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Screening of Film: Changer A Hand Telling
A story told for families across generations. The beloved Coast Salish tale of Changer takes new form as an accessible, innovative film presented in Native Sign Language, spoken English and English captions. Filmed on location on the Lower Elwha sʼKlallam tribal lands and in collaboration with the Lower Elwha s’Klallam tribe, renowned Deaf storyteller Howie Seago worked with original adapters Fern Naomi Renville and Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwah Klallam/ Makah) to create this first-of-its-kind, sign-language-based film featuring three Deaf Native storytellers. Drawing source material from Coast Salish and Dakota origin stories to imagine a sovereign future, the film earned laurels from over 15 international film festivals.
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In collaboration with the Lower S'Klallam tribe, Sound Theatre released its first film, CHANGER: A Hand Telling, in November 2021. Featuring three Deaf Indigenous actors who use artistic sign language, this film is an adaptation of our postponed March 2020 world premiere of Changer and the Star People. Drawing source material from Coast Salish and Dakota origin stories to imagine a sovereign future, the film earned laurels from over 15 film festivals.
Before the film, CHANGER had been created as a radio play/podcast with the original cast. While this was a timely adaptation for the pandemic, we knew it was not accessible to our Deaf/HoH communities. We responded by creating an experience that was deeply artistic and culturally authentic with Deaf, Indigenous and CODA film makers. We believe this approach to storytelling is the future and CHANGER defined what we mean when we claim our work is “intersectional”.
CHANGER was filmed on location in August 2021 on the Lower Elwha sʼKlallam tribal lands. Dr. Melanie McKay-Cody, (Cherokee) a Deaf Indigenous expert on endangered Indigenous sign languages of North America provided critical support. CHANGER was included in the UNESCO program: International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032) as part of International Deaf Week in 2022. It has been viewed at festivals from Berlin to Mexico.
Directed by Howie Seago
Film adaptation of original play by Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha SʼKlallam) and Fern Naomi Renville (Dakota/Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate)
Artists At the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities adjacent to Seattle Center campus. The project is made possible by a 10-year grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken.
Join us as we introduce emerging and established artists and celebrate their talent on Seattle Center campus. Artists are given a performance opportunity, allowing them to connect with new audiences, display their talents and advance their careers. Visitors to campus and the surrounding neighborhood benefit from surprising and delightful pop-up performances throughout the year. Each year, artists are selected with an equity and social justice lens, ensuring equitable representation for underserved and emerging artists. Artistic genres include music, dance, theater, demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary work.
