Accessible Exhibitions, Programming and Events Project (AEPE), 2021-2024

Overview

The Accessible Exhibitions, Programming and Events (AEPE) Project was funded by the Sector Innovation Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. It served as a three-year prototype to explore access, community care, Disability Justice, and non-hierarchical knowledge-sharing practices within grunt gallery. This project addressed the barriers marginalized communities face and aimed to integrate accessibility into grunt’s core programs.

Video Summary: The AEPE Showcase Video highlights the Accessible Exhibitions, Programming, and Events (AEPE) project at grunt gallery. The video explores how the project, led by Kay Slater and supported by grunt staff, has developed radical approaches to accessibility, Disability Justice, and non-hierarchical decision-making. It discusses key initiatives, including low-sensory and voice-off days, captioning workshops, creative access tours, and tactile residencies, while emphasizing co-learning and community care. Access notes: English with SDH closed captions (CC) with plain text transcript.

Key Initiatives and Milestones

From 2021-2024, AEPE led to several important initiatives:

Low-Sensory & Voice-Off Visiting Hours (Every Thursday, on-going)
- Prioritized quiet, non-verbal access to exhibitions for those with sensory challenges.
Workshops & Educational Programs
- Launched the Non-Auditory Access workshop (2021) to teach captioning and transcription.
- Developed Hosting and Contemporary Care (2022) and Stimming Co-Learning (2023) workshops.
- Created the Non-Visual Participation Workshop (2023), designed to guide non-visual accessibility in art spaces.
Creative Access Audio Tours (Ongoing, Gallery Exhibitions)
- Offer audio descriptions of exhibitions and tactile objects for non-visual access and participation both in the gallery and online.
Tactile & Voice-Off Co-Learning “Residencies”
- Piloted engagement projects specifically for non-visual artists and non-verbal/d/HOH/Deaf artists in 2022-2024, encouraging tactile and non-verbal exploration in contemporary art spaces.

Lessons Learned and Reflections

The AEPE project encouraged grunt to reflect on its 40-year history, challenging traditional practices. At times, the project’s radical approaches conflicted with grunt’s established culture, but it led to deeper insights on access and community care.
The AEPE project addressed systemic issues in how the arts marginalize or exclude people with disabilities, and the project emphasized that access is not universal—spaces must negotiate and adapt.

Transition to Ongoing Programs

As AEPE concludes, grunt gallery has integrated many of its practices into core programming. Moving forward, grunt will focus on Accessible Engagement Projects (2024-2027), building on AEPE’s groundwork through co-learning residencies, roundtable discussions, commissions, and a symposium.

Link to Ongoing Co-Learning Engagement Programs

• Learn more about the 2024-2027 AEP (Accessible Engagement Program) as we continue the Tactile and Non-Verbal Co-Learning Engagement “residency” programs.

Acknowledgements and Thanks

The Accessible Exhibitions, Programming, and Events (AEPE) project was made possible through the generous support and contributions of our funders and partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to:

Disability Alliance BC (Accessibility Project Grant, 2021)
Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) (Sector Innovations Grant, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Sarah Danruo Wang (Donor, 2021)
British Columbia Arts Council (Arts Impact Grant, 2023)

Personal Thanks from Kay Slater:

“I would personally like to thank Vanessa Kwan (VK) for taking a chance on this programming, for their bravery and creativity, and for seeing the value of making space for these conversations in 2021. Your work to secure funding and support for this project is deeply appreciated.

I also want to express my appreciation and respect for my colleague Keimi Nakashima-Ochoa, who joined in 2022, dove in headfirst and kept the momentum going. They were instrumental in supporting and innovating within this project, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with them and learned from them during our time together.

The AEPE project was a true team effort from everyone at grunt, and it is through our daily practice, our learnings, the trying, tripping, and trying again that we have succeeded.

I look forward to what comes after AEPE and to continuing to practice alongside everyone in the sector who learned and tried together. I’m also excited to keep building with the incredible nonverbal and non-visual artists I’ve had the privilege of learning from over the past four years.”