Hands in Harmony Celebrates 10 Years of entertainment, community, and advocacy

Hands in Harmony Celebrates 10 Years of entertainment, community, and advocacy

Hands in Harmony is marking a 10 years of promoting inclusivity and raising awareness of the deaf community and Irish Sign Language

Limerick’s deaf choir, Hands in Harmony, founded in 2014, was initially created as a social outlet for the deaf community across the Midwest in a bid to combat isolation and foster a sense of belonging within the community.

Over the past decade, Hands in Harmony has grown substantially, performing across Ireland, challenging misconceptions about deafness, and becoming a highlight of festivals in Limerick throughout the calendar year.

The group are set to celebrate their ten year anniversary with a special event on October 10, with Mid-West School for the Deaf children, Limerick Musical Society, Shannon Gospel Choir, Parteen National School Choir, Cork Deaf Choir, and Dublin Deaf Theatre all joining them on stage.

As a marker of how loved the performance group is, the 200 tickets sold out within a short time of their release.

The choir’s performances span a diverse array of events, from music festivals to charity concerts, weddings, and even Limerick’s Got Talent, where they won the Best Variety Act in 2016.

Some of the groups highlights include appearances at the Mayo Music Festival, Gospel Rising in Galway, and their annual performance at the Limerick Pride Festival displaying their unique approach of translating popular songs in ISL, giving audiences visually impactful, expressive, and emotional performances.

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The choir’s performances encourage and inspire others to learn ISL, they use their shows as an opportunity to breakdown stereotypes and to help advocate for the rights of the deaf community in Ireland.

Speaking about the impact Hands in Harmony has had on members, the group said, “The wonderful group that we have established has evolved to make lifelong friends, we are autonomous, and the skills and confidence of its members has flourished significantly throughout all our performances.

“We role model equality and inclusivity to the powers that be, and we are the ‘voice’ of a minority community that has for too long been overlooked and had decisions made for them without their input. This is changing, the deaf community are establishing and fighting for their rights, and we are proud to be ambassadors for that fight for equality.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our many supporters, friends and families for the immense support that you have shown us in the last ten years, we hope to continue our important and valuable work, raising awareness of ISL and the deaf community for many years to come.”