How many ways are there to hear beyond the Silence? This will be shown by a selection of the best footage from various scenic locations in Bulgaria. The photos (15 by Christina Tchoparova and 13 by Assen Velikov) captured the interaction between people with various hearing impairments, who have no experience as models, and five bulgarian folk musical instruments at the moment they sound - the Rhodope bagpipe, kaval, gadulka, tambourine and drum.
How can sound be found? When you open yourself with all of your available senses. It is known that people with hearing loss, users of different technical means, also have different perceptions of sound and rhythm. To feel how a folk musical instrument sounds live, by touching it and the performer, gives them a completely new and authentic experience.
In how many ways is it possible for a partially or totally deaf person to feel, hear and use the music? Which rhythms, at what frequency, with what intensity affect into each person with hearing loss, hard-of-hearing or Deaf? What is the feeling for all of these people of touching the live sound, a musical instrument at the moment of its sounding? What is the difference in sound perception with and without a hearing aid or cochlear implant?
These are just some of the questions to which NCAC "We hear you" sought answers through the five musical photoshoots in 2022 in partnership with ethno-photographer Assen Veliĸov. In this unique for Bulgaria series of experiments with sounds, rhythms and melodies take a participation 7 non-professional models with different hearing impairments and 5 professional performers of Bulgarian folk music from the Filip Kutev National Folklore Ansemble and the supervisor of Petko Voevoda bagpipe band.
The photo exhibition is part of the events in the Cultural Calendar of the Sofia Municipality for 2023. We also express our gratitude to the Department of Culture for their kind support in organizing the exhibition.
In Search of Sound exhibition is taking place in according with International Week of the Deaf* People 2023. This corresponds to our causes for supporting people with different hearing deficits through culture and art events.
The event will be opened on September 18, 2023 (Monday) at 10:30 a.m. The official program includes inspirational words and congratulatory addresses from prominent figures in the field of Bulgarian culture, education and politics.
For the communicative accessibility of all guests who use sign language, 2 professional sign language interpreters will be engaged.
Media partners of the event are Bulgarian National Television and the Union of Bulgarian Journalists. Welcome!
---
*Deaf - a cultural group of born deaf people with congenital hearing loss. They are carriers of natural sign language and agrammatical speech. The capital letter D in Deaf is their choice to differentiate themselves as a cultural group from other people with hearing impairments: hard-of-hearing people and people with late hearing loss.
Author and EN translation: Christina Tchoparova
Cover photo and design: Zdravko Denev
Photography and design of the exhibition panel: Tihomir Stoyanov (Photosynthesis Print Center)
The Alliance has reserved the right to publish the article and its images