Onions and Bridges: Understanding Layers, Difference and Connection in Interpreting Practice

Every person brings layers shaped by background, culture, identity and lived experience. Some of these layers are easy to see. Others remain unseen but still influence how we work and how we relate to the people around us. In interpreting, these layers affect our decisions, our interactions and the environments we help create.

This session, led by Azaria Francis, invites interpreters to explore those layers with care and curiosity, and to consider how we can move away from othering and towards a stronger sense of belonging within the profession. We look at the realities of working across difference, the role our own experiences play, and how connection grows when we acknowledge what people bring rather than assume what we think we know.

Through structured discussion and shared examples, attendees will examine situations from practice, reflect on the impact of unseen experiences and consider strategies that support fairness, respect and agency. The session offers a supportive, non-judgemental space to talk openly about dilemmas and to think about what it means to build bridges rather than barriers.

If you want a space to think about identity, inclusion and connection in a way that is practical and grounded, this session offers a thoughtful and accessible way into the conversation.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognise that we all have layers shaped by experience, identity and context.

2. Understand that not everything is visible on the surface, and why this matters in practice.

3. Learn how to build bridges across differences to support connection, belonging and effective teamwork.

4. 
   

Trainer: Azaria Francis

2 x Structured CPD points

Language of Instruction: English Only

Are cameras on or off? On

Active/Passive Participation? Active

Recorded? No