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Deaf National Archive New Zealand
Deaf National Archive New Zealand
1981
The Sign Singers perform the song 'I Hear Your Hand' for the Stars on Sunday programme.
1984
1982
The Sign Singers perform 'Harmony' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in February 1983. They are introduced in sign language, in one of the first examples of a non-Deaf person signing on prime time television.
2002
Weekend celebrations are kickstarted with a Māori Deaf kapa haka group to perform a haka powhiri. Vintage teachers such as Les Bury briefly summarise their experiences of working in Deaf education over the years.
1991
1981
The popular Sign Singers are the first act to perform at the 1981 Telethon Live at the Auckland Town Hall.
1959
The Battle of Whau: a drama by Kelston Deaf students for the opening ceremony of Kelston School for the Deaf, 7th November 1959.
1984
The Sign Singers perform at the Dunedin Deaf Club in front of Deaf members and their friends.
2003
The first ever Wallace Williams Comedy Evening kicks off in 2003, as a fundraiser for Deaf Youth to attend the WFD Congress in Montreal, Canada.
1981
The Sign Singers perform the famous carol 'Silent Night' for the Stars on Sunday programme.
1995
Deaf children are taught drama skills by two Deaf visitors from the UK, in preparation for their show at the opening night of the inaugural Deaf Festival, hosted by Kelston Deaf Education Centre.
1986
In November 1986, film maker Ann Andrews organised a week-long drama workshop for six 13 year olds from Kelston School for the Deaf. The workshop concluded with the play, The Magic Park, written and acted by the students.
1959
The Deaf van Asch marching team participate in a marching competition in Auckland, 1958.
1982
The Sign Singers perform the hit song 'Sailing' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in May 1982. Ian Watkins, introduces the group by saying “…and I’m delighted to welcome back to the programme the deaf sign singers.”
1984
The Sign Singers tour the South Island for Deaf Awareness in 1984, and are invited to perform on ‘In South Tonight’ while in Dunedin.
1988
After Mr Moon has been teaching Van Asch Deaf Education Centre Deaf students street theatre skills, they watch a performance from the Montreal Street Theatre at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington, in preparation for staging their own live performance.
1999
Mai Time made one of their episodes accessible in NZSL to mark Deaf Awareness Week 1999. KDEC’s sign singing choir and Patrick Thompson made an appearance along with as did Rūaumoko Marae’s kapa haka roopu.
1988
'Strangers' was a TVNZ-produced drama series for children, with one Deaf character played by 7-year-old Sonia Pivac. Reporter Phil Keoghan, from ‘Spot On’, interviews Sonia about being the only Deaf actor in the drama.
1978
Susie Ovens, a 12-year-old Deaf girl, participates in ‘Star Zone’ showcasing her miming and theatre skills. Susie wins the New Zealand grand prize and a trip to Melbourne, Australia to participate in another show. At the time of her victory there were no communicators or NZSL interpreters, leaving Susie to figure out at the end of the show whether she had won!
1982
The Sign Singers perform 'Oh What a Beautiful Day' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in February 1983.
1982
The Sign Singers perform the song 'Born Free' broadcast on Stars on Sunday in June 1982.
1985
The Sign Singers perform ‘You’re My Sunshine’ at the 1985 Telethon.
1988
'Strangers' was a TVNZ-produced drama series, including one Deaf character played by 7-year-old Sonia Pivac. This short documentary is a brief look behind the scenes of the filming process.
1989
This TV series (Sunday Magazine) looks at some of the projects young people are getting involved in. This clip is about acting in a play about Deaf people, in which Patty Still has been teaching the hearing cast NZSL for their roles.