Rose Ayling-Ellis

“It's a joy to be deaf.”

“A lot of deaf people experience feeling left out. Feeling lonely.”

“It is a common misconception that deaf people can't enjoy music.”

“I love the deaf community.”

“Every job I have been given, I have always been the only deaf person and it always comes with its challenges and issues.”

“DYT believed in who I was as an actress and who I could be, which is something I want for generations of aspiring deaf actors and theatre makers in the years to come.”

“I believe that diverse, rich, and fascinating deaf stories are ready to go mainstream and that we can do this, together.”

“DYT, under the direction of Paula Garfield, was my first experience of deaf performing arts and I loved my time there. It provides such as exciting opportunity 14-21-year-olds to take part in drama activities, attend live theatre, meet other deaf young people and learn about getting involved in theatre.”

“In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you a strong identity, something to be very proud of - the community, the culture.”

“It can be frustrating, playing a hearing person's perception of what a deaf person is like.”

“I can only dream of the day where seeing other disabled people on screen isn't a rare sight or where I don't get excited at the sight of other disabled people working behind the screen.”

“It is okay to make mistakes, we all do. If we don't make mistakes, how are we going to learn?”

“It's not enough to only elevate me, there are so many talented deaf people out there and thousands of amazing deaf stories to be told.”

“I often receive a script that it is not quite right. They will write my characters who are in a room with a big group of people arguing with each other, following everything that is being said and even repeating things back to them.”

“I just never thought I could do acting full-time.”

“I'm not a superhero!”

“You can't write about deaf people without a deaf person's input. Nothing about us, without us. A consultant should be involved at all stages when working with deaf people.”

“Being the first deaf person to play a regular character is a huge privilege and was long overdue.”

“Not all deaf people are the same, every deaf person will have their own unique experience with music.”

“I am disabled because I live and work in a world that disables me.”