Key Accomplishments

Here are some of the things we've done since S4DAC's inception…

Convened a public forum, What Is Disability Art, Anyway? at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (May 1999)
Convened a public forum, Disability Arts: Theory and Practice, with Catherine Frazee (Toronto), writer and disability activist, and Rod Lathim (Santa Barbara), founder of Access Theater (November 1999)
Presented David Roche's "Church of 80% Sincerity" at the Playwright's Centre (January 2000)
Dance Allsorts presentation of integrated dance works-in-progress, at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (March 2000)
Co-programmed and presented a dance piece at Vancouver Adapted Music Society's "VAMSFest", at the Chan Centre (April 2000)
Conducted dance workshops and audition with local choreographers Shannon McMurchy and Catherine Ricketts (Fall 2000)
Opened Outside the Lines: Self Portraits by Artists with Disabilities exhibit at the Pendulum Gallery. Curated by Persimmon Blackbridge with a soundscape by Sylvi McCormac. (February 2001)
Presentation of S4Dance group at the Dance Allsorts series, Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (April 2001)
kickstART! Festival of Disability Arts and Culture, Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (August 2001)
Mounted Artitudes exhibit at kickstART!, with co-curators Persimmon Blackbridge and Elizabeth Shefrin (August 2001)
Curated DOXA Documentary Film & Video Series final evening of documentaries (
Disability Culture Rap, Outside In and The Living Museum
Published Arts Smarts: Information and Inspiration for Canadian Artists with Disabilities handbook, produced in English and French (March 2002)
Completed our 13-minute video, kickstART!: A Celebration (April 2002)
Co-produced two Mavor Moore plays, Getting In and The Store, with Theatre Bagger and Real Wheels Productions (May 2002)
Community sponsor for the Out On Screen Film Festival presentation, Keeping It Real: The Adventures of Greg Walloch (August 2002)
Presented nine artists in Outside the Lines II, an exhibit at the Bowen Island Arts Council's Art Gallery@Artisan Square. Sponsored by Celebration 2010 (February 2003)
Co-presented a half-day workshop at the Canadian Association for Community Living Conference in Vancouver (October 2003)
Participated in a panel discussion at the annual Canadian Artists Representation/ le Front des artistes canadiennes (CARFAC) Conference, on the topic of "art for social change" (October 2003)
The Borg Again: reframing cyborg culture exhibit opened at the Pendulum Gallery: nine artists' work curated by Persimmon Blackbridge and Elizabeth Shefrin (December 2003)
Co-presented People Moving, a workshop to develop skills in this region's dance practitioners (artists, teachers, choreographers) who wish to work in integrated educational and community settings. Led by UK-based Jo Parkes and Kelly Davidson and co-sponsored with the Victoria Dance Series Community Outreach Program and the Vancouver Dance Centre (February 2004)
Presented at the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies' four-day event, "Challenging Stereotypes: A Celebration of the Arts in Community", Winnipeg (March 2004)
Co-presented a workshop and performance by Light Motion (Seattle) as part of the Dance Allsorts series, at the Scotiabank Dance Centre and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. (May 2004)
Curated A Night Out With the Boys: Reeking of Humanity, a collection of six short films about men with disabilities, presented as part of the DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival at the Pacific Cinematheque in Vancouver (May 2004)
kickstART2 Festival of Arts and Culture (September 16-19, 2004)
Extraordinary Lives art exhibit: 21 artists' work curated by Emma Kivisild and Elizabeth Shefrin, mounted at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (September 2004)
Commissioned original dance work by Helen Walkley (October 2005)
Participated in first national disability arts presenter network (March 2006)
Presented commissioned dance piece, No Leg to Stand On, at the Dancing On The Edge Festival, Vancouver (July 2006)
Organized first regional meeting of disability arts presenters and practitioners (September 2006)