Alex Bulmer and Sarah Garton Stanley call for a rigorous and provocative discussion about the state of inclusion in our theatre community. A conversation for theatre makers, audiences, leaders, funders, all those in the performance world, and those who are being left out. Progress: it’s about accessing the arts and about the arts being accessible. The Theatre Centre is fully accessible for wheelchair users. The event will also include ASL interpretation, a palantypist, a sighted guide, audio description, and a support worker, and will be live-streamed via
SpiderWebShow.ca in partnership with “HowlRound: A commons by and for people who make performance”
‘Inclusive practice is inherently creative. It affects how we make work, how we communicate , and how we wish to engage an audience. It holds great artistic potential.’ - Alex Bulmer, Co-Curator
‘One of my favourite quotes and a really great working ideal comes from Nina Simon and her work on www.participatorymuseum.org. She says: Harness the mess in support of the excitement. It’s just one of the things I hope to do at The Republic of Inclusion.’ - Jan Derbyshire, Experience Designer
Keynote Speaker – Jess Thom (Performer and Touretteshero Co-Founder)
Writer, artist and part time superhero, Jess Thom has Tourettes Syndrome and co-founded
Touretteshero in 2010, as a creative response to her experience of living with the condition. Jess debuted in Edinburgh with
Backstage In Biscuit Land. Having Tourettes makes her neurologically incapable of staying on script, and that’s where the fun begins and the secret of her distinct performance style emerges.
Jess has written for the mainstream and disability press including
The Guardian,
The Observer and
Disability Now. In 2012 she published her first book
Welcome to Biscuit Land – A Year In the Life of Touretteshero, with a foreword by Stephen Fry.
In the guise of her superhero alter ego Jess has performed at festivals such as Glastonbury and Shambala. As a visual and participatory artist, Jess has worked as an artist educator and workshop facilitator for
Tate,
South London Gallery and the Chisenhale Gallery. Jess works collaboratively with communities to create accessible works that explore and communicate wide-ranging experiences.
“I used to think that changing attitudes was a long drawn-out process. Touretteshero’s taught me that it can often be very quick and it often starts with a single conversation. The Republic of Inclusion represents a unique opportunity to discuss disability, creativity and the power of art to create social change.” – Jess Thom
This Conversation Event is presented through
The Collaborations, an English Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre initiative.
CURATOR
Alex Bulmer and Sarah Garton Stanley
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jess Thom
EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
Jan Derbyshire
REFLECTIVE THINKEREliza Chandler
LANGUAGE
English and ASL
VENUE
Theatre Centre 1115 Queen Street West
SCHEDULE
Sunday February 15, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
1:00pm: Doors Open
1:15pm: Keynote – Jess Thom
2:00pm: Break
2:15pm: Action- Redesigning The Space We Are In -
Jan Derbyshire
3:00pm: Break
3:30pm: Conversation – 3 points of access 1 Long Table
5:00pm: Event Concludes
TICKETS
Free
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