Collin van Uchelen, Ph.D., is a Conceptual Artist and Community Psychology consultant based in Vancouver, British Columbia. His artistic practice focuses on collaborative approaches for translating art into forms that are accessible with the non-visual senses. He originated the innovative “Fingerworks for Fireworks” tactile technique for describing pyrotechnical displays to viewers with sight-loss in collaboration with Steph Kirkland, Director of Vocal Eye Descriptive Arts Society in 2014. In this approach, trained describers translate the dynamic movement of fireworks by “drawing” their shapes with fingertips onto the backs of viewers who are blind or partially-sighted. Collin’s accessible “tools” for describing fireworks informed his subsequent work with All Bodies Dance Project on the creation of Translations, a contemporary dance piece designed for the non-visual senses. As Artistic Consultant, he helped co-create and refine the techniques for translating dance into accessible forms for audiences who were not using eyesight to “see” the performances. He also now consults with audio describers for art featuring movement – whether fireworks or dance.

Susan Gingrasso, MA, Certified Movement Analyst (CMA), Language of Dance® Certification Specialist and Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Theatre & Dance Department where she brought the dance program to state and national prominence through her vision and leadership. She used LOD and LMA to teach technique, history, movement theory and analysis, composition and pedagogy. Gingrasso has taught LOD courses since 2004 after she completed her Stage 3: LOD Applications course.  As Executive Director for the Language of Dance Center, Susan helps administer the organization, secure locations for Foundations courses, design and teach course curricula, and expand ways to invite dance educators into the amazing world of Dance Literacy through the LOD Movement Alphabet and Motif notation. She writes the symbol of the month for the LODC site and submits quarterly articles for the Wisconsin Dance Council and the California Dance Education Association about using LOD in practice.  Gingrasso received the 2016 NDEO Outstanding Dance Educator Award in Higher Education and served as Director of Resources Review from 2008-2016. As the Associate Editor for Dance Education in Practice, she writes the Practical Resources for Dance Educators column.

Andrea Cownden is a white settler on unceded Coast Salish territory.  She has dedicated much of the past eight years to the study and professional practice of contemporary dance. She cherishes dance as a site for her to work on sensitivity, pleasure, responsibility, and collaboration, and is delighted at the way that following these threads has lead her towards deeper and more politicized engagement in her community. She is privileged to have trained at Modus Operandi for four years, to have studied on scholarship at EDAM, and to now work with many exceptional dance artists, including Naomi Brand (All Bodies Dance Project), Sasha Kleinplatz, Alexa Mardon, Erika Mitsuhashi, Layla Marcelle Mrozowski (The Party), Rianne Svelnis and Lexi Vajda.

Originally from Toronto, Naomi spent ten years dancing in Calgary, before relocating to the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people in 2013. She holds both a BA and an MFA from the University of Calgary and a DanceAbility teaching certificate from founder Alito Alessi. As a performer, choreographer, writer and facilitator Naomi has cultivated a unique artistic practice that spans work with professional dancers to community-engaged practice with diverse populations. She has danced in the works of many respected Canadian choreographers and her own choreography which ranges from works as a soloist, to large group ensemble pieces have been featured in numerous venues and festivals across Canada as well as in Poland, Italy and Uruguay. In recent years her practice has been focused on values of access and inclusion as she strives to make dance within a context that both creates and speaks to community connection.  Naomi is  Co-Founder/Facilitator of  All Bodies Dance Project.

Over the years, from her youth in Belgium to her life in Canada, there have been two constants in Anika’s life—her passion for the performing arts and a fervent desire to ensure anyone would get an opportunity to share that passion. Be it by providing access to the story through surtitles, live description, or creating visual stories allowing people on the autism spectrum to anticipate their experience rather than being overwhelmed before the show even starts.  Her work testifies to an ongoing pursuit of new ways to invite people to experience live performances by developing new initiatives, such as connecting patrons with refugees to see a show together, as well as innovative techniques like writing introductions when there are no resources or the show only requires minimal additional information to become accessible.  Access Co-ordinator for PuSh, Anika also continues to work as a translator, live describer, surtitler, and consultant for various local organizations such as Vancouver Recital Society, VocalEye, Axis Theatre, Revolver Festival, Kidd Pivot, and more. On an international level, she collaborates with Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussel, Peter Brook in Paris, and CDN d’Orleans in France amongst others. Another ongoing passion is working with people with lived experience, supporting them to develop their skills and careers as consultants.  Anika balances her career with life as a single mother while supporting a Deaf man with a developmental disability. And a creative soul often requires the inspiration and refuge of nature, which Vancouver luckily offers.

Jack is an award winning theatre maker whose work and practice has taken him across Canada, UK, EU and around the world. Work has ranged from devising creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-ligual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. www.jackpatersontheatre.com