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Clare-Louise English

Director

We Care

Clare is a Deaf filmmaker who lost her hearing as a teenager. She trained as an actor and has worked in theatre, film & TV. In 2012 she trained at RADA on the MATheatre Lab and, on graduating, Co-Founded Hot Coals Productions, alongside fellow graduate Jo Sargeant. Hot Coals specialise in making inclusive work accessible to both Deaf and hearing audiences in a shared experience.

In 2020 she directed, and co-wrote, her debut short, My Darling Christopher, which tells the true story of a boy who lost his hearing at the outbreak of WW2, and combines English, BSL, Visual Vernacular and creative subtitles. The film went to festivals across the globe and won 8 awards and gained Clare nominations for directing and screenwriting.

In 2022 she directed two further short films- We Care and Indefinitely- which are the first from Hot Coals Talking Bodies collection of 7 films by Deaf and disabled writers. She was second unit Director on Ditto Films new Feature film Warhol. She also directed About Time, a live event celebrating Deaf and disabled talent in the UK which was held at BAFTA and sponsored by ITV and Disney. In 2023 she directed her 4th short, a Charity short promoting the work of DDN theatre company Vital Xposure. In 2023 Clare and Jo were named Screen Daily’s Screen starts of tomorrow UK 2023.