Hackney Picturehouse host their first Dog-Friendly screening

We've partnered with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People to bring you a special subtitled Dog-Friendly screening.

Staff Writer

27 Aug 19

Is there a better feeling than being able to share what you love with the ones you love? In celebration of the strong bond between dog and man, Hackney Picturehouse is hosting its first dog-friendly screening on Sunday 29th September.

On this occasion, we will be partnering up with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. As a result, this screening will also be featuring subtitles for hard of hearing audiences.

We have asked Maxine, who has done a great deal of work in order to bring this event to life, to tell us a little bit about how having an assistance dog affects her everyday life.

"My clever Cocker Spaniel has been trained to alert me to sounds I would otherwise miss, like the doorbell, timer, and most importantly the smoke alarm.

These days I'm aware of sounds, thanks to a Cochlear Implant and Processor, but when I'm not wearing that, Walter is on full alert, listening out for all the sounds that hearing people take for granted.

But, Walter is so much more than a sound worker.

Something I've come across many times is "isolation," especially for deaf people, where communication in a predominantly hearing world can be overwhelming and confusing, leaving the deaf or deafened person exhausted, excluded and feeling alone.

As a hearing person who has become deafened, I communicate on a hearing level, I can use my voice and it's often the case that people don't even realise I'm deaf.

Out in public, in his uniform, my loyal companion helps others realise that I'm deaf.

With a constant companion by my side, I can trust him to wake me up in case of an emergency; I've never slept so well and no longer need to rely on others to hear for me. We see the changes these dogs make in their human's lives and strive to help get as many active partnerships out there as possible."

So, next time you see a dog with a maroon coloured working jacket, take a closer look and you'll just be able to make out the wings of these four-legged earth angels. They really do save lives.

So whether you really want to bring your dog to the cinema with you, or a subtitled film is what you're looking for, join us for a special Dog-Friendly screening of Downton Abbey at Hackney Picturehouse on Sunday 29th September at 11 am.