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Sean Lee, a male-presenting East-Asian Chinese person smiles at the camera. He wears steampunk circle glasses that are brown with gold frames, and has wavy dark brown hair that pools at his shoulders. He wears a long sleeve dress that is green and purple with a thick winding black stripe that runs down the middle.

Keynote Speaker: Sean Lee

A Crip Approach to Curation

Sean Lee (he/they) Is the Director of Programming at Tangled Art + Disability. He is an artist and curator exploring the assertion of disability art as the last avant-garde. Orienting towards a “crip horizon”, his practice explores the transformative possibilities of access aesthetics as an embodied politic that can desire the ways disability disrupts. Sean has been working at the intersection of art and disability for the last decade, adding his insights and perspectives to conversations across Canada, the US, and internationally.

A young woman with glasses and long brown hair, wearing a pink jacket and white t-shirt. She is standing against a background of vines with her arms folded. She is smiling at the camera.

Olivia Adams

Presenter: Accessible Assessments: exploring academic accommodations in youth performance assessments and Roundtable, The ethics of conducting research with musicians with profound disabilities (Lotus Centre)

Olivia Adams is a Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Music Research at the University of Ottawa, researching academic accommodations in music performance. Olivia holds an MA in Music with a specialization in Feminist Studies from the University of Ottawa.  She is the Director of Education at the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education and is the author of Loud and Clear: A Guide to Levelled Piano Music by Women Composers.

Julian has long brown hair tied up in a bun, a long beard, and white skin. He is holding a guitar with 10-strings and wearing a grey suit jacket.

Julian Bertino

Performer

Julian Bertino (he, him) is an artist known for his fearless commitment to creative exploration and a dedication to pushing artistic boundaries. Holding a MMus in 10-String Guitar Performance, a MA in Composition, and a BMus from the University of Ottawa, where he is a professor of Music Technology. Julian is the driving force behind Julian Bertino Sound, recording musicians in the National Capital Region.

David Bobier, an older man with silver hair tied in a ponytail is wearing a black jacket, t-shirt and jeans. He is standing with his hands raised at chest level, palms up. On the floor are several vibrotactile devices that translate sound into vibrations that can be felt.

David Bobier

Presenter: VibraFusionLab

David Bobier is a disabled artist whose creative practice is exploring vibrotactile technology as a creative medium. This work led to his establishment in 2012 of VibraFusionLab, a creative multi-media, multi-sensory centre that has a reputation as a leader in accessibility for the Deaf and disability arts movement in Canada and internationally. His exhi­bi­tion career includes 18 solo and over 30 group exhi­bi­tion projects across Canada and internationally.

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www.bobierdavid.com

www.vflvibrafusionlab.com

Black and white headshot of a Black woman, Jo-Anne, who has long braided hair and is wearing earrings. She is smiling at the camera.

Jo-Anne Bryan

Performer: Speaking Vibrations

Jo-Anne is an Ottawa-based artist experiencing life through being Black, Deaf, Queer, and Woman. Her artistry includes ASL storytelling and performance. She is a lead performer of the award-winning multidisciplinary work Speaking Vibrations. In 2022, in collaboration with Deaf Canadian artists Pamela Witcher and Theara Yimco, Jo-Anne created and performed a Signed Music performance Resonance. Select credits include: “Where You Come From” (Phenomena Festival, 2019) and “400 Years” (SOUND OFF Deaf Theatre Festival, 2021).

Image of a Black woman who has glasses, long black hair pulled back from her face, and is wearing large silver hoop earrings. Her hands are in front of her chest. She is standing in front of an image of clouds and is looking upwards.

Tamyka Bullen

Presenter

Tamyka Bullen has been involved in social services for women, immigrants, youths, and the LGBTQA community for many years. In 2015 she became involved in the theatrical world as an ASL poetry performer. In 2018, she debuted as an actress for the Sound Off Festival production Deaf That! and Judith Thompson’s play After the Blackout. She teaches ASL lessons and if you are interested to learn another language, please contact her at starrygirl45@gmail.com. She loves to craft and mingle stories, arts, poems, acting, and dance on stage, and to voice her feelings and thoughts through her hands, body language, and facial expressions. Her motto: Embrace Yourself, Show Yourself!

A head-shot of Michael Carter. He has curly hair, blue eyes, black wire frame glasses and is wearing a pale blue dress shirt with an open collar. He is smiling at the camera.

Michael Carter

Performer and Presenter: Creating and Performing Beyond the Non-Disabled Gaze

Michael Carter is a teacher, disability activist, and musician. As a disabled person, his work is rooted in supporting disabled students in their development of positive disability identities. He teaches Disability Studies at the high school level, leading discussions about disability with disabled and non-disabled students. Before his current role as a learning support teacher in Lethbridge, Alberta, he spent seven years as an instrumental music teacher in Manitoba and Ontario. 

Joel Dazé describes himself as a middle aged man of white colour.  He is wearing a dark grey suit jacket along with a blue shirt and black tie.  On his face is a salt and pepper coloured beard.  He is bald and wears dark tinted sun glasses.

Joël Dazé

Performer and Presenter

Joël Dazé works in Ottawa as a freelance musician and composer. He runs a small business called The Little House Studio which delivers services in the spheres of art and advocacy to persons with disabilities. The production side of the house maintains 3 service contracts with post-secondary learning hubs in Québec in delivering access training and adapted didactic and academic learning materials to blind and partially sighted francophone musicians. He also manages a piano instruction studio for all learners. Joël’s creative interests center on improvisation, composition and music creation for the classical, the electronic, pop genres as well as media such as film and dance. Joël’s work has been featured in Zagreb Croatia, at the Dancing on the Edge Festival in 2006 as well as at the Aspen Modern Music Festival. Currently, Joël sits as a co-executive director and partner with the non-for-profit Blurring The Boundaries Arts. Recently, Joel has taken on the role of Accessibility Coordinator at the National Arts Centre.

A head shot of James Deaville. He has short brown hair and a short beard and mustache. He is wearing a blue shirt and dark grey jacket, and is speaking into a microphone.

James Deaville

Presenter: The Sight of Music: Captioning the Sound of the Score in Audiovisual Media

My research addresses issues of disability and music/sound, including access to the physical and cognitive worlds of academe. I have published on depression and madness from the perspective of music/sound and am interested in traumatization and de-traumatization through music and sound. I am interested in the intersections of accessibility and musicology/sound studies, whereby we can better understand how people with diverse disabilities access music and sound and the roles they play in facilitating access to wellbeing.

Rowan Friesen stands in a forest in autumn wearing a black suit with silk vest and white open collar shirt. He has wavy brown mid-length hair. He is playing the lute.

Rowan Friesen

Presenter: The Sight of Music: Captioning the Sound of the Score in Audiovisual Media

Rowan is a graduate student currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Music and Culture at Carleton University, specializing in Digital Humanities. His master’s thesis examines the role of TikTok in shaping the way that its users engage with music through short-form audiovisual bursts. Rowan will pursue his doctoral research on queer vocality in online spaces through Carleton’s Institute for Comparative Studies in Literature, Art, and Culture, beginning in the Fall of 2025.

A photo of musicians Luke Haneman and Meghan Lawrence. Luke has short dark wavy hair, wears a patterned shirt and black leather jacket. He is holding a guitar. Meghan has dark wavy mid-length hair and is wearing a black long-sleeve dress with a pattern of white flowers. They are sitting on a garden bench and smiling.

Lucas Haneman & Megan Lawrence, The Blind and The Beautiful Duo

Performers

The Blind And The Beautiful is an acoustic blues/roots duo comprised of guitarist/singer/songwriter Lucas Haneman and vocalist extraordinaire Megan Laurence.

Visually impaired since birth, Lucas Haneman started playing guitar at age six. An expressive and soulful guitarist/vocalist with a wide-ranging sound centered in blues and funk, Haneman's original songs are built on bold melodies and finely-crafted lyrics. Along with Megan Laurence's sultry voice and ability to hold an audience in the palm of her hand, the duo delivers a variety of original blues material with seamlessly blended vocals and soaring harmonies.

Black and white headshot of a Vietnamese woman, King Kimbit, who has long, dark hair, and is wearing a long necklace, glasses and cardigan. She is wearing earrings and looking to the right.

King Kimbit

Performer: Speaking Vibrations

Nguyễn Anh Thư/King Kimbit

King is a versatile artist, instrumentalist and activist based on traditional land of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg. A prolific and highly-respected artist in the spoken word and hip-hop communities; select credits include: Urban Legends Poetry Slam Champion, Canadian Women’s Songbook: Women in the JUNOs, House of PainT, Cranium Festival, MEGAPHONO Music Festival, and Dreamland Sessions. King is working on her sophomore album, Healing Trauma From The Projects; her newest release Fk12frfr Pt. II is streamable everywhere.

An image of Erin sitting to the right of an upright piano. She is wearing a flower-patterned scarf and is smiling at the camera.

Erin Parkes

Presenter: Roundtable, The ethics of conducting research with musicians with profound disabilities (Lotus Centre)

Erin Parkes holds a Ph.D. in music education from McGill University with a focus on adaptive music education and teacher training. In 2012, Dr. Parkes founded Lotus Centre for Special Music Education, a charitable organization committed to providing access to music education for people with exceptionalities. Dr. Parkes presents at conferences and guest lectures internationally on teaching music to students with exceptionalities and other issues in music education.

A photo of Jay Pocknell. He has short brown hair and a beard. He is wearing tinted glasses and a red parka with a fur lined hood. He is smiling.

Jay Pocknell

Presenter

Jay Pocknell is a music industry professional and Founder of Sound Without Sight. Being partially sighted, and working as Music Support Officer at RNIB, he is a prime contact for developments happening at the intersection of music and disability. Jay advocates for equitable access to music-making, including hardware, software, and notation.

Headshot of a woman. She has long, flowy light brown hair parted in the middle, and is wearing a purple, patterned dress. She has her hands at her waist and is looking off-camera to the right.

Jenna Richards

Presenter: Adaptive Concerts: An Inclusive Performance Initiative

Jenna Richards embraces a demanding schedule as a portfolio musician, including performance, research, and arts programming. She has performed from Toronto to Salzburg, organized national research projects, spoken at the Walrus talks and Harvard, and programmed over 1500 musical events. Currently, she serves on the Board for Xenia Concerts Inc., is pursuing her PhD, Interdisciplinary Research in Music, and programs as Director of Artistic Planning and Community Engagement at Ottawa Chamberfest.

Headshot of a man from the chest up. His hair is brown and he has facial hair. He is smiling at the camera wearing a burgundy pull over sweater with grey and blue stripes.

Jeffrey Sabo

Presenter: Roundtable, The ethics of conducting research with musicians with profound disabilities (Lotus Centre)

Jeffrey Sabo is a Ph.D. candidate in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa. He received a Master of Arts degree in Piano Pedagogy Research from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Ithaca College. He is currently the Professional Development Coordinator for the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education, where he also teaches piano to students with exceptionalities.

An asian woman with light pink hair "Dani Saldo", stands in the foreground wearing a denim jacket with orange patches and a white shirt standing up with a blank look on her face. Behind her are four television screens and monitors with blue screens and one larger screen showing static. Overgrown flowers are littered around the background, matching the pink color of her hair.

Dani Saldo

Performer and Presenter: Love Me Till I’m Me Again

Dani Saldo is a disabled Filipino-Canadian artist. Her song “All I Need” premiered in Anna Kendrick’s movie “Alice Darling” in TIFF 2022. Other credited songs have appeared on Teen Mom OG and Love Is Blind. Her works can also be heard as a part of “milknhunni” with songs featured by the animated short film “Paint It!”, Money Mart & Kensington Tours.  Igniting her passion for advocating for the disabled & intersectional experience, Dani took part in the ArtHaus & Conscious Economics Musicians for Social Change program and the TD SOCAN Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship & an RBCxMusic Artist through the Launchpad RBC Creative Entrepreneurship Program. Her debut EP "everything I couldn't say" is out now on streaming platforms everywhere, speaking on grief, mental health, disability, love and more. 

Image of a man outside smiling at the camera. He has facial hair, and is wearing a dark brimmed hat, a plaid button-up shirt, and light brown suit jacket.

Jesse Stewart

Performer and Presenter, WAAM Lab

Jesse Stewart is a composer, percussionist, artist, musicologist, and educator. He has been widely commissioned as a composer and artist. OttawaJazzScene describes him as “one of the most innovative musicians in Canada” (2015). He has performed and recorded with musical luminaries including Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Dong-Won Kim, Hamid Drake, and many others. He is a faculty member in Carleton University’s music program. He is also the founder of “We Are All Musicians” (WAAM), an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for individuals and groups to make music regardless of age, musical training, socio-economic circumstance, or disability. Through the WAAM initiative, Jesse has conducted hundreds of inclusive music workshops and performances around the world, and has developed or co-developed a variety of adaptive and assistive technologies that enable people with disabilities of various kinds to make music.

Image of a white woman smiling at the camera. She has long red hair parted in the middle, copper-framed glasses, and is wearing a black shirt. She is standing against a white wall, and is lit by the sunlight from her window.

Charlotte Stewart-Juby

Presenter: The Sight of Music: Captioning the Sound of the Score in Audiovisual Media

Charlotte Stewart-Juby (She/They) is a graduate student at Carleton University in Cultural Mediations, and is the conference assistant for this year's Empower Arts Summit. Her research interests explore the intersections of disability justice, community music, and theories of listening and affect. Charlotte has degrees in classical voice from McGill University, and a MA in Music and Culture from Carleton. Outside of school, Charlotte continues to look for ways to be a community arts worker, educator, and choral singer locally.

giftimage.png

Gift Tshuma

Master of Ceremonies

Gift Tshuma is a multidisciplinary artist with over 17 years of experience in classical and jazz vocals, and was mentored by jazz pianist Oliver Jones. He co-founded the United Tribulation Choir in 2007, releasing the album Seasons Change in 2016 through a successful crowdfunding campaign. In 2019, he co-founded Blurring the Boundaries with Charles Matthews and David Bobier as an outlet for their emerging music technology development and collaborative practice. Most recently, Gift has been hosting Rhythms of Access podcast featuring disabled musicians and other creative professionals sharing their experiences with disability and access in the music industry. 

As a disability rights advocate and co-founding member of a grassroots group: AccessibilizeMontreal, he has worked on numerous initiatives targeting discriminatory infrastructure. For the past 13 years, Gift has been working as an Advocacy Specialist and Equity Diversity & Inclusion Officer including consultation for Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and an ongoing role at March of Dimes Canada.

Headshot of Colin Tucker, a white man with short brown hair, wearing a black t-shirt. He is smiling at the camera

Colin Tucker

Performance: The Aesthetic is Eugenic / Collapsing the Aesthetic

Colin Tucker is a musician, writer, and curator who investigates intersections between music, art, decoloniality, and abolition. Through scores, videos, installations, and artist books, they make critical interventions around politics of sensation in the concert hall and museum, and around politics of territory in the settler colonial Everyday. For more information: colintucker.studio.

Makerspace Challenge Students

Team Happy Note: Elliot Gayed, Natalia Proano Gallegos, Emma Talbot

 

The Seam Team: Lilianne Boucher-Pfliger, Antoine Boult, Amélie Zietak, and Abby Wilson

 

Team Strum-Able: Victoria Richard, Quynh-Ni Au; Antoine Deslauriers; Natalia Proano Gallegos

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