DEAFinitely Crew

🎭 Meet the Schools Students from across Boston Public Schools are preparing to take the stage at the Citywide Arts Festival, including: 🤟🏽 DEAFinitely Crew: Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing — a performing arts group of elementary, middle and high school youth who are Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, hard-of-hearing and hearing from urban and suburban regions of Greater Boston. Youth perform hip-hop, break-dancing, and Latin dances to inspire and create a paradigm shift in how communities, families and they understand and experience differences. The choreography in DEAFinitely combines American Sign Language to intentionally conveys stories of self-expression and positive identity. 📅 Performing Friday, May 22 🎶 Edison Shining Lights — a collaborative 6th grade band ensemble made up of student musicians with a wide range of experience levels, from beginners to students now in their third year of band. Through peer mentorship, sectionals, and ensemble performance, students have grown together as independent musicians while building confidence, teamwork, and strong ensemble musicianship throughout the school year. 📅 Performing Tuesday, May 19 Join us at the Boston Common as 1,200+ student artists share their voices through music, dance, theatre, and spoken word. 📍 Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common 📅 May 19-22 ⏰ 10:00 AM-12:15 PM 🌧 Rain location: Bolling Municipal Building One City. Many Voices. #BPSArts4All @edisonelementary_bps @hmsdeaf1869 @deafinitelycrew @bostonschools @wooden_kiwi_productions

This Crew never ceases to AMAZE!!! These kids practice on weekends, afterschool, at home. Then they come together to DANCE, have FUN and spread JOY - we need that right?!🤟🏾🤟🏿🤟🏽 . Shout out to @official.erisette who signed this song in ASL & who brings it EVERY SINGLE TIME! . HUGE shout out to @tinacavicchio of @nextlevelfusion for collaboration, we are INSPIRED by you and can’t wait for more! . Thank you #badbunny who INSPIRED us to spread more LOVE❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ . Thank you also to our partners for supporting our work: @thezakimfund @cummingsfoundation @thebostonculturalcouncil @hmsdeaf1869 . [The video starts off with a group of young performers on a stage. They are wearing matching black T-shirts with DEAFINITELY in white on the front and black pants, standing in a group with their arms raised overhead. An American flag is at the left side of the stage, and there are two black speaker/monitor boxes on the floor near the front corners of the stage. The stage floor is light wood, and a projected screen is behind the group; the word “Massachusetts” is partially visible and the words DEAFinitely Crew. The video then shows the group Latin dancing to Bad Bunny’s song, Nuevayol. Then a solo Latin female performer comes into the middle of the group and signs the song lyrics in ASL. The group then forms a cypher and takes turns dancing BBoy and free style in the middle. The performance ends with the signing performed coming into the center and signing Bad Bunny in celebration.]

DeafBlind Awareness Day was canceled March 31 so @deafinitelycrew joined a group of DeafBlind people who showed up anyway at the Boston state house in protest. The cancellation was due to ‘not enough resources’. But the state’s unpreparedness cancelled this community’s 1x a year opportunity to share experiences, access needs and raise awareness. . This is unacceptable, especially for the DeafBlind youth @deafinitelycrew serves. More partnerships are needed, better policies in place and DeafBlind access must be prioritized. [A photo showing four adults standing outdoors in front of a large stone monument with a carved crest. Each person is holding a protest sign, and three additional signs are on the ground in front of them. A building entrance and steps are in the background. The people appear to be white adults in coats; one person wears a black hat with the word “LOVE.” on it, and another wears a pink cap. One person in the middle has dark hair and sunglasses. Text on signs (verbatim as visible): TOUCH THIS! DeafBlind Access cannot be cancelled DeafBlind Won’t STOP!!! DeafBlind Access Denied No More!! DeafBlind won’t go away! We are here... DEAFBLIND CAN’T BE CANCELLED DEAFBLIND ACCESS IS ON OUR TIME]

@deafinitelycrew was so inspired by Bad Bunny’s celebration of Puerto Rican pride & Latin American culture, we had to continue the JOY with @tinacavicchio with @nextlevelfusion . Thank you so much @tinacavicchio for your incredible warmth, inclusive energy, and willingness to learn Deaf culture! Look forward to our continued COLLABORATION🤟🏽🤟🏾🤟🏿 [ video description: An adult dance teacher in a black shirt and loose green pants is teaching a group of young students in a dance studio. At one point, the camera focuses on a young woman who is signing the Spanish song in American Sign Language. The video moves into a dance circle in which the instructor is dancing in the middle and the students around her a circle. As she dances, she is smiling and wearing a light-blue scarf/bandana around her neck and a black T-shirt that says “NEXT LEVEL FUSHION’. Several of the kids around her are wearing a black shirt with DEAFINITELY in white on the front. The instructor dances with several of the students one by one holding their hands.] Image description provided with Be My Eyes.

Pre-show game of Elephant is a must to shake out the nerves! Huge congrats to @cccbsd on their 150th anniversary! What a welcoming, inclusive and FUN community you have!!! @deafinitelycrew loved partnering with @djdeaftunez to kick off the dance party! [video description: The video starts off in a classroom with children of different ages. A Black teenage girl with dark curly hair tied back is wearing glasses and a light gray fuzzy hoodie stands with her arms crossed and one hand near her face. She is making the sign for elephant in ASL. A younger Black girl with dark braided hair gathered into a bun and wearing a black T-shirt is holding her hand up to the older teenagers ear. In the background, a child wearing glasses and a dark hat is watching and laughing. There are other kids of varied races and ages in a circle playing the game, Elephant while laughing. One boy loses his turn because he is not fast enough to make the elephant sign. Next in the video, about ten dancers of mixed genders, races and ages between 7-18 are wearing black T-shirts with the word, DEAFINITELY on the front in white. The group is dancing hip hop on a shiny wooden gym floor; a stage curtain and a large projection screen are in the background. Towards the end of the performance, the kids take turns dancing free style breakdancing and hip hop in the middle of a half circle, called a Cypher. They are dancing to Joy and Pain, Song by Rob Base 1988.] Image description provided with Be My Eyes.

@deafinitelycrew is backkkkk… it’s a NEW season 2026!!! We know so many of us are feeling the pain in our world right now. But we must protest through JOY and LOVE…DANCE and ASL🤟🏿🤟🏽🤟🏾🤟🏽 Thank you for an incredible night of joy and love in celebration of MLK @bps_ae ♥️ Big thanks to @wondertwinsbb Keep the faith…‘One day our generation is gonna rule the population’.. these kids are gonna change the world 🌎 . Choreo by: Jamie Robinson & @ya_boy_purpose Music: Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer and Joy & Pail by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock [video description: A group of a dozen youth ages 10-18 are on stage posing together. They are wearing matching black t-shirts with DEAFINITELY on the front in white letters and dark pants. Some are standing, while others are crouching or sitting, all with various arm and hand poses at the end of a dance routine. The background is a plain, dark stage, and there are a couple of lights illuminating the scene. . One young boy walks forward to dance a solo, then the group joins in doing the same hip-hop movements. Next, an older boy signs a song in ASL while the group dances in the background. The next scene shows the group in one long line as they dance a ripple of movement back-and-forth. They sign and dance towards the audience in coordination to the song lyrics. Finally, the group forms a half Circle to form a cypher and take turns dancing freestyle in the middle, including handstands, head stands, break, dancing, hip-hop. Lastly, their coach comes forward and dances hip-hop and popping before the dance concludes in a close group posing in different hip hop poses. ] Image description provided with Be My Eyes.

Put your hands up! 13 brave storytellers took the stage at @mosesianarts to share their heart truths on mental health and addiction. Truly moving♥️ Thank you to @deafinitelycrew , incredible access team & community for making this happen. Thanks to our sponsors: @masshumanities @thezakimfund Sing: Courage to Love by Ru Paul: repeats courage to love and to be loved [ID: The setting is a black stage. The first picture is a Latina Deaf woman with short gray hair and a black button that signs “Mess Up.” There is a red chair next to her with her father’s “ashes” in a box on it. The second picture is a Deaf young Latino man with short brown hair wearing a black short-sleeve shirt as he signs “Freedom”, looking upward to his left. In the third picture, the person on the left is a Hard of Hearing Latina with CP, smiling big and wearing a shirt that says “DEAFinitely” while cheering with her hands up. Her left hand is holding the hand of another person, who is white, nonbinary and DeafBlind, wearing a hoodie that says “DEAFinitely Blind,” with a black hat and sunglasses, smiling big. Behind them is a Deaf interpreter providing ProTactile. The next picture is a white Deaf woman wearing a blazer jacket, glasses and wavy blonde hair. Her eyes are closed while she is moving her hands to sign. The next picture shows a video of a Deaf woman with gray hair wearing a long black shirt, signing “depressed”, while a few storytellers sitting watching her. The next picture shows an older white DeafBlind woman with sunglasses, wearing a navy button-up shirt, smiling while using her right hand with her co-navigator, a Deaf woman with curly hair in a ponytail, smiling while using her hand to form a “heart” handshape together. The next picture is a Deaf Black man with a beard and glasses wearing a navy button-up shirt and navy pants, signing “looking” with a worried expression. The next picture is a Hard of Hearing Black man standing with his back facing us, reaching his right arm outward with a gripping handshape, wearing a brown hat and a mixed-color short sleeve button-up shirt. The last picture shows all producers and storytellers as a group signing “BRAVE.”]

For one night only, 13 Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing storytellers will share their stories of mental health and addiction to break down stigma & celebrate resiliency. The performance is presented by DEAFinitely, Inc with a grant from Mass Humanities. 📅 Saturday 11/1 at @mosesianarts (Watertown) at 7pm. 🎟️ Tickets are available online

💛 HEART TRUTH 💚 My Deaf Therapy is proud to support @DeafinitelyInc  in celebrating expression, inclusion, and empowerment through storytelling. Join us for 13 powerful Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled & Hard of Hearing storytellers sharing their heart truths on mental health and addiction through art, film, dance, and storytelling. 🗓 Nov 1, 2025 | 7 PM 📍 Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA 💛 Pay what you can: $0–$20 🎟 /Heart-Truth-2025 #HeartTruth2025 #MyDeafTherapy #DeafinitelyInc #DeafCommunity #MentalHealthAwareness #DeafStories #Inclusion #StorytellingHeals

Come out and join your community on November 1 to show love and support to 13 courageous storytellers…share their Heart Truths🤟🏾🤟🏽🤟🏿 . [video description: Latina woman is signing, ‘DEAFinitely, Inc. presents’ before a slide appears with the title in big yellow letters on a green background for an upcoming event called, “HEART TRUTH”. Below this title is an illustration of a hand signing heart truth in ASL. Below the hand, it reads: ‘Stories from the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing Communities’ . The video then goes back to the Latina woman, who repeats the slide: ‘Heart Truth. Stories from the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and hard of hearing communities. She signs, ‘Storytellying saves lives! We have 13 storytellers who are Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and hard of hearing who will share true stories of mental health and addiction through storytelling, dance or art. Stories will be translated in ASL, Tactile and Protactile, voicing and CART in English and Spanish. For DeafBLind interpreting or other accommodations, please contact us at [email protected]. The show is 15+. It will be at the Mosesian Center for the Arts on November 1 at 7pm. Tickets are pay as you can $0-$20, or $5 for EBT holders. Thanks to our primary sponsor, @masshumanities ]

DEAF & SOBER CURIOUS? WE ARE STILL RECRUITING! WHO CAN JOIN THIS STUDY? - Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled or Hard of Hearing - Fluent in ASL - 18 years and older - Alcohol use in the past month - Trauma-related stress in the past month POSSIBLE BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE: - 12 virtual counseling sessions at no cost - Learning skills to manage trauma and addiction - Earning up to $500 for completing 5 online surveys throughout the course of the study INTERESTED? Contact [email protected] #DeafHealthResearch #DeafMentalHealth #DeafCommunityEngagement Visual Description: [A flyer for a study titled "DEAF & SOBER CURIOUS?". The flyer is in a light, slightly peachy color, with a graphic of a sunset over water at the bottom. The text is predominantly black and highlights eligibility requirements, potential benefits, and contact information. The "WHO CAN JOIN?" section lists criteria including: being Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, or Hard of Hearing; able to communicate in American Sign Language (ASL); having experienced alcohol use and/or trauma-related stress in the past month; living in the United States; and being 18 years or older. The "POSSIBLE BENEFITS" section lists 12 virtual counseling sessions at no cost and learning skills to cope with trauma and addiction. There is also a monetary incentive: up to $500 for completing five online surveys throughout the study. Contact information is provided, including an email address ([email protected]), and a study identification number. A QR code is displayed above the "in ASL" text which provides another way to learn more about the study in ASL. There is also a logo with text "DEAF YES" next to the email address, and university affiliations and IRB numbers are listed at the bottom.]

Look at these beautiful faces!! They are this year’s brave Heart Truth storytellers - Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled & Hard of Hearing - who will share their journeys of mental health & addiction through art, film, dance and storytelling. Join us for this powerful night of community! Saturday, November 1 at 7pm TICKETS ON SALE NOW & AT THE DOOR, pay as you can $0-$20 - link in bio. Access requests - link in bio. Huge thanks to our funders: @masshumanities @thezakimfund @cummingsfoundation [Image description: The image title is in big yellow letters on a green background for an upcoming event called, “HEART TRUTH”. Below is an illustration of a hand signing heart truth in ASL. Below in a yellow background it reads: ‘13 brave storytellers, one life-changing night’ There are headshot photos of 13 people arranged in 2 rows. They are a diverse group of female, male, LGBTQ, nonbinary, BIPOC and white individuals.]