#SignProfConf2026
#SignProfConf2026 Schedule
EST 4am
GMT 9am
CET 10am
AWST/SST 5pm
All timings are based on GMT London/Dublin Time
Day 1 : Saturday 13th June 2026
9.00–9.25
Conference Opening
Hosted by Stephen Ellis-Menton and Kimberley Wright
Stephen Ellis-Menton and Kimberley Wright will open the conference by welcoming attendees and setting the tone for the two days ahead. Alongside a clear walkthrough of the platform and how to make the most of the conference space, they will introduce the programme and highlight what’s coming up across the weekend.
This opening session will also include the announcement of the student competition winners who have been awarded free entry to the conference. It’s designed to help everyone arrive, settle in, and feel ready to take part, whether attending for the first time or returning to The Together Conference.
9.27–10.27
Keynote Session
From Subpersonalities to Sign Production: The Inner Landscape of Interpreting
Kate Shearer
Interpreting is cognitively, emotionally, and relationally demanding work, requiring constant self-regulation, boundary awareness, and attunement to others. This keynote will explore the inner world of interpreters through the lens of psychosynthesis, a psychological framework focused on self-awareness, integration, and conscious choice.
Kate will introduce the concept of subpersonalities: internal roles such as the helper, advocate, purist, or teacher, which often develop as coping strategies and can quietly shape professional behaviour. The session will examine how these internal parts influence how interpreters accept bookings, prepare for work, manage boundaries, and respond under pressure.
Participants will be introduced to practical tools from psychosynthesis, including grounding, disidentification, and part-mapping techniques. These approaches support interpreters to move away from automatic, reactive patterns and towards a more grounded, self-led presence that supports clarity, sustainability, and wellbeing in practice.
10.29–10.59
Snapshot Session
The Interpreter’s Nook: A Site for Reflection, Discussion, and Development
Magnhild Roed Michalsen and Hilde Henrud
This session will introduce Tolkehjørnet (“The Interpreter’s Nook”), a Norwegian interpreter-led initiative created to support shared reflection, discussion, and professional development. What began as a small, self-run reflection group has grown into a wider platform including a podcast, online publication, professional resources, and community events.
Magnhild and Hilde will share how the project developed, what motivated it, and how it has evolved in response to the needs of the interpreting community. They will reflect on the value of creating spaces where interpreters can openly discuss dilemmas, challenges, and practice-based learning beyond their immediate workplaces.
The session will explore both the opportunities and the challenges of sustaining volunteer-led initiatives and aims to offer practical inspiration for interpreters interested in building reflective, knowledge-sharing communities within smaller or dispersed professional contexts.
11.00–11.03
Day 1 Conference Competition Announcement
The Day 1 conference competition will be introduced during this session, with details shared on how to take part using the platform. This is a chance to get involved, engage with the conference in a different way, and be in with the opportunity to win. Full instructions will be explained live.
11.03–11.13
Break
Take a moment to recharge! Grab a coffee, connect with fellow attendees in The Hub, or explore our sponsor listings to discover exciting resources and services. Use this time to reflect on the sessions so far and prepare for the next round of thought-provoking discussions.
11.15–12.00
Passing on Perceptions of the Impact of Domestic Violence on Communication in Deaf–Hearing Families and Implications for Sign Language Interpreters
Professor Jemina Napier
Deaf women experience domestic violence at significantly higher rates than hearing women, while also facing barriers to accessing information and support in sign language. This session will present findings from participatory research with deaf mothers and professionals working in domestic abuse contexts, including police and specialist advisors.
Jemina will explore how domestic violence affects communication within deaf–hearing families and what this means for sign language interpreters working in these settings. The session will address ethical complexity, safeguarding responsibilities, emotional labour, and the need for trauma-informed approaches to interpreting practice.
Participants will gain insight into research-informed recommendations co-created with stakeholders, with a focus on practical implications for interpreting provision, professional decision-making, and collaborative working to support safety and access for deaf survivors and their families.
12.02–12.47
What Signapse Have Learnt About Sign Language Through Our AI Research
Dr Ben Saunders
Sign languages are rich, three-dimensional languages that rely on space, movement, facial expression, and simultaneity. This session will explore what happens when researchers attempt to generate sign language using AI and machine translation, and what these efforts reveal about the nature of signed languages.
Ben will share insights from Signapse’s work, including where AI tools show promise and where they fall short, particularly around nuance, idiom, spatial grammar, and role shift. The session will present AI as one tool within a wider accessibility landscape, rather than a replacement for human interpreters and translators.
Attendees will leave with a clearer, critical understanding of how AI-generated sign language currently works, where caution is needed, and why Deaf community involvement remains essential in research, development, and ethical decision-making around technology and access.
12.48–13.28
Lunch
Enjoy your lunch break! Explore networking opportunities with colleagues in The Hub, check out sponsor offerings, or simply relax and refresh. Don’t forget to share your insights so far using #SignProfConf2026 on social media!
13.30–14.15
From Skill to Self: Picking Up Confidence and Passing It On in Interpreting Practice
Nene Ekufu
Many professional challenges in interpreting and translation are not rooted in technical skill, but in confidence, identity, and internal pressure. This session will explore the inner dimension of practice and how self-trust and emotional resilience shape performance, wellbeing, and sustainability across career stages.
Drawing on lived experience as an interpreter, trainer, and coach, Nene will examine how self-doubt, imposter feelings, and burnout show up in everyday professional contexts, including assignments, assessments, supervision, and career progression.
The session will introduce reflective frameworks and practical tools that support grounded confidence and help practitioners consciously pass on healthier ways of working through mentoring, supervision, and peer support.
14.17–14.47
Starting with Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and How This Fits Within Our Profession
Layne James Whittaker
This session will return to core questions about what equality, diversity, and inclusion mean for the interpreting profession and who equality diversity and inclusion (EDI) is for. It will emphasise that EDI affects everyone across their careers, identities, and life stages, rather than being limited to specific groups.
Layne will present findings from qualitative research exploring interpreters’ experiences of EDI training, including what has been effective, where barriers exist, and how regulatory bodies, associations, and training providers might better embed EDI within professional learning.
The session will invite reflection on shared responsibility and practical action, considering how EDI can be meaningfully integrated into training, co-working, professional culture, and ongoing development.
14.48–14.58
Break
Stretch, hydrate, and take some time to process today’s amazing sessions. This is also a great opportunity to connect with other attendees or visit the interactive features of The Hub. Ready for more inspiration? We’ll be back shortly!
15.00–15.45
Interpreters as Meaning-Makers: Community Interpreting Through the Lens of Translanguaging
Dr Russell Aldersson
This session will explore interpreting as an act of meaning-making that can move beyond language alone. Using the concept of translanguaging, Russell will examine how interpreters draw on a wider semiotic repertoire, including objects, images, gesture, space, and interaction, to support understanding.
Drawing on research, teaching, and interpreting experience, the session will challenge the narrow view that interpreters are conduits and instead highlight practical strategies for working flexibly and creatively in real-world settings, particularly in healthcare and community contexts.
Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their own practice, share examples, and consider how adopting a translanguaging stance can support clarity, professionalism, and confidence in complex communicative situations.
15.45–16.00
Day 1 Close and Competition Winner Announcement
Hosted by Stephen Ellis-Menton
Stephen Ellis-Menton will close Day 1 by reflecting on key ideas and themes that have emerged across the sessions. This is a moment to pause, take stock, and draw connections between the conversations that have shaped the day.
The session will also include the announcement of the Day 1 competition winner and a brief look ahead to what’s in store on Day 2, making it a natural and worthwhile point to round off the day together.
19.00
Poster Gallery Opens
At 7pm, the conference poster gallery will go live, opening up a new way to engage with the programme beyond the live sessions. Attendees will be able to explore a range of poster submissions covering diverse domains, ideas, and areas of practice across interpreting and translation.
The poster gallery is designed for browsing at your own pace, offering space to pause, reflect, and return to topics that catch your interest. It keeps the conference conversation moving into the evening and provides another opportunity to connect with current thinking, emerging work, and shared learning across the profession.
Day 2 : Sunday 14th June 2026
9.00–9.15
Conference Opening
Hosted by Stephen Ellis-Menton and Kimberley Wright
Stephen Ellis-Menton and Kimberley Wright will open Day 2 by welcoming attendees back and outlining what’s in store for the final day of the conference. They will highlight key themes emerging from Day 1 and set the scene for the sessions ahead.
This short opening is designed to help everyone re-orient, reconnect, and step into the day with a clear sense of what’s coming and how the sessions fit together.
9.17–10.17
Keynote Session
What Did They Say? When It’s OK Not to Know: Managing Communication with Deaf People with Dementia and Their Families
Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman
BSL/English interpreters are often central to the diagnostic process and ongoing support of Deaf people living with dementia, yet this work can be complex, emotionally demanding, and poorly understood. This keynote will explore dementia from the perspective of Deaf BSL users and consider what this means for interpreters working alongside them and their families.
Drawing on over a decade of research with Deaf people living with dementia and their carers, Emma will highlight how cognitive changes can affect communication, connection, and interaction within shared spaces.
The session will explore moments of uncertainty, misunderstanding, and emotional load, and will consider why it is sometimes appropriate and ethical for interpreters to acknowledge not knowing.
Participants will be introduced to practical strategies for engagement, sustaining communication, and looking after themselves when working in this domain. The session aims to build confidence, awareness, and self-care skills for interpreters navigating assignments involving dementia.
10.19–10.49
Snapshot Session
Bridging Voices, Building Futures: Lessons from Rwanda’s Interpreting Community
Joseph Musabyimana
This session will share lessons from the development of the sign language interpreting profession in Rwanda, with a focus on mentorship, peer support, and collective responsibility. Drawing on lived experience and professional leadership, Joseph will explore how knowledge and values are passed on within under-resourced contexts.
The session will highlight how interpreters, Deaf communities, and disability organisations in Rwanda have worked together to build resilient professional networks, particularly in sign language and tactile sign language interpreting. Case examples will illustrate how mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration can support both professional growth and community inclusion.
Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how cultural context shapes professional development and how similar approaches might be adapted or applied within their own interpreting communities.
10.50–10.53
Day 2 Competition Announcement
Get ready! Today’s competition will be unveiled in this session. Join us to discover the challenge, how to enter, and what’s up for grabs for the winner. Be part of the fun and engage with the conference community, don’t miss out!
10.53–11.03
Break
Take a Moment to Recharge!
Enjoy a quick break to grab a coffee, stretch your legs, or connect with colleagues in The Hub. Use this time to reflect on the morning's sessions and prepare for what’s coming next. Don’t forget to check out our conference partners' listings for resources and opportunities!
11.05–11.50
Embodying the Work: Intersectionality, Lived Experience, and Intention in Performance Interpreting
Adam Price and Jacqui Beckford
Performance interpreting sits at the intersection of language, embodiment, identity, and ethics. This session will explore performance interpreting as an intentional, creative, and ethically situated practice that requires more than technical skill alone.
Drawing on extensive experience in theatre, performance, and interpreter education, Adam and Jacqui will examine how lived experience, positionality, and embodiment shape interpreting choices on stage. Topics will include total embodiment, character development, ensemble awareness, and aligning interpretation with creative intent while maintaining access and clarity.
The session will also address intersectionality and responsibility, encouraging participants to reflect on how identity, culture, and personal history influence role selection, preparation, and ethical decision-making in performance contexts. Practical insights will be shared around preparation, collaboration, psychological safety, and sustainability in the performing arts.
11.52–12.37
Social Value in Action: What International Models Teach Us About Building Fair, Community-Led Interpreting Systems
Jen Bird
Interpreting systems often struggle when access is treated as a transaction rather than a relationship. This session will share findings from international research exploring why some interpreting systems consistently deliver better outcomes for Deaf communities and interpreters alike.
Drawing on a Churchill Fellowship, Jen will examine models where Deaf people are central to decision-making, interpreters are supported as professionals, and social value is embedded throughout commissioning and service delivery. The session will contrast these approaches with systems driven by cost-based procurement and fragmented workflows.
Participants will gain insight into practical frameworks that support trust, transparency, and collaboration, and will be invited to consider how social value principles can strengthen local interpreting ecosystems and professional sustainability.
12.38–13.18
Lunch
Enjoy your lunch break! Explore networking opportunities with colleagues in The Hub, check out parner offerings, or simply relax and refresh. Don’t forget to share your insights so far using #SignProfConf2026 on social media!
13.20–14.05
Passing It On as We’re Hitting Our Stride: New Research Challenging the Oft-Cited “20-Minute Rule”
Dr Robyn Dean
The “20-minute rule” is widely accepted in interpreting practice, yet the empirical evidence behind it is limited. This session will present new research that challenges assumptions about cognitive fatigue and performance decline after twenty minutes of continuous interpreting.
Robyn will share findings from a controlled study involving professional interpreters, examining attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility before and after sustained interpreting tasks. Unexpected results suggest that task difficulty and moderate stress may, in some contexts, support rather than hinder performance.
The session will invite participants to reconsider rigid applications of the 20-minute rule and explore more context-responsive approaches to co-working, workload sharing, and professional judgement.
14.07–14.37
Snapshot Session
Three Interpreters Walk into the Fringe: Collaboration, Comedy, and CPD
Catherine King, Donna Jewell, and Katy Smillie-Wilcox
This session will reflect on a collaborative CPD experience that emerged from interpreting stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Three interpreters, each at a different career stage, came together to share preparation, reflection, and problem-solving in a non-hierarchical learning space.
The presenters will explore how collaboration, trust, and open dialogue supported skill development, confidence, and professional connection. The session will challenge the idea that CPD must always be formal or one-directional and will highlight how shared learning can be both affirming and practically effective.
Attendees will gain insight into collaborative approaches to CPD and practical considerations for preparing and interpreting live comedy performances.
14.38–14.48
Break
Stretch, Reset, and Reflect!
Take some time to process the incredible sessions you’ve attended so far. This is a great chance to connect with others in The Hub, explore partner offerings, or simply relax before diving into the last session of the day’s programme.
14.50–15.35
Let’s Get AMPED and Revamp Growth for Novice Interpreters
Jeanette Nicholson, Liz McClounie, and James Etheridge
The transition from training to professional practice can be one of the most challenging stages in an interpreter’s career. This panel will introduce a six-month, competency-based mentorship programme developed in Canada to support novice interpreters through structured learning, guided practice, and community engagement.
The presenters will outline the programme’s design, including modular learning, mentor-led sessions, and a practicum focused on ethical decision-making and professional confidence. Reflections from participants will offer insight into the impact of mentorship on resilience, identity, and skill development.
The session will share practical ideas for bridging the gap between theory and practice and will invite discussion about how similar models might support early-career interpreters in other contexts.
15.35–16.00
Conference Closing and Final Announcements
Hosted by Stephen Ellis-Menton
Stephen Ellis-Menton will close the conference by reflecting on themes, conversations, and shared learning across the two days. This final session will also include the announcement of the Day 2 competition winner.
The conference will conclude with a look ahead to the 2027 event, bringing the weekend to a thoughtful and connected close.