Sensing Helen
2017-2018
About the project
Tam was Lead Artist on Sensing Helen - a National Lottery Heritage funded research project, which compared and brought to life the experiences of visually-impaired women, both in Victorian Dorset and today.
Joining Tam on the Sensing Helen journey were Dorset based Theatre Artist and Storyteller, Michele O'Brien and Creative Producer Jenny Gordon, along with Alastair Nisbet (ScreenPLAY) who, with Tam, made the documentary film which accompanies the project.
Sensing Helen was a project about women and sensory communication through history. The project was inspired by the story of Helen Keller - the first Deaf/Blind person to graduate in the U.S in 1904. Helen worked with her companion and friend Anne Sullivan to develop a communication system that enabled her to become a well respected writer and political activist.
Sensing Helen aimed to explore three areas of visual impairment heritage:
- To find and record the histories of women growing up in Victorian Dorset before the time when there was understanding around disability. How were they enabled, or disabled by Society?
- To collect 10 oral histories from visually impaired women from three local groups run by Dorset Blind Association. These focus on people’s memories and experiences of growing up visually impaired or blind and finding new, accessible ways to communicate.
- To work with students at Victoria School (SEN) and a Home Education group to find out how young people today, who are facing disabling barriers are learning and discovering accessible ways to communicate. We will share the communication challenges from Victorian Dorset and compare against technology young people are using now.
Research
Tam and her team used the archives at Dorset History Centre to follow the stories of Elizabeth Groves and Sophia Rideout, two young women who made the journey to Bristol School of Industry for the Blind in the 1800s and experienced two very different outcomes.
Tam says:
"I am really excited to be working on this project. It has been fascinating to find out how visually impaired women were seen by society in the past. Whilst as I expected, many were mis-understood and cast aside, others were actually given opportunities to make their way in the world - something I didn't expect. Sharing Sophia's story with our young people has been extremely rewarding; their responses have been so heart-felt and varied."
What people say:
"I found the Sensing Helen film really accessible and a great example of integrating access in a clear and thoughtful way – Well done! I especially liked the way you stopped the film to describe images"
Maria Oshodi, Artistic Director and CEO, Extant Theatre Company
"Sensing Helen is an interesting look at two women with visual impairments in the Victorian era and the issues they dealt with, as well how to communicate that to people today. It's interesting to see a film with accessibility intrinsically built in rather than something that can be optionally shoehorned in afterwards (e.g subtitles or audio description)."
Tim Isaac, Editor, Movie Muser
Viewers feedback:
"Although I am sighted, I found the approach original and helpful; I saw more in each still than if left to my own devices."
"As someone with a hearing impairment, I found the film highly accessible - loved the rich descriptions and subtitles, they really helped me, as these days I can’t watch a thing without them!"
"I thought that the hotseating section was superb! Tam was exceptional"
"I laughed at the humour in the Audio Description but then realised how important it was!"
"It must have been very difficult for Sophia's family which had no contact, or very little whilst she was in the Institute. I am pleased she learnt a trade and was given opportunities to learn and meet other people."
"I liked hearing the audio descriptions. They were an integral part of the film, not a bolt on."
"The story of 'forgotten disabled people' is important. The parallel with Tam's life today is important."
"First-class access!"
"It was beautifully filmed, interesting, moving and very thought provoking. The access was subtle and didn't distract from my enjoyment of the film (as a sighted person)"
"A clearly developed and explained story - fascinating!"
"Very informative and well researched"
"This is a very moving and evocative film. It's humbling to see the hurdles these women faced in their lives when society was so paternalistic. Society generally seems to be much more understanding now, but as you say at the end, there's still a long way to go."
"The access was not intrusive and enhanced the film"
Blogs
Follow the project's journey in Tam's blogs on Disability Arts Online:
Accompanying Resources
Educational Resource Pack
Education Resource Pack (pdf)
Bristol School of Industry for the Blind
Photos (zip)
Rules, Kit List & Menu (zip)
Sophia's Application and Admissions Entry (pdf)
Census Data
Sophia Ridout's Census Documents 1851-1911 (zip)
Audio Files
Helen Keller facts by Victoria School (mp3)
Radio programme about Sensing Helen by Victoria School (mp3)
Sensing Helen was managed by the Arts Development Company in partnership with Persuasion Arts, Priest's House Museum, ScreenPLAY, Disability Arts Online, Dorset History Centre, Dorset Blind Association and LinkUpArts.
