The Canada Council for the Arts wishes to have greater understanding of the current context of Deaf and
disability arts practices in Canada and how the sector has evolved and manifested since 2008 when the
Council began to investigate and subsequently support it in a coordinated fashion. Therefore, the Council
will commission a research initiative to explore the changes in the sector over the past 10 years.
The research would consist of updating and broadening the 2010 research undertaken by Rose Jacobson
and Geoff McMurchy (Focus on Disability and Deaf Arts in Canada). It would include an environmental
scan of the Deaf and disability arts sector, in Canada and internationally, its composition, infrastructure
and discourse through a mix of primary and secondary research. Deaf and disability arts includes, but is
not limited to, Deaf arts, disability arts, mad arts, integrated/mixed ability arts and practices involving
artists with intellectual disabilities.
A critical element would be to understand the changes in the sector since the original research and the
implementation of the Canada Council’s Expanding the Arts strategy. This would include the significant
differences in this community across Canada due to language, region (e.g., Quebec or Francophone
minority regions, the North) or other demographic / intersectional identifications such as Indigenous
Nationhood and cultural diversity. This research is also directly related to the Council’s Strategic Plan
2016-21 commitment to strive for equity in support and access for Deaf artists and artists with disabilities.
Request for Proposals: http://canadacouncil.ca/about/requests-for-proposals
Update: The Q&A period has extended to the 15th
Download RFP
Closing date: 01/09/2018