Exploring Accessibility in the Canadian Theatre Landscape

Cover image of report with woman performing on a wheelchair

We’re so excited that the Relaxed Performance report we wrote in collaboration with British Council Canada is now out in the world!

Relaxed Performance (RP) is an accessibility practice which “invites bodies to be bodies” in theatre spaces, including in their movement and vocalizations. RP also involves technical modifications, which were introduced in RP training sessions across Canada over the past several years.

The report was written by Andrea LaMarre, Carla Rice, and Kayla Besse.

Click here for the report.

Image description: the cover image of the “Relaxed Performance: Exploring Accessibility in the Canadian Theatre Landscape” report. The background is black, and the text is white. The British Council and BIT logos are at the top. The photo is of Erin Ball, a performer with prosthetic legs, balancing on her hands on top of a wheelchair. She has tattoos on her arms, and is wearing a black body suit and looking directly at the camera.

Reframing Difference

Image of quote: I'm interested in disability justice because it's important to live in a society where you don't have to hide your disability.

Produced in support of the 2019 Hart House Hancock Lecture by Sarah Jama, Moving Toward a Disability Justice Revolution, the purpose of this podcast is to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and to emphasize actions U of T can take to make the university more inclusive. Kate Welsh, MEd, disability activist and artists, interviews students and has frank, open conversations.


This exhibition highlights the voices of U of T students living with disabilities. Produced in support of the 2019 Hart House Hancock Lecture by Sarah Jama, Moving Toward a Disability Justice Revolution, the purpose of the exhibition and podcast is to bring awareness to the lived experiences of people with disabilities, and to build compassion and understanding for members of our community.

Presented by the Hancock Student Advisory Committee. Our heartfelt gratitude to the student contributors for their generosity in sharing their stories.

Listen to Reframing Difference podcast

Image of Tangled Art Gallery

Flourishing Call for Submissions

Tangled Art + Disability is currently accepting applications from Canadian Mad, Deaf, & disability identified artists from across Canada to take part in an upcoming series titled Flourishing.

Information from Tangled:
Tangled is searching for seven (7) artists from across Canada to contribute artistic work centering the experiences of Deaf, Mad and disability-identified folk in exploring what it means to “flourish”. With this exhibition series Tangled seeks to discover and expand new understandings of flourishing and to affirm how we may live and thrive even when society may expect differently. Flourishing can and does happen in unexpected ways, despite widely held ableist beliefs that disability, frailty and suffering make it no longer possible.

We invite applications from artists at any stage in their career/practice. We encourage applications from artists in any field, including but not limited to:
-visual artists
-sculptors
-performers
-dancers
-playwrights
-poets
-filmmaker

We welcome perspectives that are intersectional and reflecting Deaf, Mad and disability cultures from diverse lived experiences including LGBTQQIIA, Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour communities. Interested artists should share with us: where they are in their career, what is their creative practice and how this collaboration might support their practice at this time.

Applications:
There is a form to apply though the Tangled website below. Within the application tell us about yourself, where you are from, and about the kind of art you make.

http://tangledarts.org/flourishing-application/

To view an ASL vlog of the Call for Submissions, click here:
https://youtu.be/SlU5ZRJyP2M

Submissions must be received by March 22, 2018. We will not accept late applications.

Only submissions from Deaf, Mad and disability-identified artists will be considered. Artists whose creative practice involves or includes a personal support worker, assistant or an essential collaborator are welcome to apply.

Image Description: A full colour photo of Tangled Art Gallery. The center of the image is the glass door entrance, the forefront of image features two wooden beams framing the photo. The gallery has grey walls and wooden floors.