FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 BODIES OF LIGHT:

Celebrating International Women’s Day though the Lens of Disability and Difference

In their debut single, “This isn’t Disneyland”, ‘The Sisters of Invention attack the myth of fairy-tale princesses in their video, kicking down Lego towers and destroying toys–ripping a stuffed animal apart and lighting dolls on fire or smashing them with hammers.’” 

-E. Lewy, Inglorious Fiction: http://www.inglouriousfiction.com/2014/10/new-single-this-isnt-disneyland-by-the-sisters-of-invention/

 (Montreal) February 18, 2015 – In Celebration of International Women’s Day on March 7th, Tangled Art + Disability and the DisAbled Women’s Network Canada come together to host an evening of media work by women artists with disabilities. For one night only, Bodies of Light will feature rich and provocative work by artists whose identities reveal a wide range of stories and creative practices. This event invites us to participate in the celebration of diversity, creativity and identity through the lens of disabled artists from all over the world.

Highlights of the Bodies of Light evening program includes:

- The Sisters of Invention – an all girls disabled pop group from Australia who started out singing in a choir for Tutti Arts and now write their own songs and perform as a group. They have been featured on the BBC News online.

“When I turn on the TV, radio or read a news article, it would be nice to see something other than pretty, slim, airbrushed, non-disabled sex-kittens wearing bikinis running along the beach with their hair blowing back while she does sexy moves laying in the sand getting tanned as a wave crashes and washes her bikini off.”

- The Sisters of Invention, DailyLife, http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-culture/meet-the-sisters-of-invention–just-dont-call-them-inspirational-20141209-123axz.html

- A short documentary by Nomy Lamm and Patricia Berne that features the work of Sins Invalid, a performance project spotlighting disability and sex through the provocative work of disability artists, centralizing artists of colour and queer and gender-variant artists who have been historically marginalized from social discourse. Link to their work here: http://www.sinsinvalid.org/

 Panelists include:

 Catherine McKinnon, Director of the Deaf Arts and Film Festival

Patty Berne, Co-founder of Sins Invalid

Bonnie Brayton, National Executive Director of DisAbled Women’s Network Canada

Laurence Parent, Mobile Media Lab

Rina Fraticelli, Exective Director of Tangled Art + Disability

 

Details:

March 7th, 2015

3:30–5pm: PANEL DISCUSSION (FREE)

6-8pm: FILM SCREENINGS

With an introduction by Pat Israel, founding member, DisAbled Women’s Network Canada

Innis Town Hall

2 Sussex Ave, Toronto

Tickets available here: https://guestlistapp.com/events/306921

General Admission: $10

People with disabilities: $5

PSW: Free

 

Website: http://tangledarts.org/bodies-of-light/

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1534061113538213/

Twitter: @TangledArtsTO

 

This event is sponsored by NBCUniversal.

Tangled Art + Disability is a charitable organization dedicated to developing and showcasing the work of artists with disabilities. For over ten years, Tangled has been a leader and catalyst bringing together artists with disabilities and a diverse public through a wide range of performance, media and visual arts events. Tangled uses the power of art as a transforming medium to enhance the understanding and acceptance that people with disabilities can and do make significant contributions to all aspects of society, in particular the arts and an evolving cultural sector. Link to their website: http://tangledarts.org/

DAWN-RAFH Canada’s DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN-RAFH) Canada is a national, feminist, cross-disability organization whose mission is to end the poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence experienced by Canadian women with disabilities and Deaf women. DAWN-RAFH is an organization that works towards the advancement and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities and Deaf women in Canada. DAWN-RAFH Canada’s overarching strategic theme is one of leadership, partnership and networking to engage all levels of government and the wider disability and women’s sectors and other stakeholders in addressing our key issues. Link to their website: https://www.dawncanada.net/

Access Information:

This event is in a barrier-free location. There will be ASL interpreters and attendant care. We request that you help us to make this a scent-free environment. For any other accessibility arrangements or questions about accessibility, please contact Cara at cara@tangledarts.org by February 26th, 2015. This is a sober space.

For more information or for booking interviews please contact:

 

Lindsay Fisher

Communications Coordinator,

Tangled Art + Disability

Tel: 647 725 5064

Email: lindsay@tangledarts.org

 

Hanane Khales,

Communications Coordinator,

DAWN-RAFH Canada

Tel: 514 396 0009 Ext. 2505

Email: communications@dawncanada.net