My name is Jocelyn (Joey) Baumgartel and I will be entering Douglas College in September to join the ASL Interpreting Program. I have currently finished the ASL and Deaf studies program at Vancouver Community College. Earlier this year, I had an idea to run my own company, but being a student, had no time to get it going. My friend over in Victoria has started a similar company, but I would like something over here on the mainland.
The company is named Once Upon a Princess Party. The idea is that actors from our company will dress as selected princesses and go to a child’s home for an hour or two at a time, playing games, reading stories, and interacting with the children at a birthday party. Thus far, my idea is to cater to both the hearing and Deaf communities. There will be separate parties for hearing children, with hearing actors/princesses, and then specifically Deaf parties with Deaf actors who can use fluent ASL preferably. Parents can pick which princess/party they would like when they order. As of now, I have several friends/colleagues who are interested in being on the hearing side of the company, but am having troubles finding Deaf actors in the community. I am still new to the Vancouver Deaf community, and am trying to reach out to as many avenues as I can in order to gather a few actors who would be willing to work with me. This company will be collaborative and team-motivated; I will take suggestions, comments, requests and work alongside all the actors closely in order to have a successful and functioning company.
If you are interested in working alongside me to help me get this company started, or if you know of anyone who would like to be involved, please contact me at:
jmbaumgartel@gmail.com
Thank you very much,
Jocelyn (Joey) Baumgartel
