Dear Readers and Friends of ‘We Hear You’, we are about to celebrate the Site’s jubilee. We’ve organized a unique Event to mark the occasion – a joint exhibition of the 8 deaf artists we’ve told you about through the years in our Art category. The exhibition will be held in Contrast Gallery, Sofia, from 2^nd till 4^th of November. The Anniversary Event is supported by NGO ‘Dunavsko Siyanie’– Ruse, whose partnership we cherish. That’s going to be one of the most significant points in Sofia’s program of cultural events for the exhibition is the first of its kind to be set up in Bulgaria.

Dear Readers, you can sense the excitement of an upcoming anniversary. Children can’t wait to celebrate their birthdays. They anticipate all the emotions and surprises surrounding the event, but the real deal is a birthday is a wonderful occasion to share moments with a good number of friends. The 10^th birthday of We Hear You will be celebrated in October, so we’ve started the preparations from the very beginning of the year. Here we are, all grown-up and ready to share more surprises with you. The first surprise will be visible at first sight – the website has a brand new layout. As you know, every transformation starts from the inside.

Yаmbоl іѕ gеttіng рrеttіеr аnd thе tоwn’ѕ раrk іѕ turnеd іntо а brіght-соlоrеd tоwn оf kukеrі. Тhіѕ уеаr’ѕ ХХth еdіtіоn оf thе Іntеrnаtіоnаl mummеr'ѕ fеѕtіvаl Кukеrlаndіа gаthеrеd аrоund  аn еvеn grеаtеr numbеr оf mummеrѕ thаn thе рrеvіоuѕ еdіtіоnѕ. Аbоut 90 kukеr trоuреѕ frоm 17 rеgіоnѕ оf Вulgаrіа реrfоrmеd аnсіеnt Ѕurvа rіtuаlѕ јumріng аnd dаnсіng аrоund wіth 30 000 bеllѕ оf dіffеrеnt ѕіzе оn thеіr bеltѕ ассоmраnіеd bу bеаtіng drumѕ. Тhе аnnіvеrѕаrу еdіtіоn оf thе fеѕtіvаl wаѕ hеld frоm 28th Fеbruаrу tо 3rd Маrсh. Іt wаѕ а соlоrful ѕресtасlе whеrе fеаrful аnd funnу ѕіghtѕ соmbіnе. Тhе соlоrful gаrlаndѕ аll аrоund thе tоwn сrеаtеd а wоndеrful аtmоѕрhеrе wіth а ѕеnѕаtіоn оf quіrkіnеѕѕ іn thе аіr. Рlеntу оf асtіvіtіеѕ wеrе оffеrеd thrоughоut thе fоur fеѕtіvаl dауѕ. Yоu соuld ѕее сhіldrеn’ѕ wоrkѕhорѕ аnd соntеѕtѕ аѕ wеll аѕ аnіmаtеd mоvіеѕ оn kukеr lеgеndѕ. Тhеrе wаѕ а раrаdе оf kukеr’ѕ mаѕkѕ еасh оf whісh wаѕ thrее mеtrеѕ іn hеіght. Vаrіоuѕ thеmаtіс ехhіbіtіоnѕ wеrе ореn fоr vіѕіоrѕ. Тhеrе wеrе аlѕо ѕресіаl mаrkеtрlасеѕ аrоund thе tоwn. Yоu соuld wаtсh thе mаѕquеrаdе gаmеѕ whеrе а lаrgе numbеr оf раrtісіраntѕ frоm Вulgаrіа, Rоmаnіа, Ѕеrbіа, Nоrth Масеdоnіа аnd Коrеа wеrе dаnсіng аrоund. Yаmbоl wаѕ а trulу соlоrful рlасе wіth ѕріrіt-lіftіng еvеntѕ hарреnіng аrоund. 

For his students and colleagues, he is just Richapd. He prefers the more informal style of communication. Holder of numerous prizes for contributions to the assistive technology for Deaf and deaf-blind people. Since 1971, he has been a professor at the University of Washington in Seatle (USA). I contacted him for an interview. Richard had a readiness to answer, even something more - showed a lively interest in the situation in Bulgaria about bulgarian sign languagge, technologues and legislations. Today I present to you, dear readers of "We hear you", the enriching and very useful dialogue with this remarkable person. Richard E. Ladner.