01 Oct '15

Gestures make all the difference

8804
door Patrick Gijssels

Swinging with the beat, with intense facial expressions and confident gestures they are positioned slightly lower than the musicians, providing their wordless translation for all of those people who are unable to hear the music. Who are these women whose task it was to interpret songs into sign language this summer during the Boterhammen in het Park (Sandwiches in the Park) festival in Brussels? Veronique Caluwaerts from Merchtem was one of them. She interpreted six songs by the Flemish group Laïs. 'It is very important for people who are hard of hearing to see me and the group together in the same image, so that the rhythm and all the movements are seen as a whole and nothing is missing from the performance.’ Caluwaerts also interprets everyday things into sign language, such as a visit to the doctor or a job application. (RK, okt 2015)

Read more in Dutch