Gesture Literacy Knowledge Studio (GLKS)

The Gesture Literacy Knowledge Studio strives to generate new knowledge, new experiences, and new paradigms related to gestures. The overarching question for us is how we may make the use of gestures in human communication more commonplace in our society. We wish to call attention to the universal human predisposition to gesture. It is found in all cultures, and there is evidence of gesture that dates back to antiquity. Yet, gesture as a critical, powerful component of the human capacity for communication has not been fully appreciated. The uniqueness of this knowledge studio is that the studies of gestural communication is being done from the perspective of signers. Examining the particular domain where gestures end and sign languages begin.

The studio is composed of four strands: research, education, development, and creativity. The goal of each strand is to find building blocks of gestures, to change public perception of the value and usefulness of gestures; and to create learning opportunities thereby making gestural communication more efficacious.