Jenna Reid presenting 'The Aesthetics of Mad Art". DisArt Symposium, Grand Rapids, Michigan (2017)
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DDMAAC > THE ARt
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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.
COUNTER-CULTURAL AFFINITY |
PRACTICE-Centric KNOWLEDGE |
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Cultural Inclusion
Out of Dis/Engaged, DDMAAC's 2018 solidarity-building retreat, came a clear indication that current framings of "Deaf, Disability & Mad Arts" privilege the colonial settlers among us. The definitions the dis arts domain has taken up are exclusive of our diverse peers, because they prioritize neoliberal identity politics over the social determinants of health. Also because the dis arts domain prioritized "models of disability" over "models of health equity". Especially because "access" is merely a condition for dis arts, not the goal. So we've taken up this more fully inclusive acronym: DDMSTCA: • D: Deaf/ deaf/ hard of hearing... • D: Disabled, person with a disability... • M: Mad/ mentally ill, psychiatric care survivor.... • S: Sick/ Spoonie/ Survivor... • T: Trauma-Impacted (social/ relational/ inherited/ intergenerational/ environmental/ transnational interpersonal)... • C: Colonized... • A: Arts/ Artistic practice/ Aesthetic non-normativity Counter-Cultural Representation The purpose of dis art is to give YOU (inclusive, non-disabled allies) access to OUR worlds, not vice versa. Which is why you won't see DDMAAC championing things like access, relaxed performances and accessible design. Because they still assume we all want to be part of the hegemonic world order. But why try to fit in when you were born to stand out? Because our members include some of the most experienced disabled artists in the world, DDMAAC is instead uniquely focused on educating our inclusive peers on the artistic production barriers our members face; like, for example, the utter lack of knowledge around "non-normative aesthetics"; various disability arts practices and their artistic visions. NB To those of you using the above framings in your own grant applications and project descriptions: Please give Michele Decottignies credit for her earned knowledge when you do so. The exclusion has been noted. Over and over and over again. Please stop it. |
Here are some links to artist-generated dis arts (vs dis studies) knowledge, from various DDMAAC contributors:
2023: Step Right Up A practice-focused disability theatre symposium, for non-disabled producers who are inclusive of disabled artists. 2020: Beyond Access Expanding the Discourse Around DDMSTC* Arts barriers by Michele Decottignies, for Pacific Opera Victoria 2019: A Practice-Centric Framework of Canada's Deaf/ Disability/ Mad Arts domain. by Michele Decottignies, from knowledges shared at Dis/Engaged, DDMAAC's Solidarity-Building Retreat 2018: Asking Questions About Mental Health in the Arts by Jenna Reid, for Canadian Art 2018: A Canadian Arts Equity Framework by Michele Decottignies, for Stage Left Productions 2017: CINARS Presentation on DDMSTCA Aesthetics by Michele Decottignies, for CAPACOA @ CINARS 2017: Keynote Address by Michele Decottignies, for URegina Accessibility & Inclusivity in the Arts Mini-Symposium. 2016: Disability Inequity in the Disability Arts Domain by Michele Decottignies, for Canadian Theatre Review 2016: Barak ade Soleil comments on DDMSTCA in Canada NOTE: No ASL, FSL or other translations on linked-to video 2016: CAPACOA Presentation on DDMSTCA Practices by Michele Decottignies, for The Culture of Community Summit 2015: Presentation to ASO Sector by Michele Decottignies, for annual NAS0 mtg with CCA 2014: Canada Council for the Arts Presentation by Michele Decottignies, for CCA's Lunch & Learn PD Series 2012: Cancer Comedy by Meg Torwl, commissioned by Stage Left for Canadian Women's Studies 2006: Disability Theatre & Power by Alan Shain, Master of Social Work Thesis 2000: Research that Hurts or Helps? by Rachel Gorman, Master of Arts Thesis |
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, and work daily to maintain good relations and uphold 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 DDMAAC is Canada's only national arts support organization specifically attending to the collective interests of professional, diverse 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, and work daily to maintain good relations and uphold 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 DDMAAC is Canada's only national arts support organization specifically attending to the collective interests of professional, diverse artists who live with some form of impairment!).
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