A studio-based discussion programme on deaf culture produced by deaf students of the North East Media Training Centre (NEMTC). The programme features discussions on both European and Iranian deaf cultures with guest from Sweden, the former East Germany and Iran all of whom attended a recent European Broadcasting Union (EBU) conference in Newcastle on deaf television programming and training. A studio setup with three chairs and projected on to the wall behind it the logo for the European...

A studio-based discussion programme on deaf culture produced by deaf students of the North East Media Training Centre (NEMTC). The programme features discussions on both European and Iranian deaf cultures with guest from Sweden, the former East Germany and Iran all of whom attended a recent European Broadcasting Union (EBU) conference in Newcastle on deaf television programming and training. A studio setup with three chairs and projected on to the wall behind it the logo for the European Union. The studio lights go up and presenter Clark appears and introduces both the programme as well as his two guest who were both delegates at a recent EBU conference in Newcastle. Taking a seat on the stage Clark is joined by Gunilla Wagstrom Lundqvist from Sweden and Thomas from East Germany. A discussion follows on culture asking if deaf people in Europe share the same culture and do deaf and hearing people think the same thing about culture? Gunilla is asked first if Sweden and other Scandinavian countries share a deaf culture? She explains that each country has its own specific sign language and there are differences in their deaf cultures. Thomas is asked if the new unified Germany share the same deaf culture? He begins by talking about some of things he learned at the EBU conference with regards deaf people learning skills in the television industry, he looks around the studio at the deaf camera and sound operators. He then explains some of the differences between east and West Germany deaf culture. The discussion ends and Clark introduces a clip from a new film produced by deaf students at NEMTC called ‘Milan’. [Blank] Returning to Clark he introduces his next two guests both from Iran: Iran Bahadori and Musa. They are asked about Iranian deaf culture with Musa providing details on how different it can be depending in your level of education. Iran is asked how many interpreters like her there are in the country, and have they been though an official training course? She explains there are no training course, but she does teach sign language at a university. She goes onto say there are only seven interpreters in the whole of Iran. Musa joins the discussion and explains the problems deaf people face finding an interpreter, he goes onto say that he is often called upon to help find interpreters should a deaf people need legal help. In the final part of the discussion Iran explains how she hopes to start up a sign language training course soon following taking part in an interpreting programme in American. Clark brings the programme to an end and as the lights go down over the closing title. End title: EuroSign!