Get Ready for ACCESSFest 2024: Join the Celebration from May 25th to June 1st!
ACCESSfest is week long celebration in honour of BC Access Awareness Day and the Disability community, taking place May 25 – June 1, 2024 in Downtown Vancouver.
All activities are FREE and open to all!
Wednesday, May 15th
Future Xhibit: Embracing Crip Tomorrows, Meet the Artist Night
Future Xhibit: Embracing Crip Tomorrows, Meet the Artist Night
Date: May 15, 2024
Time: 5:30 -7pm
Location: The Gathering Place Community Centre 609 Helmcken St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5R1
Cost: FREE
Experience the Works of 8 Local Artists and Enjoy a Live Poetry Performance by Kagan Goh – Join Us!
Saturday, May 25th
ACCESS FEST 2024: Accessible Gallery Tour, Vancouver Art Gallery
Join Monday Zankpe and Jenna Reid from Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture for an accessible gallery tour at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This special event, designed to welcome the disabled community during BC Access Awareness Week, will take place on May 25, 2024, at 1:00 PM PST.
Explore the exhibitions “Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines” and “OF & ABOUT POSTERS: THE LAWRENCE WEINER POSTER ARCHIVE (1965–2021),” connecting protest art with intersectional disability communities. Engage with the art, learn creative practices, and learn how to make your own mini-zine!
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7
Date: May 25, 2024
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM PST
Cost: Free (Registration required!)
To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/accessible-gallery-tour-tickets-907845007857
ASL interpretation provided
Note: Please note that this exhibition contains graphic content and language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Sunday, May 26th
Workshop: Community-Centered Curating
Join us for an engaging workshop on “Community-Centered Curating” led by curator, writer, and educator Olumoroti (Moroti) Soji-George (he/they). Based in Vancouver, Moroti is the curator at the Black Arts Centre in Surrey and the Director/Curator of Gallery Gachet in downtown Vancouver.
Event Details:
- Date: May 26, 2024
- Time: 4:30 – 6:00 PM
- Location: The Gathering Place, 609 Helmcken St, Vancouver
- Cost: Free (Registration required)
- Register Here: Eventbrite Link
Event Description:
In this 90-minute session, Moroti will share his expertise in creating art spaces that are accessible and community-focused. He will explore language, archives, photography, history, and cultural theory to challenge traditional Western art and academic settings. Moroti believes in using space to reflect the experiences of marginalized individuals.
This workshop is perfect for artists, curators, educators, and anyone interested in community engagement and social justice in art. You’ll gain valuable insights and practical tools for creating inclusive and representative art spaces.
Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of Vancouver’s top curators and discuss the future of cultural production.
Please email [email protected] to request any additional accessibility services you may need to ensure a comfortable experience (ASL, Specific Seating, etc.)
Register Here: Eventbrite Link
We look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, May 27th
Workshop: Practical Embodiment and Intuitive Choreography
Date: May 27, 2024
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Location: The Gathering Place, 609 Helmcken St, Vancouver
Cost: FREE (Registration required)
Event Description:
Join Shane Sable for “Practical Embodiment and Intuitive Choreography,” a workshop designed for those who feel out of place in traditional dance classes. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the expectations and judgments in conventional dance settings due to anxiety, mobility barriers, body pain, or memory issues, this workshop offers a refreshing alternative.
Shane Sable will guide you in discovering how prioritizing your relationship with your body and spirit can open new avenues for creative movement, avoiding the rigid perfectionism often found in Western dance education. This workshop will help you find a more balanced and fulfilling choreography practice through:
- Discussion: Engage in meaningful conversations about movement and embodiment.
- Embodiment Activities: Participate in activities that connect mind, body, and spirit.
- Dance: Explore intuitive choreography that feels good to you.
Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel good. Bring a yoga mat or blanket for added comfort.
Register Here: Eventbrite Link
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please email [email protected] to request any additional accessibility services you may need to ensure a comfortable experience (ASL, Specific Seating, etc.)
Tuesday, May 28th
ACCESSFest 2024 Presents: LIFE IS CLIMBING! A Documentary Screening in Partnership with VIFF
Date: May 28, 2024
Time: 6:20 – 8:00 PM
Location: VIFF Centre, 1181 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC V6B 3M7
Cost: FREE (Registration required)
Get your tickets here: https://viff.org/whats-on/accessfest-life-is-climbing/
Event Description:
Ready for a reminder of how incredible human beings can be? Born in Tokyo in 1968, Koba started climbing at the age of 16. At 28, he was diagnosed with an intractable eye disease called “pigmentary retinal degeneration” and slowly, inexorably, went totally blind. But this hasn’t stopped him from climbing. In 2006 he recorded his first victory in the International Paraclimbing Competition (Men Blind category), with his friend Naoya guiding him, shouting out instructions from the ground. Since then, he’s earned numerous world titles, including four consecutive gold medals in the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019. But Naoya has a dream: he wants to bring Koba out to Indian Creek, Utah, one of the most iconic climbing challenges in the world, and talk him up a twisty, spiral sandstone outcrop poised atop a precipitous cliff face…
An exhilarating, sometimes heartbreaking film about friendship, the gifts of adversity, and the courage it takes to put everything on the line for the thing you love, Life is Climbing! culminates in a breathtaking sequence you won’t soon forget.
The film will screen with hearing assistance and subtitles.
Get your tickets here: https://viff.org/whats-on/accessfest-life-is-climbing/
Accessibility at VIFF Centre: https://viff.org/accessibility/
Wednesday, May 29th
Workshop: Honouring Our Stories – A Writing and Voice Workshop with Jotika
Date: May 29, 2024
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Location: The Gathering Place, 609 Helmcken St, Vancouver
Cost: Free (Registration required)
Join Jotika for “Honouring Our Stories,” an expressive arts workshop designed to help you connect with the stories you want to tell. This immersive session will use somatic exercises, voice work, and writing prompts to deepen your connection with your body and emotions.
During this workshop, Jotika will share songs to help you tend to grief, sorrow, and any other emotions present in your life. This is a space to breathe, sing together, and tap into the wisdom of our bodies amidst the overwhelm of the world.
What to Bring:
- A notebook or journal
- An open heart and mind
All voices are welcome! Let’s come together to explore, heal, and express through the power of storytelling and song.
Register Here: Eventbrite Link
We look forward to sharing this meaningful experience with you!
Please email [email protected] to request any additional accessibility services you may need to ensure a comfortable experience (ASL, Specific Seating, etc.)
Thursday, May 30th
ACCESSFest 2024: Under the Table Open Mic
Join Us for an Evening of Art and Poetry!
Introducing our much-anticipated poetry event featuring Under the Table Poetry Collective. Step into a space where every voice is honored and every story cherished. Our featured poet, Jotika, brings her unique perspective as a Queer, Disabled, cis, Femme artist and expressive arts therapist. Don’t miss out on this empowering platform to laugh, cry, and share in a supportive community.
Event Details:
- Date: Thursday, May 30
- Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
- Location: The Gathering Place Community Centre, 609 Helmcken St, Vancouver
All voices are welcome. Sign up to share your own poetry!
Please note: Masks are required for this event.
ASL interpretation provided
Friday, May 31st
Workshop: All About Me; Clay Play
Event Description:
Join Siobhan Barker for “All About Me: Clay Play,” a playful, hands-on workshop where you’ll make your own batch of play-clay with optional colors and scents to customize your creation. This 60-minute session will also include self-care mindfulness activities using music, visualization, and clay play to help you slow down and celebrate yourself.
What to Expect:
- Clay Making: Create your own customized play-clay.
- Mindfulness Activities: Engage in soothing activities incorporating music, visualization, and tactile play.
- Self-Care Focus: Slow down and take time to celebrate and care for yourself.
This workshop is perfect for anyone looking to relax, have fun, and practice self-care in a creative and supportive environment.
Register Here: Eventbrite Link
Please email [email protected] to request any additional accessibility services you may need to ensure a comfortable experience (ASL, Specific Seating, etc.)
