As flowers and plants in our garden have travelled to the UK from all over the world, so have languages including British Sign Language. Join Kevin Buckle, a Graduate Research Fellow at York St.Jon University and Ahmed Mudawi, TV Presenter and Deaf consulter to explore the history, development and journeys of language. This conversation will be in BSL (British sign language) with interpretation for hearing listeners.

Kevin Buckle, himself profoundly Deaf is born to Jamaican parents in London. He made a debut on BBC’s See Hear - Black Deaf Special (1992) and appeared on numerous TV programmes such as BSL Zone’s award - winning Double Discrimination documentary (2014) and his Close-Up interview also from BSL Zone (2018) about his ‘lived’ experience through his personal journey. He is an Acting Chair of Black Deaf UK (BDUK), a Black Deaf led organisation which was inspired by Black Lives Matter (BLM) representing British Black Deaf people from African and Caribbean family backgrounds. Now he works as a Graduate Research Fellow (part graduate teaching assistant and part PhD student researcher) for BSL, Deaf Studies and Linguistics at r York St. John University. He teaches Deaf Cultures, and he is currently studying for a PhD degree on autoethnography and Black Deaf people’s views towards the dual oppression of racism and audism based on intersectionality.

Ahmed is British Sudanese, and is a Deaf, British Sign Language user. He is a TV Presenter for the “This is Deaf” show on BSL Zone, now on its second series. He is also a freelance Deaf awareness trainer, trainee translator and deaf relay interpreter (registered with NRCPD- National Registration Communication with Deaf and Deafblind people) and works for the translation team at Red Bee Media as a freelance translator to enable access to TV programmes for deaf people. Additionally, Ahmed is a Black Deaf consultant for various charities and organisations supporting their projects with outreach to Black Deaf communities.

Conversation will be in BSL with interpretation for hearing listeners.