Deaf Theatre in the Hearing World

Charu is the founder and active contributor of Deaf Women Too (DWT), a social media platform dedicated to feminism, women’s empowerment, and showcasing role models who uplift and support women. Through DWT, she works to empower women, raise awareness about gender equality, build community, and create a safe and supportive space. 

She currently serves as Project Lead of the Deafhood course at Hear A Million (EnAble India). With a strong background in advocating for the Deaf community and women’s empowerment, Charu specializes in content design and development. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and continues to use her expertise to drive meaningful impact.

Amaldev P R is a Deaf artist from Kerala and a BFA graduate from NISH, who discovered his passion for Visual Vernacular (VV) by chance. What began as an exploration grew into a professional journey, establishing him as a VV performer and theatre artist dedicated to celebrating Deaf culture and storytelling through performance.

Alongside his artistic work, Amaldev serves as a Consultant at Hear a Million, bringing over six years of experience in the Deaf community and creative fields. His achievements include representing India at the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Camp in Paris and serving on the organizing committee for youth camps in Bangalore, India, fostering leadership and cultural exchange among Deaf youth. Recognized for his leadership, management, and creativity, Amaldev continues to inspire through both art and advocacy, creating spaces where Deaf voices and stories are seen, valued, and celebrated

Anuja Ghosalkar is a performance maker and founder of Drama Queen, a documentary theatre company in India since 2015. Her multi-disciplinary practice extends the idea of theatre to create audacious work. She combines performance, visual arts, and critical inquiry, focusing on little histories, archival lapses, counter-narratives, and questions around gender and transnational collaborations. Based in Bangalore, Ghosalkar’s work has been showcased globally, from the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of Hong Kong, and Meta Lab at Harvard, to Frascati, Amsterdam, and venues such as Hebbel am Ufer and Sophiensale in Berlin. She has collaborated with award-winning theatre companies like Gob Squad Collective and Flinnworks.

Ghosalkar’s writing has featured in publications by Routledge, Bloomsbury Publishing, Narr Francke Attempto and BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies. She has independently published an Artist’s Manual for the Archives’ User during a fellowship at the Archives at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (2022-2023). Her latest co-edited book is titled Documentary Theatre in India: Assembling Publics, Performing Politics, published by Transcript, Germany.

Hardeep Singh currently works as an Inclusion Coordinator and Designer at the Museum of Art & Photography, perhaps for the first time as a Deaf artist in Museum Spaces. Born in New Delhi, he comes from a family of Deaf artists, particularly influenced by his father and grandmother, who nurtured his love for the arts. One of his original creations was featured in a plate collection by The Plated Project (2021). He also made a special appearance signing an original poem in the Indian film If I Could Tell You, directed by Niharika Popli (2024). 

For Hardeep, art provides a unique way to express his creativity. He aims for his work to convey the experiences of Deaf people and the challenges they face due to language barriers. Through his art, he hopes to bridge the communication gap between Deaf and non-deaf communities, fostering greater understanding and collaboration. He aspires to inspire positive change and encourage support from people across different walks of life.

In his free time, Hardeep enjoys creating art, listening to music, and reading lyrics.