2005 Festival
Abilities Arts Festival - A Celebration of Disability Arts and
Culture was a four day, event-packed international artistic and
cultural event showcasing excellence and the talent, vision and passion
of artists with disabilities.
This tremendously successful event attracted several thousand people over
the four days with performers, artists and festival audiences alike,
enthusiastically commenting on the outstanding calibre of the performances,
art, workshop and panel discussions.
Held from October 27 to October 30, 2005, Abilities Festival included:
- A variety of performance venues including two gala performances at
the Glenn Gould Studio, an opening evening cabaret, three Luncheon Matinees
and the Sunday Morning Show, all by performers with disabilities;
- A juried, international art exhibition by artists with disabilities
called CONNECTIONS 2;
- Workshops and panels that provided networking opportunities for both
professional and aspiring artists, promoted discussion and skill
enhancement and engaged festival attendees;
- The Video Library where festival attendees viewed newly released films,
as well as award-winning films from eight countries that were presented
as part of PROJECTIONS: An International Disability Film Festival held
in Toronto in June 2004, as well as new works;
- A full day program for school age children with disabilities that
featured accomplished performers with disabilities; and
- "In Celebration of Our Children" an art and poetry exhibit that
highlighted work by children with disabilities from across Ontario.
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Featured Artists:
Patrice Kouma
(Banner top)
Patrice Kouma is an artist who is deaf due to an early bout with meningitis.
In 1985, at the age of 15 he started painting with Sr Maria Rosa, an Italian.
Kouma's paintings have been shown at many exhibitions throughout the Cameroon
and were featured in a series of greetings cards produced by Gallaudet University
in Washington DC in 2000. In June 2004, Kouma's work was showcased at VSA Arts
Festival in Washington DC. Patrice Kouma currently teaches painting and ceramics
to youth with disabilities. <Read More>
Pierrette Theriault
(Banner left)
Early on in her childhood, Pierrette felt and expressed a passion for
artistic creation. The spark that ignited her inspiration and creativity
is very much alive and thriving although tainted by the gradual loss of
her eyesight. <Read More>
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