Message from the Artistic Director

The history of the S4DAC is a veritable encyclopedia of the disability experience.

We were crazy to think about mounting an international festival with our collective inexperience and human resources. A little delusional, you might say...

...didn’t have a leg to stand on: "You want to start a new arts organization in this economic climate? Good luck!" But we didn’t hear the word "no".

We had trouble comprehending any reason that everyone in the world wouldn’t immediately get it and give us all the money we wanted!

As it turned out, everyone did get it and gave us well OK, maybe not everything we wanted, but enough to survive, and to mount some pretty amazing programs and events like kickstART2.

I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished with the resources available to us. And delighted to have met all the amazing people that I have. I greatly appreciate all the co-workers, volunteers, funders and supporters we’ve gained in the community.

I’m deeply rooted in community art, and its interesting to me how, despite my intent to control the artistic programming for the Society, patterns and themes emerge on their own ...comedians with CP, women portraying their experience of bi-polar disorder, a certain preoccupation with feet and footware among several of the Extraordinary Lives artists not to mention Five Foot Feat! These are the things that surprise and delight me.

I believe that you’ll be surprised and delighted, as well, when you see what the kickstART2 Festival has to offer. From the raw exuberance of community-based work to the polish of seasoned professionals, there’s something to appeal to everyone.
This work continues to be a wild roller-coaster ride, and involves a steep learning curve, a bit of luck, a lot of work and many moments of what I like to describe as shining. Moments of hilarity, of profound sadness or beauty ...moments that make you feel like a human being.

Come experience the shining. Come look at what a little blind faith can do!
- Geoff McMurchy