University of Gloucestershire lecturer develops new TV show for Deaf people

A new TV series co-developed by University of Gloucestershire lecturer, Mitch Turnbull, airs on Film4 this February 2022.

By Chloe Gorman  |  Published
Mitch Turnbull, a lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, co-developed the new series using techniques specifically tailored for the BSL community.
Mitch Turnbull, a lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, co-developed the new series using techniques specifically tailored for the BSL community.

A new TV series aimed at people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, co-developed by University of Gloucestershire lecturer, Mitch Turnbull, is airing on Film4 this February 2022.

The new series called Wild Visitors to my Home was commissioned by the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust and is being shown on Film4 every Monday during February 2022, providing expert hints and tips on how to attract wildlife to viewer’s gardens – all communicated in British Sign Language (BSL).

Turnbull – who is a lecturer in digital media at the University of Gloucestershire’s School of Creative Industries and an award-winning documentary filmmaker – developed the concept with executive producer, Louis Neethling, who is Deaf.

The team which created the series is comprised of mostly Deaf and hard of hearing people, both in front of and behind the cameras, and used production methods and techniques specifically tailored to a Deaf and hard of hearing audience.

Turnbull, who is also the founder and creative director of Bramble Media, said: ‘It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in the making of Wild Visitors to my Home for the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust.

‘Louis Neethling contacted me to help him develop a TV series about British wildlife and how to encourage nature into our gardens specifically for the BSL community. The series provides viewers with lots of great advice in an entertaining and engaging way on how to make their homes more wildlife friendly.

‘People of all ages find it immensely uplifting to get close up to nature, and the camera work and high production values featured in Wild Visitors to my Home has captured this absolutely beautifully. We even captured something on our camera traps that I have never seen in the 20-plus years I’ve been making wildlife films. You’ll have to watch the series to find out what!’

Wild Visitors to my Home is next on Film4 on Monday 21 February 2022 at 8am. The series is also available to watch on Sky, The Community Channel and via the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust website.

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