The Deaf, Disability & Mad Arts Alliance of Canada
unique ART. 
 distinct CULTURES.
 non-normative AESTHETICS.
  • WELCOME
    • about DDMAAC
    • updates
  • THE TEAM
    • disability justice network
  • THE ART
  • IN MEMORIAM
  • (FULL SITE IN PROGRESS)
Rachel Gorman in PASS (2009)
Jenna Reid presenting 'The Aesthetics of Mad Art". DisArt Symposium, Grand Rapids, Michigan (2017)

DDMSTC Arts > THE ARt
THE DEAF, DISABILITY & MAD ARTS ALLIANCE OF CANADA
​A STAGE LEFT NETWORK, OF ARTISTS EXPERIENCING DISABLEMENT

Co-creating collective counter-culturalism:
From individual experiences of disablement.

​I can’t help but feel discouraged and underwhelmed when this growing momentum of recognition [of Deaf/ Disability/ Mad dis arts] is severed from 45 years of artistic production​ connected to the disability arts and culture movement(s).

 Jenna Reid
Artist, Activist, Educator

VISION: DDMAAC cultivates conduits of cultural affinity, artistic autonomy and disability justice in Canada's Deaf/ Disability/ Mad Arts domain, 
​
and promotes the collective interests of artists whose lived experience of disablement advances artistic and aesthetic non-normativity.

INCLUSIVE Framing of THE DOMAIN

PRACTICE-Centric RESOURCES

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; because current framings are too exclusive of our diverse peers, colleagues and collaborators. 

​As a result, as one small action in the interests of disability justice, DDMAAC is integrating a more inclusive abbreviation than "dis arts" or "Deaf/Dis/Mad Arts" into our disability justice practice and programming, via this 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

Because "access" is merely the condition for dis arts, not the goal, and the point of DDMSTC cultures is to give YOU access to OUR worlds, not vice versa.

​Which is also why you won't see DDMAAC championing things like relaxed performances (so many of our colleagues now have it covered, thanks); we will instead invite you into, for example, our disability justice-based "non-normative aesthetics" labs and our Practice-Centric Disability Theatre Symposium (both coming in the Fall of 2022).
​
These documents represent some artist-generated DDMSTC Arts knowledge, from the DDMAAC team:

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



*DDMSTC Arts:  D/deaf/ hard of hearing; Disabled/ person with a disability; Sick/ spoonie/ survivor; Traumatized; Colonized....

    SIGN-UP RECEIVE DDMAAC's e-CoMMUNICATIONS

    We don't (yet) send them out regularly, or even frequently.
submit

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!). 

Picture

DDMAAC: An initiative of Stage Left Productions
Making the invisible VISIBLE
c/o Box 8007 CANMORE MAIN
Canmore, Alberta   T1W 2T8
403.829.2307 | Email | Website
unique ART. 
 distinct CULTURES.
 non-normative AESTHETICS.
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.