English scripts and source texts
Students work with short scenes, monologues, memoir excerpts, speeches, myths, and original writing prompts.
Malka Foundation presents
Deaf Story Lab
An ASL-first theatre and literacy program helping Deaf students turn stories, scripts, and lived experience into English on the page and presence on the stage.
Original charitable scope
To educate and assist Deaf people by providing sign language service for online educational programs.
Modern program expression
Deaf Story Lab turns that scope into a language-rich education program: ASL access, script reading, theatre-making, and bilingual storytelling.
01 / The Opportunity
A literacy program that does not treat language as a worksheet.
Deaf students are often asked to become literate through systems that underuse visual language, performance, memory, translation, and embodied communication. Theatre gives those capacities a serious educational structure.
ASL-first interpretation
The group explores what the text means visually, emotionally, and dramatically before reducing it to a school assignment.
Stage presence and public voice
Students rehearse, receive feedback, and perform work for families, peers, educators, funders, and community partners.
English on the page
Each student leaves with revised writing: a monologue, reflection, scene, artist statement, or personal narrative.
02 / Founding Artistic Advisor
A part-time role built for a national Deaf performer.
The first hire should not be an administrator. The program needs a Deaf artist-educator with credibility, stage intelligence, and the ability to make students feel that performance is a serious path to language, dignity, and self-command.
This role is designed to be pitchable to CJ Jones as a founding artistic advisor: focused, part-time, creatively meaningful, and strong enough to unlock the first funder conversation.
Proposed scope
- Shape the eight-week Deaf Story Lab curriculum.
- Lead monthly online performance labs.
- Coach the teaching artist standard and showcase format.
- Advise on Deaf culture, theatre, humor, access, and student dignity.
- Join selected funder and partner conversations.
03 / Pilot Design
Small enough to launch. Strong enough to prove.
Middle-school, high-school, or transition-age Deaf learners.
Weekly online labs plus optional local rehearsal/showcase days.
Each student creates writing and performance material.
Writing confidence, reading engagement, attendance, and public voice.
What Funders Buy
A visible proof point for Deaf education.
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1
A launchable Deaf Story Lab curriculum and teaching artist model.
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2
A student showcase suitable for parents, schools, donors, and press.
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3
Before/after student writing samples and filmed performance excerpts.
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4
A replicable program that can grow into schools, online cohorts, and community theatres.
04 / Funding Ask
Raise the first pilot around a named artistic lead.
The clean first raise is not for a vague foundation revival. It is for a concrete pilot with a respected Deaf artistic advisor, documented student outputs, and a visible showcase.
Pilot target
$150k-$250k
Covers advisor compensation, teaching artists, interpreting/access, curriculum development, student support, filming, evaluation, administration, and the first public showcase.
Next Step
Build the first cohort around the right artistic leader.
Malka Foundation is seeking a founding artistic advisor, a pilot funder, and one or two launch partners in Deaf education, theatre, or youth literacy.
Contact
robert@malkarobert.com
Private concept site. Public launch language can be adjusted once the artistic advisor and funder are confirmed.