Towards an inclusive theatre
Active Access Design Research Labs.
Western Theatre Force Collective (Vancouver, Canada)
Multi Camera viewer to facilitate Digital Directors Hannah Siden & Paul D Power.
in association with Presentation House Theatre & Bouche Theatre Collective
LAB. 3: Directors & Designers
Conceived of with directors Paul D. Power & Hannah Siden
“…it’s wonderful to discover possibilities still open to me…I am so proud of the work created and the issues discussed. Virtual access to this community has been a lifeline for me.”
– Hannah Siden, Theatre & Film Maker (Vancouver, British Columbia)
“A wonderful professional and creative experience. As a theatre artist who identifies with a disability, it has been a great opportunity to collaborate with other artists who have a true understanding of accessibility needs and challenges both on and off stage…to explore how we share and create, while keeping accessibility for the artist and the audience a priority.”
– Paul D Power (St. John’s, Newfoundland)
For our third labratory, we partnered Newfoundland theatre maker Paul D. Power (Powers Productions) and Vancouver theatre and film maker Hannah Siden with designers Joel Ginke and Vanka Salim in an inter-provincial laboratory to examine how to apply Active Access Design, Cross Sensory Translation and Universal Design to the design, direction & creation of small theatre.
Early research explorations included Consultation as process; Scheduling structures accommodating crib time; Digitally distributed work; Cross Sensory Translation dramaturgy; Integrating safe spaces in public performance; Integrating access in set design; and Digital Directors: Accessible rehearsal & performance space for mobility challenged artists.
A special thank you to K Atkinson Hill, K Masuhara, G.Roberts. & G Whiting.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of Canada Council for the Arts.
Gallery
Meet the Research Team
Paul D. Power (he, him) - Director
Paul David Power has spent the past 20 years working as a writer, actor, director and communications professional in various mediums and for diverse organizations – including dramatic script for the stage. His formal training includes holding a BA in English with a concentration in theatre and a BAA in Journalism. Paul has a long history in raising awareness and understanding about disability issues through his work as a playwright, columnist, director and actor. He is the arttistic director of Power Productions. www.powerproductionsnl.com
Hannah Siden (she, her) - Director
Hannah is a director, writer, producer and actor. Most recently she assistant directed alongside Jack Paterson on The Ballad of Georges Boivin (Western Gold) and Haven (United Players). She has an MA in Acting from East 15 and a postgrad filmmaking diploma from the London Film Academy. www.hannahsiden.com
Joel Grinke (he, him) - Creative Technologist
Joel works with new technology, prototype software and hardware integrations to share story in unique and engaging ways. Joel has worked in all kinds of contexts, beginning when from an actor to working on visual standards in high end retail, to working on museum and themed entertainment experiences spaces. Joel has been nominated for and received sevral awards for for technology integration & visuals design. www.JoelGrinke.com
Vanka Chaitra Salim (she, her) - Creative Design
Vanka Chaitra Salim is a Muslim Indonesian-Canadian Set, Lighting and Projection designer, theatre technician and scenic painter based in the Unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories, colonially known as Vancouver, BC. She enjoys experimenting with different mediums of storytelling that revolve around the interaction and interplay of art, culture and technology. Apart from her involvement in the theatre community, Vanka also works as an acrylic paint-maker at Kroma Artist’s Acrylics and is part of Srikandi Indonesia Dance Group. She also loves gaming, game art & design, dance, videography, illustration and learning XR technologies, and has recently been experimenting with immersive experiences. www.vankasalim.com
Project Leader - Anika (An) Vervecken (SHE, HER, HERS)
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.
Project Leader & CREATIVE PRODUCER: JACK PATERSON (HE, HIM, HIS)
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
On Active Access & Cross Sensory Translation
“Accessibility as a springboard towards new forms of communication. Accessibility not simply as a practice for otherwise excluded audiences, but as added value. Accessibility as a creative challenge and experimentation with new languages.” – Redattore Sociale (Piacenza, Italy 2022)
Active Access Design was born from work with Global Hive Labs., an international network of artists and companies, co-founded by Jack Paterson and Denise Yvette Serna, working together in devised creation. With collective members across multiple countries, we identified access as a priority.
The 2019/20 International collaborations Medusa USA (Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre) and Medusa UK (London’s The Pleasance Theatre & The Cockpit), we focused on incorporating Audio Description and Touch Tours into Dramatic Narrative.
Feb. 2020, in collaboration with Global Hive Labs. (Int.) and Teatro Trieste 34 (Piacenza, Italy), we asked ourselves, how could we take this further? on the devised creation project Atlantide, we were able to test the early concept of Active Access Design (AAD). The potential was revealed.
“…a full house for Teatro Trieste 34 and Global Hive…a fusion of epic and contemporary, myth and poetry, in a fascinating total and inclusive theatre, triggering emotions and new perspectives…” – Liberta
“…smashing nationality and accesibility borders in a Total theatre that merges so many artistic languages in a full emotional voyage…” – IMA Magazine
Atlantide (Italie’s Teatro Trieste 34 with Chez Art, Global Hive Labs. and Bouche Theatre Collective): 3 people in white are silueted against a background video of melting ice.
Special Thank you to Our Supporters
