Cripping the Arts

Jan 24-26, 2019

On January 24-26, Harbourfront Centre hosted Cripping the Arts.  This three day conference, co-presented by the British Council of Canada, Creative Users Projects, Ryerson University’s School of Disability Studies, Tangled Art + Disability and Harbourfront Centre presented a series of seminars, presentations, panel discussions and live performances presented under the mandate to change how we create and experience arts and culture.

Several PAONE members were in attendance, promoting dialogue and exchange on best practices in working with and presenting artists from diverse communities, including specific conversations surround d/Deaf, disabled and Mad arts communities. 

Valuable takeaways included:

• Creative User Projects.  An online resource that shares information on disability arts and/or accessible curatorial practices.

• The Wheelchair Critic. An online review of accessible arts performances that challenges mainstream media coverage of disability arts

• DemART-Mtl Program.  An approach by the Montreal Arts Council to work with newcomers to Canada to encourage diverse voices and long term job stability within the Montreal Arts Scene

• Relaxed Performances Training.  An initiative by the British Council of Canada that helps create awareness around relaxed performances and works with staff members (back of house and front of house) to support presenting productions in this way.

• The Good Host Program.  An initiative from the Inside-Out Theatre in Calgary.

Overall, the three days provided lots of takeaways for Arts Administrators and Programmers.  Was great to see so many PAONE faces around the room!

For more information and/or to access online resources from the conference, check out Harbourfront Centre’s website.

Contributor: Tim Walker