National accessArts Centre Calgary ‘campus’ will champion disabled artists | Canada Voices

Last year the the National accessArts Centre awarded $270,000 in artist fees to disabled creators in the visual arts, music and dance. For the organization, whose headquarters are in Calgary, putting money in the hands of artists with access needs is one of the most impactful ways to support the community.

Jung-Suk Ryu, NaAC president and CEO, said that cash affords disabled artists a level of ownership over their careers, but there’s another key way to help: offering them consistent space to work in.

That’s one of the driving factors behind the NAaC’s new project, the Accessible Arts Learning Campus. The campus, which broke ground in June, will consist of the Trico Communities Accessible Arts Centre – with a focus on visual arts training – as well as a multidisciplinary venue called Joseph Chung Centre for Creativity.

Home to gallery space, a recording studio and other multipurpose arts rooms, the campus is designed specifically with disabled artists in mind.

“When creating the space, thinking about the community came first. Who is in our community right now and engaging in our programs? How are they going to use this space?” said Re Parsons, the NaAc’s manager of performing arts, who identifies as part of the disabled community. “The entire building is by and for the disability community.”

Practically, that means features such as barrier-free design, sensory neutral spaces in both buildings, accessible pathways in the campus garden and a performing arts studio with vertically accessible lighting. A fully accessible cafe from Lil E Coffee, which provides employment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will also be part of the space.

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In a time where many arts institutions are struggling for funding (in 2024, analytics agency TRG Arts reported that gifts to the Canadian arts sector had fallen 45 per cent between 2019 and 2023) stripping down services, and offering barebones artistic seasons and programming, the NaAC campus is a bold statement championing accessible art and the people who create it. The community is bigger than some people might imagine. According to a Statistics Canada report from 2022, 27 per cent of Canadians over 15 have at least one disability.

“Our Accessible Arts Learning Campus is the world’s first development of its kind,” said Ryu. ”The campus is a reflection of the incredible ambitions and creativity being shared by our growing community.”

“As someone who has lived experience with this, I’m just excited to be a part of something that’s no longer asking permission to be in other people’s spaces,” added Parsons. “There’s a weight lifted and a freedom, just feeling comfortable to exist in a space where you’re not having to worry about if you belong.”