The American group VV Underground, created on the initiative of deaf artists VV, is organizing for the first time the international VV festival in Washington DC, United States of America, I was invited to perform at this festival which is very honoured and that will take place on May 24-25, 2024. However, I shall arrive at that city around May 18 to allow me to adjust my body time to match the Eastern Standard Time (EST) and to work with the VV Underground team to prepare and rehearsals for the festival. They only provide accommodation and meals, but do not reimburse any travel costs, especially the return plane ticket between Poland & the USA, which would be expensive at the cost around 600 Euro.

Therefore, I am asking you for financial support partly to purchase that ticket. Why partly? As I have already raised funds in Polish currency, Złoty in another website, this is for the local people in my own country.  So, I am using this website aiming at the people internationally so they can donate in EURO and the information all are in English.

If any of you would like to support me with even a symbolic EURO, because you think it is necessary to support the talents of a person like me and to keep your fingers crossed for me, I would be very grateful.

Who am I?

My name is Edyta Kozub. I was born deaf. By nature, I not only use Deaf sign language to communicate, but I am also an inseparable part of the beautiful Deaf culture. Over time, sign language also become a value that I want to share with others. Therefore, for many years I have been conducting sign language courses for both hearing and deaf people, and I also support and take part in activities promoting sign language. At the same time, I am committed to spreading knowledge and popularizing a wide range about Deaf Culture. However, my adventure with VV began over 5 years ago. I would like to emphasize that I am in love with this particular technique of artistic expression. Honestly, I missed this in Poland. Watching storytelling using specific VV gestures, I feel deeply immersed as if it was really happening live.

What is VV?

VV is an abbreviation of Visual Vernacular. It is an artistic form on the border between theatrical and literary expression, which combines elements such as facial expressions, pantomime, gestures, sign language, storytelling and the poetry of shape and body movement, which can be used to tell any story. VV as a young art, very different from the equally popular older sign poetry, is understood and practiced only in the Deaf community.

I have been working as a VV artist since 2018. I have already performed my own VV stories on the stage not only in Poland but also abroad, only in Europe, e.g. at the international culture festival - Clin d'Oeil in Reims (France). I took part twice in the international Sign Language Art workshops at the famous Riksteatern theater in Stockholm (Sweden), where, altogether with professional artists from Europe, Brazil and the USA, I analyzed the fundamental differences between VV and sign poetry.

My works

To date, I have created over 20 different VV stories, and I have published 9 videos about VV on my own account (https://www.youtube.com/@MrEdith17) on YouTube. And even more information and videos about VV can be seen on my own website (edytakozub.pl).

Why a collection?

The American group VV Underground, created on the initiative of deaf artists VV, is organizing for the first time the international VV festival in Washington DC, United States of America, I was invited to perform at this festival which is very honoured and that will take place on May 24-25, 2024. However, I shall arrive at that city around May 18 to allow me to adjust my body time to match the Eastern Standard Time (EST) and to work with the VV Underground team to prepare and rehearsals for the festival. They only provide accommodation and meals, but do not reimburse any travel costs, especially the return plane ticket between Poland & the USA, which would be expensive at the cost around 600 Euro.

Therefore, I am asking you for financial support partly to purchase that ticket. Why partly? As I have already raised funds in Polish currency, Złoty in another website, this is for the local people in my own country.  So, I am using this website aiming at the people internationally so they can donate in EURO and the information all are in English.

If any of you would like to support me with even a symbolic EURO, because you think it is necessary to support the talents of a person like me and to keep your fingers crossed for me, I would be very grateful.