FOR A NEW ACCESSIBILITY

Now, after 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other landmark legislation that was penned with the intention of preserving personal rights and freedoms for diverse groups, it is becoming clear—with daily articles about the swelling number of people who are incarcerated with mental illness or who experience violence based on the presentation of their body—that the social condition of disability is still rampant.

On November 20 – 22, 2015, in partnership with the Contemporary Art Gallery and artist Carmen Papalia, Gallery Gachet will host a convergence of artists and activists around the theme of organizing for accessibility and mutual aid. The convergence will initiate a series of actions, workshops, discussions, screenings and performances on topics that address the conditions of participation in cultural platforms as we consider the idea of access as artists on occupied Coast Salish land.

Presenters will consist of local and out-of-town practitioners, including: Amanda Cachia, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Heidi Nagtegaal, Jason DaSilva, Lisa Prentice, Olivia Whetung, Zoe Kreye, the Surrey Youth Space, Enterprising Women Making Art and Reverb: A Queer Reading Series.