Intriguing 8-episode production winning fans over to sign language.
Heard of silent movies? Well, now there’s a silent TV series making a big noise in New Zealand.
Funded by NZ On Air, Kids of Korero Lane is a captivating new series engaging young audiences while promoting New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).
Introduced as an official language of Aotearoa in April 2006, sign language is gaining visibility through this innovative series – which showcases the vibrant use of NZSL in a playground setting, providing basic sign language lessons without any spoken dialogue.
It aims to inspire children to learn more about this visual language and, launched online during NZSL Awareness Week, the series has received an enthusiastic response from young viewers. School screenings around Auckland have demonstrated a keen interest from children in learning NZSL, finding it both fun and educational.
Executive Producer Robyn Scott-Vincent of Attitude Pictures drew inspiration from the Little Rascals—silent films that aired on television in 1955 and were based on the original Our Gang shorts from 1922-1938. These films relied on minimal dialogue and simple sound design, making them an ideal model for a series featuring deaf children.
“Given NZ Sign Language’s inherently visual nature, the silent film concept translates perfectly to a series with deaf children,” says Scott-Vincent. “Our casting call across New Zealand discovered five main actors and many more talented children who were natural performers.”
The series brought Andrew Gunn’s lively scripts to life, with remarkable performances from children who had never acted before. Strong support from their families and Deaf Aotearoa was crucial throughout the production process.
Kids of Korero Lane ensures deaf children are represented in local media, showcasing them as cool, fun Kiwi kids and helping to dismantle misconceptions. Scott-Vincent highlights the importance of NZ On Air funding in making this series possible, providing marginalised communities with representation and offering children unique opportunities and experiences.
Feedback from teachers, kids, and parents has been overwhelmingly positive, says Scott-Vincent. The series’ educational segments, featuring NZSL lessons, have particularly resonated with viewers, achieving the desired impact of increasing interest in learning sign language.
Kids of Korero Lane consists of eight five-minute episodes, directed by Johnny Barker and produced by Wendy Colville. The series continues to receive widespread acclaim and interest from children eager to be part of this groundbreaking initiative.
Click here to watch Kids of Korero Lane