Hello from home! Like most of us, the Solar Bear team is in lockdown. It’s hard, because a lot of our work – Deaf Youth Theatre; rehearsing with students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a new play; or a new intergenerational project we’ve only just started called ‘Life Lessons’ – depends on being in a room with people. It’s made me appreciate just how important that face-to-face contact is to making theatre – and being human. It’s a communal thing, a coming together, keeping us connected. And I really, really miss it.

But we’re still working – remotely, of course. This month, we’re delighted to welcome a new member of staff to the team: the amazing Trudi Collier, who is our Project Co-ordinator for Solar Flares: Deaf Heritage. This is a new project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to celebrate and champion deaf history and culture across Scotland. Over the next three years, Trudi will lead our efforts to find untold stories and share them far and wide, working with deaf film-makers and artists.

And we’re still being creative, wherever we can. This week we launch ‘Solar Snaps’: a new programme of 1-minute digital stories, filmed at home by deaf artists across the UK. We know that for many of you, it’s a tough time right now. But we hope these stories will be something playful and fun to share over the months ahead. They are also a brilliant showcase for all the incredible talent out there. We wish you, your friends and family all the best, and hope to connect with you face-to-face in the not too distant future.

Jonathan Lloyd