Ireland’s first CODA Festival to take place in Cork

4 Oct 2024

• Festival will celebrate the culture, language and identity of children of deaf adults.
• CODAs from USA, Australia, UK and across the world set to meet in Cork.
• It will showcase the lived experiences of an often-overlooked community.

Ireland’s first national festival celebrating the culture, identity and language of children of deaf adults (CODA) will take place in Cork on 4 – 5 October.

Presented by CODA UK and Ireland with support from University College Cork, the CODA Croí Festival explore CODA lived experiences of culture, identity and language through workshops, presentations and performance.

The two-day conference at UCC will bring CODA artists, performers, storytellers and families together for events that will celebrate the unique heritage, community and diversity of adult hearing individuals with deaf parents.

Research shows that 90% of children born to deaf parents can hear, growing up immersed in both Deaf culture and the spoken world around them. While CODAs frequently serve as interpreters and cultural brokers, their unique lived experiences of navigating two worlds often remain invisible to educators, social workers, employers, and other professionals.

They are sometimes perceived as a “hidden minority” amongst the majority population because they remain invisible to professionals across important everyday aspects of life, including social work, family welfare, schooling, employment education, psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.

Catherine White, co-founder of CODA UK and Ireland and keynote speaker at the festival, said: “The experiences of CODAs worldwide are rich, intersectional, varied, singular, generational and life-changing. This conference shines a spotlight on our lived experiences, to be seen and understood, not just by wider society but also within the Deaf communities and its organisations. The event will promote an introductory understanding of Coda’s unique intersectional identities.”

CODA UK and Ireland Directors Hannah O’Connor (Ireland) and Matthew Shrine (UK) said:

“Since its inception CODA UK and Ireland have focused on celebrating our unique heritage, creating a supportive and welcoming community and facilitating social interaction of CODAs with their peers. It is an honour to be welcomed to Ireland to celebrate all things about the CODA community, culture and language in such a historic venue.”

The conference also seeks to initiate discussions on broadening the CODA identity spectrum within Deaf communities and organisations, paralleling the expansive identities recognised in other communities, such as LGBTQIA+.

Dr Noel O Connell, Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21) and the School of Applied Social Sciences at UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, said: “We are excited to welcome CODAs, families, researchers and hearing people from across the world to UCC. Across the two days, this festival will explore how CODAs experience belonging, culture, identity and language across home life, education and community.”

The Festival is open to all, including CODA communities, deaf community members, researchers interested in CODA research, childhood studies scholars, and family professionals and practitioners.

For more information about the Coda Festival Conference and to register to attend in person or watch via livestream visit www.codaukireland.co.uk