Disability Arts & Culture: Recent Developments
By Robyn Hunt (robyn@iecho.co.nz)
International Guild Takes Off
Membership of the International Guild of Disabled Artists and Performers, a global network of artists and performers who experience disability has reached around 83 from countries such as the US, UK, Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Founder Philip Patston says he has had two kinds of response to his initiative. The first is that the Guild is a good idea and is much needed. The second is concern about creating a ghetto.
'We have to reject that notion' he says. Grouping together to gain knowledge and experience is of value. The Guild of disabled artists and performers provides a chance to build skills and confidence to make them more viable in the mainstream marketplace.
'Ghettos are created by segregation, not chosen separation. Marginalised people don't create ghettos.' He says:
'Art is an expression of lifestyle culture. It begins to define culture. Culture defines art as well.'
At present IGODAP is informal, existing only as an e-mail list and a simple and Bobby-approved webpage http://www.diversitynz.com/igodap.
Membership is free at present, and members are able to share information about projects, festivals, funding opportunities etc by a regular moderated bulletin.
Patston plans the first meeting of the Guild at the High Beam festival in Adelaide, Australia in May this year.
Interested people should email Philip Patston at Igodap@diversitynz.com
Deaf Culture Explored in New Book
People of the Eye, Stories from the Deaf World
By Rachel Locker McKee
Photographs by Bruce Connew
Bridget Williams Books Wellington New Zealand
Paperback NZ$39.95
This book is an exploration of Deaf culture and identity, telling the life stories of sixteen Deaf New Zealanders. Their stories are told chronologically, from the oldest person, born in 1913, to the youngest born in 1979. They are accompanied by a photo-essay by Bruce Connew. There are also historical photographs from the Schools for the Deaf, now Deaf Education Centers.
Reading their stories is a trawl through a history of the Deaf community in New Zealand, from the bad old days of oralism to more enlightened times.
The first part of the book is an introduction for the general reader. It discuss themes including the visual nature of Deaf sign language and the differences between Deaf born into hearing families and those with Deaf family members.
The life stories of these men and women tell of lack of educational and other opportunity, of frustration, abuse, depression and loneliness. But they also explore the joy of discovery of shared identity, community and culture. They are resilient, resourceful and spirited people. Younger Deaf describe confidently taking their places alongside their hearing peers in tertiary education and beyond.
The People of the Eye come from a variety of backgrounds, socio-economic, urban/rural and racial, including Maori, (indigenous New Zealanders,) and Chinese. Not all use New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as their primary means of communication, but all have at least one foot in the Deaf world.
Their life stories are compelling reading, and the book is accessible to the general reader, including a list of terms which might be unfamiliar. 'People of the Eye' has been intended to provide 'a window on the experiences of New Zealanders who describe themselves as Deaf.' It is successful
While the context is a relatively small New Zealand community, I suspect many of the themes and experiences will be universal. Care has been taken to explain specifically New Zealand terms, and a bibliography is included.
The book is well produced, and the many lively photographs showing deaf people participating in education, sport and leisure complement the text well.
One telling photograph is of Gerrit Van Asch, an education of the deaf pioneer. He has a full beard and moustache, yet the children were expected to lip read this man who had a strong Dutch accent as well.
The author is a hearing academic married to an American Deaf academic. She has a Ph.D. in applied linguistics, and was one of New Zealand's first trained interpreters. She has worked as an interpreter in both New Zealand and American Sign Language. She and her husband teach both hearing and Deaf people.
This book is about communication, and will assist not only hearing people, but people in the disability community to understand a group which is often marginalised in a hearing world.
Enquiries for orders can be sent to bwbooks@ihug.co.nz
Disability Culture Explored in Australia
Disabled authors are being sought for a Ph.D. on Literature and Disability culture.
Philip Dowd is a student at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. 'I am looking at disabled writers and the writings of disabled people as an expression of disability culture.' He says
'I will be examining writings by disabled people and will be conducting interviews with disabled writers over the next year or so as part of this exploration.'
Dowd is keen to interview anyone who writes poetry, autobiography, plays, novels and short stories.
He explains his approach. 'I tend to argue that a major shift took place in 1972-76 with Paul Hunt's publication 'Stigma'. The book was the first attempt, by disabled writers to analyse disability from the inside. While I disagree with many of these articles, it is a starting point.'
'I have developed an interest in disability as a culture rather than a medical or social condition. This view is espoused by disabled people like Tom Shakespeare in the UK and Barbara McGee, Dara McLaughlin and Steven Brown in New Mexico, and Nadina LaSpina in New York among others. This has led to an interest in disability culture as expressed in the writings of people with disabilities and I will be examining the literature from this perspective.'
If you can contribute, Dowd's email address is: ppdowd@ihug.com.au He will be visiting the US later this year to interview authors there, and can make arrangements to interview others electronically.
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