Gallaudet University’s Performing Arts Program stands as a beacon of innovation and inclusivity within the entertainment industry. Rooted in the fusion of theatre and dance, we embrace a Deaf-Oriented, Deaf-Driven ethos, celebrating bilingualism and individuality. Our vision is to cultivate a state-of-the-art performing arts community thriving on collaboration, innovation, and accessibility, going beyond the academic realm to ensure sustainable growth after graduation.
Gallaudet University serves as the cradle of American Deaf theatre and dance, where every individual's talent and bilingual abilities are celebrated and valued. Central to our mission is the creation of an accessible, diverse, and safe space where students can explore, create, and express themselves authentically. Our program prioritizes their comfort, growth, and well-being, fostering an environment conducive to artistic growth and innovation. Our unique interdisciplinary education emphasizes collaboration and process, empowering students to become professionals equipped for success in the mainstream entertainment industry.
As part of our commitment to accessibility and diversity, we envision our graduates will make lasting contributions to the world, reshaping the landscape of the arts, and advocating for the inclusion of Deaf perspectives in all facets of society. Graduates of our program will emerge equipped with the expertise and skills to confidently navigate the worlds of theatre and dance, serving as ambassadors for positive change within their communities, and advancing accessibility, equity, and social justice in the performing arts.
Communication & Language Philosophical Statement
Our philosophy is rooted in an active commitment to fostering complete theatrical and educational practitioner experiences within inclusive environments where everyone belongs.
We prioritize cultivating bilingual abilities among our students and strive to reinforce different language modalities, including signed ASL and written English.
We respect and acknowledge individuals' names, identities, pronouns, and preferences, recognizing that communication is a means through which we demonstrate this respect.
Advocacy lies at the core of our philosophy as we ensure that all students have the necessary support and accommodations that may impact communication and language. We consistently provide accessible options and consider fully accessible performances as essential.
Our approach is adaptable in both senses and intellect, integrating technology seamlessly into our work and utilizing all modes of communication to ensure accessibility, including ASL, English, and Visual Gestural Communication (VGC). We empower our students to make informed choices and celebrate multilingualism, including code-switching as a natural part of the communication process. Self-advocacy is practiced as part of the learning process to prepare students for professional environments where different communication modes are not normally practiced.
Our Performing Arts philosophy is unique and proactive, emphasizing the importance of considering accessibility from the outset rather than as an afterthought. We believe that accessibility is the essence of our processes, enhancing our artistic vision while remaining aligned with our philosophy of equity, diversity, and inclusivity.
Students are expected to be fluent in the methodologies of creating artistic works and scholarly documents, and acquire the ability to integrate both methods as ways of knowing.
Students are expected to develop a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge base that may be applied to their individual creative and scholarly work.
Based on a common performance vocabulary drawn from written, visual, and physical texts, students are expected to be proficient in the artistic and scholarly processes, as well as gain the ability to reflect upon their work in an engaging, artistic, and constructive way.
Students are expected to critically, creatively, and objectively apply concepts, theories, and methodologies to a myriad of issues encountered in current and future academic, personal, and professional contexts.
While in the process of creating artistic products, students are expected to demonstrate an ability to work in a positive, constructive, and compromising manner with artists and/or other students of various artistic disciplines.