people are surprised to meet a deaf person at the festival

CCB Magazine:In your opinion, what is the biggest obstacle to implementing an inclusive infrastructure?

Inna Shparber:There are various things that come together. On the one hand, there is a lack of knowledge, which means that the needs and wishes of individual target groups, including deaf people, are often not taken into account when organizing festivals. Although more and more educational work is being done, a lot of time is still needed. Last but not least, the question of funding must also be considered in this context. There is often no funding available.

CCB Magazine:Can new opportunities also arise for event organizers through better inclusion of deaf people?

Inna Shparber:I believe that everyone benefits from inclusion, and I'm not just referring to the inclusion of deaf people. 

CCB Magazine:Around 80,000 deaf people live in Germany. Are there any figures on how many of them go to festivals?

Inna Shparber:I haven't counted them, so I can't answer that. But I would like to point out that just like hearing people, deaf people have individual tastes in music. It does happen that groups of deaf people go to festivals together. I recently heard about a festival in France that was attended by 80 deaf people. There was even a service point for them, which is of course a great offer. 

CCB Magazine:How can communication between hearing and deaf people be improved? How can these communities, which are often separated in practice, be brought together?

Inna Shparber:I believe that it is important to create encounters and enable different ways of communication. If more hearing people learned sign language, it would make a lot of things easier. 

CCB Magazine:In what way does your deafness influence your performance art?

Inna Shparber:Of course, my deafness influences my performance art, but I think this is comparable to hearing people who perform or sing in spoken language. I use sign language and different sign language art forms in my art. 

Category: Innovation & Vision