Pat Keysell
Encyclopedia
Pat Keysell was a presenter of the BBC
television series Vision On
which ran from 1964 to 1976. She was also a mime artist and administrator.
and raised in Petts Wood
, Kent
. She was educated in Orpington
and trained in mime at the Central School of Speech and Drama
. She later emigrated, returning to England in 1958 with her son, having divorced her husband.
. Many of her ideas were included in the very early shows which were initially broadcast on a monthly basis, but eventually weekly. It was Keysell who delivered the catch phrase "I'm sorry we can't return any of your pictures but we give a small prize for those that we do show" after the programme's 'Gallery' feature.
Her main contribution to early BBC television was that she helped to bridge the gap between hearing and non-hearing viewers. She did this by addressing the television camera and using sign language as she spoke.
She was a mime teacher for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) and in 1968 was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study with the National Theatre of the Deaf
in the USA. On her return she set up a company also named the National Theatre of the Deaf
. The American company threatened to sue and the name was promptly changed to British Theatre of the Deaf which became a professional touring company in 1974 and was the forerunner of later projects developed by other deaf people particularly Terry Ruane
who was General Manager. It is arguable that other opportunities for deaf actors like the course at Reading University developed from Keysell's earlier work.
After Vision On ended in 1976, she wrote and produced two series of the storytelling programme Under the Same Sun (1978–79) for Yorkshire Television
. The title originated from a Theatre show she had recently done with the British Theatre of the Deaf, Under the Sun, and followed the same format, even the same stories.
In 1992 Keysell wrote a mime workshop book called Mime Over Matter. She then worked at the Brewery Arts Centre in Cumbria and on other projects before ending up on Eastbourne, East Sussex from 1996. Keysell and Tony Hart
were reunited over lunch shortly before Hart's death, not having seen each other since the Vision On
series had finished.
After touring her own Compass Storytelling shows for many years, Pat studied storytelling as a healing art at Emerson College
and Mindfields College, subsequently developing her work in Day Centres, Crowborough Hospital, working with the elderly, adults and children with a learning disability, the Sussex association for the blind, Shinewater Court (people with severe physical disabilities) and in the hearing impaired unit in Willingdon School.
Until May 2006 Keysell was Artistic Director of Compass Community Arts, a registered charitable arts organisation working with all branches of the community based in her hometown of Eastbourne
. She was featured on the BBC community programme See Hear
on 1 April 2009, where she talked about her career in television and education. She retired and went to live in Italy
, where she died aged 83, survived by her son Michael.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Vision On
Vision On
Vision On was a British children's television programme, shown on BBC1 from 1964 to 1976 and designed specifically for deaf children. It was conceived and developed by BBC producers Ursula Eason and Patrick Dowling to replace a monthly series For the Deaf, a programme paced slowly enough for...
which ran from 1964 to 1976. She was also a mime artist and administrator.
Early life
Keysell was born in TootingTooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and raised in Petts Wood
Petts Wood
-History:The name appeared first in 1577 as "the wood of the Pett family", who were shipbuilders and leased the wood as a source of timbers. William Willett, a campaigner for daylight saving time, lived in nearby Chislehurst for most of his life, and is commemorated by a memorial sundial in the...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. She was educated in Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and trained in mime at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
. She later emigrated, returning to England in 1958 with her son, having divorced her husband.
Career
She worked as a personal assistant to Ursula Eason (1910–93) who was the Assistant Head of BBC Children's Television from 1955 to 1970. She made her debut with For Deaf Children in the late 1950s by introducing mime to the format, acted out by deaf actors. By the time of Vision On she was a production assistant with the BBC's Drama Department and went freelance in order to present the new programme. Keysell was involved in Vision On at a very early stage when the series started in 1964 being the presenter and assistant to Tony HartTony Hart
Norman Antony "Tony" Hart was an English artist and children's television presenter. He was famous for television shows such as Vision On, Playbox, Take Hart and Hartbeat.-Early life:...
. Many of her ideas were included in the very early shows which were initially broadcast on a monthly basis, but eventually weekly. It was Keysell who delivered the catch phrase "I'm sorry we can't return any of your pictures but we give a small prize for those that we do show" after the programme's 'Gallery' feature.
Her main contribution to early BBC television was that she helped to bridge the gap between hearing and non-hearing viewers. She did this by addressing the television camera and using sign language as she spoke.
She was a mime teacher for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) and in 1968 was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study with the National Theatre of the Deaf
National Theatre of the Deaf
The National Theatre of the Deaf is a touring theatre company in the United States. It was founded in 1967. Productions combine the use of American Sign Language with the spoken word. The theatre has won several awards, including the Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence...
in the USA. On her return she set up a company also named the National Theatre of the Deaf
National Theatre of the Deaf
The National Theatre of the Deaf is a touring theatre company in the United States. It was founded in 1967. Productions combine the use of American Sign Language with the spoken word. The theatre has won several awards, including the Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence...
. The American company threatened to sue and the name was promptly changed to British Theatre of the Deaf which became a professional touring company in 1974 and was the forerunner of later projects developed by other deaf people particularly Terry Ruane
Terry Ruane
Terry Ruane is an English actor and director who became profoundly deaf as a result of meningitis at the age of five...
who was General Manager. It is arguable that other opportunities for deaf actors like the course at Reading University developed from Keysell's earlier work.
After Vision On ended in 1976, she wrote and produced two series of the storytelling programme Under the Same Sun (1978–79) for Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
. The title originated from a Theatre show she had recently done with the British Theatre of the Deaf, Under the Sun, and followed the same format, even the same stories.
In 1992 Keysell wrote a mime workshop book called Mime Over Matter. She then worked at the Brewery Arts Centre in Cumbria and on other projects before ending up on Eastbourne, East Sussex from 1996. Keysell and Tony Hart
Tony Hart
Norman Antony "Tony" Hart was an English artist and children's television presenter. He was famous for television shows such as Vision On, Playbox, Take Hart and Hartbeat.-Early life:...
were reunited over lunch shortly before Hart's death, not having seen each other since the Vision On
Vision On
Vision On was a British children's television programme, shown on BBC1 from 1964 to 1976 and designed specifically for deaf children. It was conceived and developed by BBC producers Ursula Eason and Patrick Dowling to replace a monthly series For the Deaf, a programme paced slowly enough for...
series had finished.
After touring her own Compass Storytelling shows for many years, Pat studied storytelling as a healing art at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
and Mindfields College, subsequently developing her work in Day Centres, Crowborough Hospital, working with the elderly, adults and children with a learning disability, the Sussex association for the blind, Shinewater Court (people with severe physical disabilities) and in the hearing impaired unit in Willingdon School.
Until May 2006 Keysell was Artistic Director of Compass Community Arts, a registered charitable arts organisation working with all branches of the community based in her hometown of Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. She was featured on the BBC community programme See Hear
See Hear
See Hear is a weekly magazine programme for deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, broadcast on Wednesday afternoons at 1pm. The programme focuses on the British and the worldwide deaf community and covers a broad range of topics from areas such as education, deaf people's rights, technology...
on 1 April 2009, where she talked about her career in television and education. She retired and went to live in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where she died aged 83, survived by her son Michael.