Participants' Comments on 2001 kickstART!

kickstART! was one of the best events I have participated in, thanks to the wonderful spirit and enthusiasm at every stage. Your contribution to the advancement of the creativity in people with disabilities will be felt far and wide.
ELIAS KATZ, Ph.D., President/Co-Founder of the National Institute of Art and Disabilities, USA.

It was an amazing event and you should be very proud of it. I was deeply moved by the performances and the dedication of the artists.
MARC GOUGH, Aide de Camp to Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada.

I was very impressed by the high level of organization surrounding the event and inspired by the many presentations and art events that I attended throughout the weekend of the conference.
IRENE LOUGHLIN, Administrative Assistant, Gallery Gachet.

Art and performance – be it literary, dance, theatre, music, film, video, or humour – are magical and creative forces. Mix them with the experience of disability and they become a miraculous expression of the illusion of limitation and proof of the existence of infinite human potential.... The Festival was a remarkable testament to the talent and skill of disabled people.
PHILIP PATSTON, comedian

Your festival will be one of those lasting, picture-perfect events in my career as a performing arts interpreter.... I for one know that your festival touched the state of mind and heart of the deaf community.
LIS DUCLOS, ASL/English Interpreter

I would just like to once again thank you for giving me the chance to participate in kickstART!. It was a rewarding experience for me and greatly helped my development as a performer.... I wish you all the best with future festivals and I hope there will be many more in the years to come.
LIZ NAVRATIL, actor/comedian

What an impressive and inspirational festival you organized! Congratulations. We continue to enjoy the events through the power of memory and we tell people about it wherever we go. You did a marvelous job and have made a profound impact on the lives of many of us.
AL ETMANSKI, Executive Director of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network

You guys did a knock-out job. I can’t thank you enough. I went there to learn and I did.
JANET BUCK, teacher and poet

I want to thank you for making such an extraordinary project happen.... Many people who saw the performances or participated in them have spoken to me about the powerful impact the experience had on them. People used words like 'transformed', 'inspired', 'deeply moved' to describe how they felt.... Already people are asking us when the next event will happen!
ELIZABETH KIDD, Acting Coordinator, Roundhouse Community Centre

It was bloody inspiring! Validating, encouraging, supportive and fun. It has helped me realize that I still have it in me to create something meaningful. That I still get so much juice from my own work when rubbing elbows with so many other inspiring, amazing professional artists.... I am thrilled to have been 'kickstarted' in my career again and am proud to model what a working artist does to my son and peers.
ROSE L. WILLIAMS, visual artist

I found a lot of encouragement which motivated me to continue my work. I met people interested in working with me to further develop my book and my reading presentation.
VICTORIA MAXWELL, actor

I felt very energized by finding an international community. The quality of the visual art and the performances was fabulous!
EMMA KIVISILD, visual artist

I thought it was a fantastic festival all in all.... Great humour, moving music, provocative theatre and inspiring visual art. There were so many things to learn just by being in an environment with people with all kinds of abilities and disabilities. I feel fortunate to have been involved and I hope that this will be the first of many kickstART! festivals.
DAVID SEREDA, collaborating professional musician

kickstART! was THE opportunity to communicate with cutting edge people doing cutting edge art. It was a pleasure to interact with artists who were not into style or self-conscious expression but a true presentation of a creative life.... kickstART! was a life changing experience.
MIRIAM ROTHER, theatre professional/presenter

kickstART! was very good at providing opportunities for disabled artists and should become an annual event. The communication – exchange of ideas and experiences between participants – was very important.
SVEN JOHANSSON, professional choreographer/presenter

kickstART! was a very memorable event.... The experience was rich both personally and artistically.... In a world sometimes ripe with disparity, injustice and violence, this kind of creative event posses a necessary counter-point. In speaking about art, courage and collective spirit a message of hope surfaces for everyone.
DOREEN FINNEGAN, visual artist

I was delighted, moved to tears and filled with joy with the performances I saw.
JUDY NORBURY, musician

I was stirred to see so many disabled artists at kickstART! demonstrate that, even when body and brain are broken, the spirit's indomitable will to express itself prevails.... The festival was one of the most significant events of my life.
NICK SUPINA, visual artist

The festival was a huge success. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was truly inspiring to be surrounded by artists and their work. My hats off to everyone at S4DAC. Your efforts had tremendous results.... My most profound experience was meeting other artists.... I felt an overwhelming sense of support from all the artists and I believe everyone left feeling charged and ready to work on new and exciting projects.
JAMES SANDERS, actor

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