I am also a screenwriter, director and journalist, winning BAFTA and RTS awards for my scripts, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton for my work representing deaf people in the media.
My writing credits include my own series such as the RTS-winning six-part comedy sketch show Deaf Funny and the five-part documentary series Found, both of which I also directed.
My other creations include the six-part sitcom Four Deaf Yorkshiremen, dramas My Song and Departure Lounge, mockumentary Hands Solo, madcap comedy mini-series The Fingerspellers and viral shorts The Kiss and Coming Out.
From 2019-2024 I wrote for a number of BBC series including Waterloo Road, Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On, CBBC’s Princess Mirror-Belle, winning BAFTA and RTS awards for a special episode of Casualty, and creating the deaf storyline for Eastenders which introduced Rose Ayling-Ellis to the soap before she went on to Strictly fame.
In 2012 I set up deaf blog platform The Limping Chicken, which has clocked up over 10 million views and posted blogs by over 400 Deaf people so far. Shortly after starting the site, we broke the 2013 worldwide news story about the fake interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. I have also written for the Guardian and BBC Online.
Links to my TV and film work (note: you may need to turn on subtitles if you are sign-impaired 😉
Documentary
The Found series of documentaries, made between 2015 and 2018, told grassroots deaf people’s stories of how they discovered their deaf identity, sign language and the deaf community. Many deaf people are brought up to lipread and given speech therapy, with no opportunity to learn sign language. Many only meet other deaf people until later life – finding it a revelation. These are their stories.
Found at the Deaf Club (2018) 30 mins Film4
Found in Sport (2018) 30 mins Film4
Found in the UK (2016) 30 mins Film4
Found in Love (2016) 30 mins Film4
Found (2015) 30 mins Film 4
Drama
Waterloo Road (2024) 60 mins BBC1
Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On (2021) 45 mins BBC1
Casualty (2020) 45 mins BBC1 BAFTA and RTS winning episode
Princess Mirror-Belle ‘Prince Precious Paws’ (2021) 30 mins BBC1
My Song (2011) 28 mins Film4
Departure Lounge (2009) 28 mins Film4
Comedy
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen’s Contest (2023) 28 mins Film4
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen and a Wedding (2023) 28 mins Film4
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen go Dating (2022) 28 mins Film4
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen’s Takeaway (2022) 28 mins Film4
Two Deaf Yorkshiremen in Lockdown (2020) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 6 (2019) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 5 (2019) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 4 (2018) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 3 (2018) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 2 (2017) 28 mins Film4
Deaf Funny Episode 1 (2017) 28 mins (RTS Yorkshire Writer Award)
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen go to Blackpool (2014) 28 mins Film4
The Kiss (2013) 7 mins (70,000 views on YouTube)
Hands Solo (2010) 15 mins (50,000 views on YouTube)
The Fingerspellers (2010) 8 x 5mins Film4
Four Deaf Yorkshiremen (2008) (200,000 views on YouTube)
Coming Out (2007) (225,000 views on YouTube)
Charlie Swinbourne Photography 