VISUAL VERNACULAR- ZOE MCWHINNEY

The brainchild between Mime and Sign Language, Visual Vernacular (a.k.a. VV) is a form of sign language storytelling performance involving everything from the knee, waist and up. VV needs only a small area of the stage to perform great silent visual epics, akin to sign language.
VV emerges the strongest from those of us growing up communicating visually everyday and without sound as the norm. We are known as the Deaf people. One of us, is called Zoë McWhinney (she/they), recently won the internationally renowned festival Clin d’ Oeil’s Sign Slam championships in Reims, and was shortlisted in the nationally prestigious Forward Poetry Prize 2026, while using her VV skills. Zoë (signname: curly hair) looks forward to meeting you and hosting the VVorkshops.