Hearing mothers crafted ‘A Lullaby for Derby’—recorded in audio and British Sign Language.
DERBY EVALUATION 2025
Nightlight Lullabies created impact at personal, institutional and historical levels.
Volunteers reconsidered whose voices count as heritage, while young deaf participants developed transferable communication skills, expanded their career aspirations and grew in confidence. For some, the experience reshaped how they saw their own futures — including the possibility of becoming successful parents.
The project also influenced institutional change, with the museum rethinking gallery spaces to be more family-friendly and committing to future co-created work.
Importantly, stories from communities long under-represented in historical records are now permanently archived. This was made possible through genuine co-design, with a deaf consultant holding real authority to shape decisions and delivery.
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Deaf students and parents developed ‘The Signing Mother,’ a Visual Vernacular film.
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Deaf young people and ten museum volunteers trained as oral and video historians, learning that their own stories constitute heritage worth preserving.
6096
Visitors to our exhibition at Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
75,000
Total views, plays, and interactions across social media with our work.
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Oral Histories recorded.
46% of participants and 63% of volunteers indentified as D/deaf, disabled, or neurodivergent; 57% of staff identify similarly; 56% of participants identify as global majority.
These represent a fundamental shift in who gets to tell stories about heritage.
Photo by Rosie Powell
