Overview
The Accessible Engagement Project (AEP) is a three-year initiative funded by the Government of British Columbia through the Community Prosperity Fund. Building on grunt gallery’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, AEP focuses on co-learning engagements, commissioning accessible art projects, and a culminating symposium in 2027. By prioritizing tactile and non-verbal practices, AEP creates equitable and engaging opportunities for artists and audiences to explore access and contemporary art in new ways.
AEP integrates accessibility as a creative practice, supporting diverse artists and fostering conversations around systemic barriers in the arts. This project is grounded in community care and non-hierarchical collaboration, reflecting grunt gallery’s evolving approach to accessible arts engagement.
Current Initiatives
- Co-Learning Artist Engagements (2024-2027): Each year, we host two 6-week co-learning engagements: one for artists with tactile practices (non-visual/partially sighted) and another for artists with non-verbal practices. These engagements emphasize shared learning, exploring how access can be integrated into art-making and arts spaces. Artists are compensated $2,000 and their contributions are archived for public sharing and future learning. This program is updated annually with calls for applications in the winter.
- Commission Projects (2026): The AEP will introduce a commission project inviting artists to creatively respond to access challenges. Commissioned works will be added to the grunt archive, enriching our documentation and inspiring future accessibility practices. Details on the commission project are in progress.
- Symposium (2027): AEP culminates in a public symposium showcasing five years of co-learning and commissioned works. Artists, audiences, and arts organizations will gather to discuss insights and celebrate progress in accessibility-focused arts engagement. Details on the symposium are in progress.
Supporting Accessibility in the Arts
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Community Prosperity Fund, which allows us to expand our accessibility initiatives over the next three years.
How can you support this initiative? We invite interested sponsors and partners to support this critical work in creating equitable, inclusive art engagements for d/Disabled, Neurodiverse, and Deaf/deaf/Hard-of-Hearing/Nonverbal artists. If you want to participate, support, or fund this initiative, please get in touch with aep at grunt dot ca.
Contact Us for More information
Contact* Shanna Cheng or Kay Slater for media inquiries or to learn more about our 3-year plan, or email aep@grunt.ca. We are both also available to assist with applications!
*Note: Email is our preferred contact format, but if you prefer to communicate by voice, you are welcome to call the gallery or send voice memos by email. Shanna and Kay will translate messages using auto-transcription and assistance from other staff.
For more information, or to apply to forthcoming Co-Learning Artist Engagements, visit the following pages:
Stay updated on calls for applications, commission opportunities, and symposium announcements by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.