Da-bait is a month long set of provocative, private discussions and exchanges between 8 disabled and deaf artists about the state of Disability and Deaf Arts today as part of the Creative Campus Initiative. This online exploration was initiated by Dada-South on behalf of the Creative Campus Initiative and shaped and facilitated by Sarah Pickthall of Cusp Inc.
The artists participating in Da-bait are Esther Appleyard, Jon Adams, Howard Hardiman, Jenny Sealey, Juan delGado, Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq, Noemi Lakmaier and Caroline Cardus.
Through these on-line deliberations, these artists have questioned, provoked, challenged, debated and exposed their thinking and practices. This work was captured and collated in images, sound and word and was shared with the delegates at the Creative Campus Initiative's Conference and Critical Debates on 17th June 2010.
The key themes explored within Da-Bait focussed on 'the first time' - initial engagement, association, connection with Disability or Deaf Arts. In week two the discussion progressed to the notions of 'emergence' as an artist and why so many disabled and Deaf artists continually feel they are seen as emerging, or feel that they are still emerging. In the closing weeks of this first stage of Da-Bait, artists turned their attentions to what was deemed to be 'proper' and their perspectives on quality. Central to this emerged an analogy with tea-making and the ceremonial process of making and taking tea in Eastern cultures.
Conference delegates were treated to a limited edition work by artist, Jon Adams, in return for contributing to Da-Bait.
A strong desire to meet face to face was expressed by the participating artists. Dada-South will be instigating a series of opportunities for disabled and Deaf artists to come together to explore this key issue in the coming months.
This will be a powerful sharing of the collective voice of Disabled and Deaf artists and their intrinsically different responses to the notion of ‘quality practice' within Disability and Deaf Arts.
Dada-South is grateful to Creative Campus Initiative for supporting Da-Bait.
