Emily Howlett: The online BSL-accessible group making lockdown babies (and parents) smile

Are you in lockdown with one, or two, or even more small children? Are you missing your regular baby and toddler group? Or just looking for some interaction with other parents and carers (and children)?

Never fear, Limping Chicken is here to tell you all about a wonderful new weekly online group, run by Jennifer Bates with BSL interpretation from RSLI Karen Forbes at every session. Hurrah!

So, who is Jennifer Bates?

I am a theatre maker. I work with The DH Ensemble (http://dhensemble.com/) and make work using BSL, Spoken English, video projections and visual storytelling to make bold and ambitious live theatre. I teach drama and facilitate theatrical workshops, with DHE and also other companies including a new Social Enterprise called ‘What Happens Now?’. I am also the mother of a brilliant little toddler human. 

Why did you decide to set up a baby and toddler group online?

When lockdown began I felt helpless and I questioned what I could do to help others. I am not a frontline worker, not a doctor or nurse, a care worker and I don’t work in a food shop.  I tell stories or help other people tell stories. I know that stories and songs can help us understand the world. They bring us together.

When we sing and tell stories together it gives us a sense of community and togetherness. At a time of ‘isolation’ this has never felt more needed.  Right at the beginning of lockdown a mum friend suggested I give it a go. It began as a one off. I didn’t know if online sessions were really going to work, but they did (in a way) and so I put it out there for anyone who wanted to join.

Our “sing songs and story-time for toddlers and their grown ups” happen online via Zoom every Tuesday at 3pm. We usually start with some nursery rhymes and actions, there’s always a story and we just generally have lots of fun together. 

How did you let people know about the group?

After our first pilot session I posted about it on Facebook. I said how much fun the session had been and that I was going to open the next session to the public and asked people to spread the word.

That’s it really. The people who come along tell their friends and families and it’s a beautiful thing to see so many people who know each other, who haven’t seen each other for ages or who are complete strangers come together for 30 minutes on a Tuesday. 

How important was it to have BSL access, and why?

The Deaf community have been amazing to me. I am extremely grateful to have the honour of knowing many awesome Deaf people. Access shouldn’t be a luxury. It’s a necessity and I believe it’s vitally important. I’m very lucky to have some amazing SLI pals too and I knew Karen would be a great fit for this kind of gig. 

How do you manage all the different screens?

This is such a good question! I watched a couple of Zoom tutorials and got to grips with it during some trials with family and friends. I feel a bit like a DJ at times.

Do you think it could continue after lockdown?

I love my Tuesday afternoon sessions. No matter what kind of day I’ve been having it all disappears when I see those wee faces and parents smiling back at me.

Every time I think that it might just be me and Karen singing to each other but never is. People show up, week in and week out. As a working mum I know how hard lockdown can be with a toddler.

I can only imagine what it must be like if you have more than one child, if you have a tough boss or kids that are school age and you’re struggling through home-schooling too. I salute anyone in that position.

And don’t get me wrong, sometimes kids don’t engage in the sessions – maybe they are hungry or tired or just don’t want to sing today, and that is fine. More than fine.

The tricky thing about online sessions is that I can’t engage like I would in person. Sometimes an onscreen version of a person simply isn’t good enough. I think my job in these sessions is to provide a structure for half an hour.

A structure that the parents can follow and actually it’s mostly the parents that the kids are learning from, it’s not me. And then sometimes it is me. Sometimes it’s watching the other kids. It’s a nod to other parents. It’s a virtual hug. It’s an acknowledgement from me to you. You are doing great. It’s full of love from my house to yours. 

To answer your question though: I’m not sure these sessions will continue after lockdown. Their purpose is for just now and when this is all over everyone will be far too busy visiting friends and family, playing in play parks and exploring the world. I love facilitating these sessions but I’ll be happy when there’s no longer a need for them.  

Find out more by joining the group via this Facebook link.

Emily Howlett is a profoundly Deaf actress, writer and teacher. She makes an awful lot of tea. And mess. She now has not one, but four grey eyebrow hairs. C’est la vie. She tweets as @ehowlett