DDMAAC promotes the collective interests of artists whose lived experience of disablement cultivates artistic autonomy, aesthetic non-normativity, cultural affinity and health equity – in and through impairment-informed artistic practices.
THOSE WE've lost: HONORING PAst ddmaac collaborators
DONALD NORMAN: 1952 - 2003
After experiencing a stroke in 2001, Donald became an active member of Calgary's disability community. He had a very active recovery and rehabilitation with the Southern Alberta Brain Injury Society, the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, as well as Foothills Medical Centre. In 2003, he participated in the annual Speak Out Disability Rights Rally with Calgary's Disability Action Hall. Shortly thereafter, he acted in two original productions with Stage Left Productions, and he also represented the disability community on the company's Board of Directors. MEG TORWL: 1967 - 2013 Meg Torwl was an artist and activist who worked in video, new media, audio, photography, writing, performance and arts advocacy. Her work has been exhibited, broadcast, published and performed in her native New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Meg's solo-performance work, That's So Gay, was commissioned by Stage Left in 2008. In 2012, she participated in Stage Left's national dis arts gathering, Beyond Access. Shortly thereafter, she collaborated with Stage Left to create DDMAAC. Her digital portfolio can be found here: Integrial Media. GEOFF MCMURCHY: 1955 - 2015
Geoff was an accomplished dancer and visual artist, and, more prominently, the founding Artistic Director of Kickstart Society for Disability Arts & Culture in Vancouver. In that role, Geoff produced Canada's first professional disability arts festival in August 2000. Stage Left had the privilege to include Geoff in our national Disability Arts & Culture Presenters' Network, present his dance work in Balancing Acts: Calgary's Annual Disability Arts Festival, and commission a contribution from him for High Art: Drugs, Disability & Dastardly Deeds, a national digital narratives project. LORETTA YOUNG: 1958 - 2015
Loretta passed away peacefully on March 5, 2015 at the age of 56 years. She was amazingly resilient with a sense of humor that sustained her through more than most people could have endured. She enriched the lives of many with her warmth, generosity and desire to help others. Loretta spent the latter part of her life enjoying and participating in both dance and art. She was inspired by many people and also inspired many people with her love and dedication to the arts: In addition to producing visual arts with Studio C, Loretta performed in several originally created productions with Stage Left and MoMo Dance Theatre. DARLENE MURPHY: 1955 - 2017
Darlene lived her passion for creativity and helping others through In-Definite Arts, where she worked for over 30 years. She brought to life her vision for a creative arts facility for those with developmental disabilities. Darlene excelled at her role which included supporting artists with disabilities and advocating for inclusion. From 2004 - 2010, Darlene joined forces with Stage Left to become the Visual Arts presenting partner for Balancing Acts: Calgary's Annual Disability Arts Festival. |
DDMAAC's use of "Dis Arts" is meant to be inclusive of artists who are DDMSTC:
D/deaf/ hard of hearing; Disabled/ person with a disability; Mad, person with a mental illness, survivor of psychiatric incarceration; Sick/ spoonie/ survivor; Traumatized by lived experiences of systemic injustice; Colonized by imperialists.... But that's way too wordy for way too many of us. So we use "dis arts".
DDMAAC's framing of "Disablement":
Disablement is a social condition that impairs vulnerable populations. Disablement stems from socially-imposed processes of hegemonic bias, exclusion, inequity and disenfranchisement that results in poorer health outcomes for entire communities. DDMAAC thus takes up Health Equity models.
D/deaf/ hard of hearing; Disabled/ person with a disability; Mad, person with a mental illness, survivor of psychiatric incarceration; Sick/ spoonie/ survivor; Traumatized by lived experiences of systemic injustice; Colonized by imperialists.... But that's way too wordy for way too many of us. So we use "dis arts".
DDMAAC's framing of "Disablement":
Disablement is a social condition that impairs vulnerable populations. Disablement stems from socially-imposed processes of hegemonic bias, exclusion, inequity and disenfranchisement that results in poorer health outcomes for entire communities. DDMAAC thus takes up Health Equity models.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
DDMAAC acknowledges the Original Peoples in Canada as the sovereign stewards of the traditional territories we now occupy. We also acknowledge our Treaty obligations, so we work daily to maintain good relations and to support the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
We apologize for not yet being able to secure the funding needed to bridge the digital divide; meaning that we can't afford to provide full and proper access to our website and literature (which is ironic, considering that we are Canada's only arts support organization specifically attending to the collective interests of professional artists who live with some form of impairment!).
DDMAAC acknowledges the Original Peoples in Canada as the sovereign stewards of the traditional territories we now occupy. We also acknowledge our Treaty obligations, so we work daily to maintain good relations and to support the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
We apologize for not yet being able to secure the funding needed to bridge the digital divide; meaning that we can't afford to provide full and proper access to our website and literature (which is ironic, considering that we are Canada's only arts support organization specifically attending to the collective interests of professional artists who live with some form of impairment!).