Singer-songwriter Rebecca-Anne Withey and musician Stephen Heselton have teamed up to produce their first song, ‘See You In The Sky’.
Both Rebecca-Anne and Stephen are deaf, making this the first song in Britain to be written, sung and produced by an all-deaf creative team.
Rebecca-Anne has written songs since childhood. Growing up in the Black Country, she sang in choirs and on stage but as her hearing deteriorated and her confidence dropped, she turned to performing songs in sign language.
She graduated from The University of Wolverhampton with a BA honours in Professional Dance Practice, and during her studies, landed her first television acting role on BBC 1’s Grange Hill. Since then she has acted in several short films and dramas, her latest due to premiere at Derby’s The Quad this December.
It was while teaching a sign song workshop for the National Deaf Children’s Society that Rebecca-Anne met Stephen, who works for Music and the Deaf. Over his career, Stephen has composed music that has been aired on national television, scored music for films that have gone on to win awards at film festivals across the globe, and played in a number of bands.
The music video to support their song, complete with sign singing, was shot at Derby’s Elvaston Castle. The video has been directed and produced by acclaimed film maker Bim Ajadi, also deaf. His work includes light entertainment, music, drama and factual programmes.
Rebecca-Anne hopes to follow in the footsteps of Finnish band Signmark and American rapper Sean Forbes, the first deaf artists to be signed by record labels, and aspires to inspire others with her music.
Best of luck Rebecca, Stephen and Bim from the Limping Chicken team!
The video to See You in the Sky will be available to view online.
For more details see www.thedancingphoenix.co.uk
By Emily Howlett
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Linda Richards
November 9, 2013
Well done folks! Bim, next time you’re at See Hear (or even ask and beg a favour from them), check out Paddy Ladd’s song in the BBC See Hear archives…. It was also made into a video. Based in an american style diner, it featured Clive Mason, Clara Alladyce and many others who all signed Paddy’s song which he wrote. I recall this as being from the late 1980s/early 1990s. I’ve written to Paddy to ask for the details as I’ve forgotten but remember it as very catchy, very visual. When I hear back from him, I’ll post the details here. Have tried googling without success. And of course, Paddy’s song stood out at the time because it was not a signed version of a hearing song. Lmr xx
Linda Richards
November 11, 2013
Hello! I promised I’d find out the title of the song, date, names of those involved, etc..
Paddy’s song was called ‘You can lie through your teeth (but you can’t lie through your body)’. Date: October 1991. (Twenty-two years ago!)
Deaf people involved in the video: Clive Mason, Colin Thompson, Clara Allerdyce and Charles Hampton.
Paddy wrote the song, created the storyboard for the video, etc., so his was the first Deaf song and video. However, the producer and editor were hearing so this production by Rebecca, Stephen and Bim is the first all-Deaf production.
Please do take a look at it if you can.
Best wishes for the future! Lmr xx