Awakening Deaf Theatre in Canada Conference

Registration is now closed.

The "Awakening Deaf Theatre in Canada" conference will take place from 
November 9th - 12th, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec. 

Deaf West Theatre’s (DWT) production "Spring Awakening" on Broadway has left a profound impact on the theatre community. DJ Kurs and Troy Kotsur from DWT will be providing a series of workshops on professional sign language performances at the conference. We look forward to connecting prominent sign language performers in Canada to bring together important roundtable discussions on the direction of Deaf and Sign Language theatre.

We would be delighted to have you and your team present at the gathering to hear about the work that goes into your practice and to learn what Deaf West Theatre has to say about producing American Sign Language theatre. Also, we would love to hear about your artistic advancements and your opinions on the direction Canadian Deaf Theatre is heading in.

ASL-English interpreters and ASL-LSQ interpreters will be present during the conference.
​
Deaf artists and hearing allies are welcome to attend. 

DJ Kurs

Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre, a position he has served in since 2012. He shepherded the production of Spring Awakening from its beginnings in a 99-seat theatre in Los Angeles to its recent revival on Broadway. Prior to his current position, he served as an Artistic Associate and ASL Master at Deaf West Theatre. He is also a freelance producer and filmmaker.

​

Troy Kotsur

Troy Kotsur has been acting and directing for over 20 years, during which he has earned multiple awards. Deaf since birth, he was raised in Mesa, Arizona. Troy graduated from Westwood High School and attended Gallaudet University. He became a professional actor with the National Theatre of the Deaf and Deaf West Theatre.

Conference Schedule - tentative

Friday, November 9th, 2018

Time
Activity
14h00 – 17h00
Registration
17h00 ​– 18h00
Opening ceremony &
short presentation of  Canadian Deaf arts organizations 
​18h00 ​– 19h30
Dinner
19h30 ​​– 21h00
Discussion: Landscape of ASL theatre interpreting in Canada
21h00
Networking opportunity

Saturday, November 10th, 2018

Time
Activity
9h00 – 10h00
Light Breakfast
10h00 – 12h00
Workshop #1
​Producing an ASL Musical: The Journey of Deaf West's Spring Awakening (DJ)
​12h00 – 13h30
Lunch 
13h30 – 15h30
Workshop #2 
​An Actor's Odyssey- Developing the skills to be a stage actor (Troy)
​15h30 – 16h00
Coffee Break
​16h – 18h00
Deaf Artist Panel
18h30 
Dinner

Sunday, November 11th, 2018

Time
Activity
9h00 – 10h00
Light Breakfast
10h00 – 12h00
Workshop #3
Actor Training: Movement, VV, and ASL onstage from the perspective of the actor (Troy)
​12h00 – 13h30
Lunch 
13h30 – 15h30
Workshop #4 
​English script translation workshop (DJ)
​15h30 – 16h00
Coffee Break
​16h – 18h00
Workshop #5
Capturing Lighting in a Bottle: Producing ASL Theatre (DJ)
18h30 
Dinner

Monday, November 12th, 2018

Time
Activity
10h00 ​– 12h00
Community Dialogue
Feedback for the conference, future collaborations
12h00 ​​– 12h30
Closing Ceremony & Departure

Location of the conference

Novotel Montreal Centre
​1180 Mountain St, Montreal, QC H3G 1Z1
Walking distance from STM metro stations
Green line: Guy-Concordia & Peel station
Orange line: Lucien-L'Allier station

Registration Fees

Friday, November 9th and Monday, November 12th will be free and open to the public. However, registration is still required. Limited spaces available.
***
In order to participate in the workshops on Saturday, November 10th, and Sunday, November 11th, registration fee is required. ​The registration fee includes entry to all workshops on Saturday and Sunday, as well as breakfasts and lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Accommodation and dinners are not included.

You may register as an individual (Deaf or hearing), or as a group/company (up to 3 people).
​You may choose to register for only Saturday or Sunday.
 
Company
​(up to 3 people)
Individual
Saturday AND Sunday
$950
$350
Saturday OR Sunday
$500
$200

​​We operate on a sliding scale for Deaf individuals and Deaf-owned companies with limited funds. If you are Deaf and live in Quebec, and you would like to attend the conference but have financial difficulty, please email [email protected] 

​Our goal is to make the conference as accessible as possible to Deaf attendees.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee.
​Please arrange for accommodation on your own.
​
Novotel Montreal Centre offers discounted rooms at the following rate:
  • Room with 1 king-sized bed: $149 plus tax / night
  • Room with 2 double-sized beds: $159 plus tax / night
If you are interested in booking a room with Novotel Montreal Centre, please contact them and mention "Seeing Voices Montreal" for the special discounted rate. Deadline to reserve with the special discount is October 12th.
​
E-mail: [email protected]
Toll Free: 1-866-861-6112
Tel: 514-861-6000

Funding Opportunities

The Canada Council of the Arts has a "Professional Development Grant" under the program "Explore & Create", designed for self-identified Deaf artists. Please contact Tiphaine Girault (CCA) if you would like to apply. Please read this letter from Tiphaine specifying eligibility before applying. ​For more information on how to apply, please see the CCA website.

If you have other questions, please email [email protected] ​
  • We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.
  • Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.