Abilities Festival: A Celebration of Disability Art and Culture 2005

Abstract

The Abilities Festival: A Celebration of Disability Art and Culture made its Toronto debut 27–30 October 2005. This project of the Canadian Abilities Foundation involved four days of multidisciplinary work by artists and performers from around the world. In addition to the gala performances, art exhibitions and concerts, the event included a series of panel discussions and workshops, which covered such broad-ranging topics as storytelling for children, broadcast journalism and career advice for artists with disabilities. Artistic director and producer Sharon Wolfe explains that the interaction made possible by the festival fosters a climate of inclusivity and understanding, as the participants build “bridges that will lead to inclusion. Bridges that will reduce attitudinal barriers and negative perceptions about people with disabilities, bridges that will lead us all to an enriched appreciation for the full spectrum of creative talent that exists here and beyond” (1). These points of contact were directly enabled by the liveness of the festival. Theatre with a Difference, the gala evening held at the Glenn Gould Studio, showcased bold pieces by Chaika, a dance—mime troupe from Moscow; Max Fomitchev, a mime artist from Vancouver who was born in Russia; and American humorist David Roche. Within the live performance setting, there exist tensions, pressures and reactions that serve, in this case, to reveal buried assumptions about persons with disabilities. The festival not only promotes a thriving and creative disabled culture by example but, through its live performances, is able to draw out hidden attitudes so they can be recognized, confronted and ultimately transformed.