Picasso PRO, a long-term project, was formed to facilitate genuine opportunity for artists with disabilities and Deaf artists in the performing and media arts. It springs from the passionate conviction that Deaf and disabled artists belong on Canada's stages and screens and among our audiences, professional staffs, teachers and cultural leaders. Since 1993, Picasso PRO, originally called DIS THIS!, has enjoyed five programming cycles under the management of Rose Jacobson. Picasso PRO offers an evolving program of skills development, artist support, networking, creation, collaboration and services for the up and coming professional. All activities are grounded in a strong commitment to the artists' creative, professional and human rights. Our current program is in collaboration with Creative Trust, made possible through a province-wide grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Our Sun Life Performing Arts Access Program [PAAP] has provided innovative access to four different productions since inception in 2010. Many educational offshoots and expressions of interest have further enlivened the program. Audio Describers Elizabeth Saunders and Kat Leonard described Ken Gass’s ‘Bethune Imagined’ at Toronto’s Factory Theatre, November, 2010 followed by ‘More Fine Girls’ a co-production of Tarragon Theatre and Theatre Columbus in March, 2011 at Tarragon, described by Aaron Talbot and Rebecca Singh. Each performance was preceded by a dry run, audited rehearsals and many preparations. Our headsets were booked to the maximum of 20 for each audio described show and patrons offered generous post-show feedback.
On the ASL front, we offered two integrated ASL interpreted performances of Anusree Roy’s ‘Brothel’ at Factory Theatre in March 2011 and two performances of ‘Montparnasse’, a Groundwater Theatre production in association with TPM. ‘Brothel” featured three onstage interpreters Mary Zaiser; Scott Garant and Cindy Muskat. Our Project Advisor and ace Interpreter Joanna Bennett interpreted solo for ‘Montparnasse’.
Factory Theatre reported that between their two events they reached approximately 100 new patrons in addition to friends, colleagues and other arts workers and patrons who were curious about these new access-oriented performances. “It was thrilling to see our lobby filled with patrons excited by the plays they just witnessed - many of whom were experiencing the totality of a professional theatrical production for the first time.” - Associate Producer Andre du Toit
Also, based on the names of those who identified themselves as hearing impaired plus those who purchased with the ASL code but not give their name at the box office TPM was also able to identify 30 patrons for the two performances of Montparnasse and quite a buzz in the house! We also garnered an excellent feature about Montparnasse and our access program on the popular Torontoist blog site:
Our patrons have made it is clear that they want and expect access to live performance events. We are exploring our options for two final productions to include in the pilot project and then possibilities for sustaining the currently sponsored program at its conclusion this winter.
http://torontoist.com/2011/03/all_access_pass_to_montparnasse.php
In June, Picasso PRO joined forces with Theatre Local’s Rebecca Singh and Luminato’s Visual Arts wing to produce a first-ever recorded audio description to accompany Philip Beesley’s suspended sculpture “Sargasso” commissioned by the festival and installed at the Allen Lambert Galleria, an atrium which connects Bay Street with Heritage Square in downtown Toronto. A downloadable audio file of the description narrated by Rebecca was made available through Picasso PRO, the Luminato website and Wanda Fitzgerald’s blog Access Fitz, enabling blind and low-vision patrons to upload it to MP3 players or smart phones and enjoy the description onsite for 10 days during the festival. Describer and script creator Rebecca is one of Picasso PRO’s trained describers and also a Fellow of the Luminato Festival. The Luminato website alone registered 310 downloads during this brief period and Picasso PRO had lots of responses from the widely distributed promotion and audio In addition to attendees, several blind patrons wrote to
say how much they enjoyed experiencing the description and the sculpture even from offsite locations! The project was challenging and exhilarating, paving the way for potential ongoing collaboration with Luminato. Special thanks to Robert VanderBerg, Associate Producer, Visual Arts & Public Installations for his active role in realizing and supporting the project.
SPiLL [PRO.pogation in French] is Tiphaine Girault, Yannick Gareau and Paula Bath who formed the collective in 2010 “to ignite an explosion of Deaf cultural presence within Canadian arts and culture”. Together with a second circle of talented Deaf, allied artists and mentors, SPiLL aims to put Deaf-led art squarely on the map!Including francophone, anglophone, Deaf and allies of Deaf culture and inspired by the unique ethno-cultural perspective of Deaf people and the richness of sign language, SPiLL is committed to the development of culturally Deaf-centred performance and media arts.
Picasso PRO enjoys a strong connection with SPiLL and is proud to partner in the launch and building of “Finding Alice”, an exploration of Alice in Wonderland towards creation of a “silent opera” over the next two years. A solid network of working relationships already exists among us. Paula travelled with Rose Jacobson/Picasso PRO and the SNOW Team to a weeklong residency at the Tyst Teater [Silent Theatre] in Sweden, December 2009. Paula and Tiphaine continued working with Tyst’s Artistic Director Josette Bushell-Mingo who led Picasso PRO’s workshop May 2010, Toronto and a workshop which they organized December 2010, in Ottawa. At this time Yannick became fully involved. The ensemble includes artists from Toronto and the Ottawa-Montreal corridor and may grow to include artists from Kingston, Milton, London, for Phase 11. A strong collaborative link will continue between Toronto/Picasso PRO and Ottawa region artists. Future presentation options in both city centres will be considered.
SPiLL’s first working Intensive with an ensemble of six, takes place this August 14th – 18th in Ottawa with the guidance of Toronto-based director/dramaturg Andrea Donaldson and advisory support from Josette Bushell-Mingo. Stay tuned for further developments.
Picasso PRO’s core Dance Advisor Miriam Rother,led a wildly experimental 2 day intensive, September 2010 at Theatre Direct Canada’s accessible Wychwood Barns space, exploring new ways for artists of mixed abilities and diverse languages to work together; blind, low-vision, sighted, Deaf, hearing, senior and emerging artists with and without disabilities. Sign Language Interpreters and Audio Describers were part of the mix. In February the ensemble of 12 divided into three clusters each with a choreographic lead, to independently create dance pieces based on the common themes of Wind and Rain. Under Miriam’s initial guidance the groups then continued independently over five working sessions in accessible spaces to explore and map their distinct pieces.
Each resulting work-in-progress has produced rich dance elements and completely different narratives and perspectives. On May 15th a performance of ‘Dancing Wind, Dancing Rain’ took place before an invited audience of choreographers, directors, colleagues and friends at the beautiful barrier-free EWGTC Rehearsal Studios. Vivid video documentation by William McQueen and Phil Pendry captured the works and the resulting dvd was screened on June 30th for the participating artists to review.
Our post-mortem takes us to the next stage in October 2011 when Miriam Rother will reunite with the ensemble for a creation intensive. Picasso PRO intends to nurture the process during 2011/12 towards a final series of pieces or a synthesized performance piece fully ready for public presentation.
‘Dancing Wind, Dancing Rain’ artists are: Mark Brose, Melissa Addison Webster, Luis Alcobia, Sheila Boyd, Wanda Fitzgerald, Jenelle Rouse, Mayahuel Tecozautla, Heryka Miranda, Peter Owus-Ansah, Ali Saeedi and Durelle Harford McAllister.
On June 23, 2011, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) partnered on a day-long gathering with Ontario’s Deaf artists and artists with disabilities. The AGO-hosted event created an opportunity for learning and exchanges on the issues of disability and Deaf arts in Ontario was a public commitment to disability and Deaf arts by the partnering institutions.
The program included a panel discussion, adapted tours of AGO exhibitions and a festive reception. Moderated by Alan Shain (multidisciplinary performing artist – Ottawa, panelists included Chantal Deguire (media artist – Ottawa); Luis Orbegoso (percussionist – Toronto); Jes Sachse (photographer – Peterborough), Janna Gorham (poet – Toronto); and Helen Henderson (freelance journalist – Toronto. Performers at the networking reception were King Achilla Orru Appa-Idomo (musician); Kazumi Tsuruoka (singer/performer) with Tania Gill and Keys to the Studio musicians. Front and Centre: Disability and Deaf Arts in Ontario was organized through OAC’s Outreach and Development office, led by Bushra Junaid, with support from Gillian McIntyre, the AGO’s Adult Program Coordinator, Elizabeth Sweeney, CCA’s Disability Arts Officer, and other staff from the three partnering organizations.
Full Spectrum was a series of panels designed to enhance opportunities for professional development for artists across the spectrum of disability and Deaf communities. The series launch on May 9th featured a panel including Picasso PRO Artistic Principal Rose Jacobson in a lively discussion of the issues facing artists with disabilities. It was followed by four more events throughout May and June focused on Grantsmanship, Marketing and Outreach, Representation and vocal master class with gifted singer Tim McCallum and vocal coach Kyra Millan. The events took place at Ryerson School of Disability Studies, Soulpepper Theatre and Trinity Square Video.
The Creative Spirit Festival & Conference on October 21-23, 2010 hosted by Creative Spirit Art Centre in Toronto provided an opportunity for individuals and organizations working in the field of art and disability to come together. Through the event Artistic Director Ellen Anderson and associates created a climate of collaboration, camaraderie and celebration. The three-day event feature presentations from agencies and social services from across the country, performances by disabled musicians and dancers as well as an integrated art exhibition. Rose Jacobson presented a session on Picasso PRO including the screening of digital works of Melissa Addison-Webster and Mark Brose created during Picasso PRO’s Digital Dialogues Workshop at Trinity Square Video, in June-July 2010.
This is what Haadd is all about – filling a void for families of adults on the autism spectrum. We are about quality, not quantity. We offer emotional support, information, bursaries and crisis funds, not on a large scale, but enough to make a difference. Those who have joined as their autistic family member has made the transition to adulthood have found Haadd there to offer help in understanding government funding issues, to help them learn about person-centred planning, and to provide deep listening in those difficult times.
Our founding members have contributed close to two decades of energy to Haadd. They gave and received much in those years. As we enter the year 2010, it is time for others to carry the torch: families, friends and professionals who care about the many complex issues facing adults with autism.
Please join us to discuss how we might reach families who do not know about us. Please tell someone you know who has a bit of time to give, or might just contribute by becoming a member. In truth, we need paid members and patrons as much as we need energy. To learn more about Haadd and, in particular, our Joseph Umbrico bursary and grant programme, visit our website at www.haadd.ca .
Picasso Pro gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation
