Staging Survivance: Intellectual Disability, De-institutionalization, and Decolonial Arts Education

Abstract

This multimedia article comprises an illustrated conversation about the context, creation, and impact of the play Birds Make Me Think About Freedom, between non-Indigenous historian and theater artist Victoria Freeman, Indigenous actor Jamie Oshkabewisens, Indigenous artist and survivor of Rideau Regional Centre in Ontario, Joe Clayton, and non-Indigenous art education professor Richard Fletcher, originally presented at the 3rd International Conference on Disability Studies, Arts & Education. This slightly revised version of the conversation about intellectual disability, de-institutionalization, and decolonial arts education through the lens of the concept and practice of survivance is accompanied by still images from the play along with other images from the Zoom conversation and details of important artworks used in the play.