Artists First!

By Raymond D. Cohen

The celebration of disability, through the lens of the filmmaker and photographer, the brush of the artist, and the flight of the dancer, is developing in an unprecedented fashion internationally.

It was as recent as June 2004 that PROJECTIONS, Toronto’s first international disability film festival was launched – and what a festival it was! Thirty-three unique and thought-provoking films celebrating the talent and diversity withinthe disability community were presented in recognition of an emerging culture – a culture that, unfortunately, like the disability community itself, must struggle for equal recognition with the works of its able-bodied counterparts in the mainstream.

The challenge, frequently issued from outside of the disability community, but not infrequently from within, has been to actually define “culture.” Within ethnic communities this is less of a problem…one can look at history, tradition, ritual and language. Each of these constitutes an important element in any society’s culture. But then there is art! Art, like disability, stretches the boundaries surrounding any and all ethnic groups and geographic regions. Art, like disability, is “common ground” and finds its place within communities of interest and ethnic cultures throughout our shrinking planet.

Celebrations of disability arts and culture are popping up like so many flowers on the disability landscape.

In Canada, Toronto just enjoyed four exciting days of disability arts and culture in the form of Abilities Festival, which featured superb live performances, a video library and Connections 2, an international exhibition of visual art. More on Abilities Festival can be found at www.abilitiesfestival.org.

The Abilities Festival joins Ryerson University’s Culture Cauldron and follows closely on the heels of KickstArt, Vancouver’s disability arts and culture festival, and “Picture This,” Calgary’s disability film festival, to name just a few. These wonderful events in some of Canada’s major cities are a sign of great things to come.

There is no doubt that festivals are taking their place as an integral part of the disability arts and culture movement. They provide a forum for the examination of ideas, myths, fears and attitudes about people with disabilities – and a canvas upon which to paint the truth in life as experienced through the disability lens. Stories of disability pride, social issues, societal values and individual challenges expose viewers to important messages about the disability experience – an experience which each and every one of us will realize, either personally or through a loved one, given sufficient passage of time.

Media images are an effective and lasting means for educating and influencing public opinion. The positive result is a breakdown of stereotypes and a greater acceptance of differences.

Works produced, directed, written and/or performed by people with disabilities have been greeted with enthusiasm in many countries, including Australia, Europe, India, Israel, the United States and Canada.

In addition to its work with Abilities Festival, the Canadian Abilities Foundation is excited about its involvement in two new arts-related projects: STRETCH and CulturAll. Each of these projects promises to take disability arts to a whole new level of exposure – and cross-accessibility. To learn more, check out “Making the Arts Accessible” on page 44 of this issue.

Most particularly, if you are an artist with a disability and you are interested in participating, either as an exhibitor or mentor, please get in touch. E-mail info@abilities.ca using the subject line “Artist Alert” and we will be sure to inform you of upcoming opportunities!

The board and staff of the Canadian Abilities Foundation would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a safe and festive holiday season – and the happiest of new years!