creative forces

Blog # 103…March 2020

It’s good to see that we’ve started to accommodate individuals who don’t fit into the rather narrow forms our systems are created to serve. In the 70’s schools were obliged to make buildings accessible to students with limited mobility - needing adaptations like larger washrooms and elevators. Other public spaces followed suit with ramped curbs and widened doorways and we now see a range of people in wheelchairs and electric scooters on the streets, in art galleries and at the movies. Ask anyone who uses a wheelchair though, and it’s not perfect, but we’re recognizing them and trying.

Physical accessibility is one thing but there are other special, more subtle situations and requirements that are beginning to be acknowledged and addressed. For the past few years, Passe Muraille, the small community theatre that I attend regularly has had some performances that they call relaxed.  I think they have them in other venues too, even Stratford and Thomson Hall.  It’s partly driven by an attempt to broaden their audience base by being more inclusive of ages, and various forms of cognitive and attention states. It’s also a reflection of a generally more inclusive atmosphere that has been led in no small part by the disabled community.

At my theatre, a relaxed performance is described beforehand because the audience is mixed - lights and sounds will be less strident, sometimes there are hearing devices available with described audio and there’s an acceptance of attention spans that may require getting up and leaving temporarily. I’ve never found the adjustments at all distracting and appreciate the theatre’s sensitivity to audiences, rather than expecting rapt attention throughout. It’s a bit like I imagine Shakespeare’s theatre, more spontaneous and fun.

Ophira Calot on stage

Literally Titanium, a recent production at Toronto’s Factory Theatre, challenges the construct of theatre that is dark, still and with closed doors, calling for a greater representation in performers as well as audiences.  The star, Ophira Calot performs from a motorized wheelchair and the audience waits patiently when she pauses for several minutes to rest mid-performance. A series of photographs by Charong Kim, We’re Not Waiting, accompanies the show with the same message...disabled people are making space for themselves, not waiting for us.

And when artists get sick or hurt, often a result of their practice, they require distinct approaches to healing. A violinist may need a physiotherapist for repetitive strain or a dancer for an ankle fractured doing a pirouette.  A speech pathologist can help a singer who’s recovering from a throat ailment, a writer suffering from depression needs help from a psychotherapist. The focus is always on the art, how to return or continue to practice and not lose their livelihood. There’s a role for occupational therapists to adapt activity to minimize strain or accommodate altered function. The Artists' Health Centre was originally housed in the Toronto Western Hospital and will move across Bathurst Street to its own space this year.

I heard a nice quote just now that fits as an add on to the last post and maybe this one too”Science is the how, art is the why” Luke Skywalker.

And, wishing you all, regardless of gender, a very happy International Women’s Day on Sunday