Implementing our British Sign Language Plan 2024-30
Theme 5: Celebrating BSL culture
Our aim is for BSL to be recognised and celebrated as a language and a rich culture, and for BSL users to have full access to the cultural life of Edinburgh with equal opportunities to enjoy and contribute to culture and the arts.
For each of the actions below, we've set milestones and highlighted any resource issues. We've also identified who will lead on delivering the action.
Read about the actions we're proposing for this theme
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Action |
Milestones with dates Phase 1: 2024-2026 |
Resource implications |
Lead Service Area Lead Officer |
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1. Continue to support professional pathways for BSL users to consider careers in culture, through volunteering opportunities, career talks or internships. |
By March 2026: Run a careers session for BSL users By January 2026: Explore opportunities for developing a volunteer role for BSL users by Jan 2026 |
Cost of BSL interpretation/guidance Training / participant expenses/ promotion |
Outreach & Access Manager; Museums & Galleries, Place
Outreach & Access Manager; Museums & Galleries, Place |
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2. Continue to run deaf awareness staff training sessions. |
By December 2025: Museums staff will take part in deaf awareness training |
TBC |
Learning & Public Programmes Manager, Museums & Galleries, Place |
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3. Look for opportunities to highlight BSL and Deaf culture in our collections, and to actively seek to collect material that reflects BSL and Deaf culture in Edinburgh to add to our collections. |
Ongoing core curatorial activity delivered through exhibtion programming and collecting activity |
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Curatorial Team; Museums & Galleries, Place |
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4. Explore options and costs for hand-held tablets which can be used in the Council’s museums to access a BSL tour. |
By January 2026: iInstall QR codes on ground floor of the Council’s Royal Mile[1] venues so visitors can access BSL tours on ther own devices By December 2026: explore possibility of screening BSL films on ground floor of RM venues. |
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Learning & Public Programmes Manager, Museums & Galleries, Place |
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5. Explore options and costs for making Council museum events available to BSL users (e.g. films with BSL added). |
a) April 2025: produce BSL x 10 short films for Nature Nurture exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh interpreting 10 key objects in BSL with QR codes in exhibition b) Autumn 2024: provide a digital BSL tour of the City Art Centre collection show ‘Inked Up’ c) February 2025: provide an in-venue BSL tour of 'Inked Up' d) March 2025: provide an in-venue BSL tour of Museum of Edinburgh with Nico Tyack, Collections Information Officer for Edinburgh 900 e) Autumn 2024: Digital BSL Tour highlighting 20 key objects for Edinburgh 900 f) March 2025: BSL in venue signed Tour at Lauriston Castle g) Continue to explore funding opportunities for BSL films and in-venue tours |
b) £1,000 (See Hear funding) c) £200 (See Hear funding) d) £200 (See Hear funding) e) £1,000 (See Hear funding) f) £200 (See Hear funding)
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Learning & Public Programmes Manager, Museums & Galleries, Place |
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6. Engage with BSL users to consider the most appropriate fire alerts in Council venues. |
By December 2025: Development of new access audits and venue specific guidance as part of planned departmental Access Plan refresh |
TBC |
Outreach & Access Manager; Museums & Galleries, Place
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[1] Museum of Edinburgh, Museum of Childhood, Peoples's Story Museum and Writers' Museum