Episode 1 - Guests

Kristy Cooper

The South West region also sees us meet Kristy Cooper, a Deaf mum and active campaigner, working with the British Deaf Association to improve the status and awareness of sign language.

Kristy also has a secret hidden talent as a comedienne!

Local Devonshire woman, Kristy Cooper is our final guest this week. Born and bred in the county, Kristy has a love and passion for the rural life and countryside.

She developed an ardent love of performing and indeed her facial dexterity would leave you all in stitches! Kristy studied at Reading University on the two year Theatre of the Deaf Course receiving a diploma, she then completed her drama BA by traveling up to Darlington and doing her final studies there.

For more information about the Theatre of the Deaf course, you can visit:

www.reading.ac.uk/study/departments/ug-theatreartseducationanddeafstudies.aspx

Kristy is a busy working mum of two with a day job supporting Deaf people to understand their rights and empowering them to be more confident and realise their potential. She also does additional work on developing the BSL Charter in Devonshire and advocating its use. Kristy is passionate about improving access for Deaf people to local services, especially those people who live in more rural and isolated communities. Kristy hopes that the BSL Charter which has been adopted by Devonshire County Council will soon be adopted all over the UK.

Kristy has a not-so-secret hobby! She is obsessed with science-fiction books and loses herself for hours whilst immersing herself in a different world!

A natural stand-up comedienne, she often performs locally to both Deaf and hearing people. Is she the only Deaf female stand-up comedienne in the UK?

Local girl, campaigner, mum, worker, comedienne - is there any end to her talents? Kristy has Julian and us in tears of laughter as she gives us an insight in to her life when she joins us Under the Lamp.