Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This paper considers my M.A. thesis work, which (re)imagines and (re)defines community care from the perspective of 2SLGBTQ+ and mad/Deaf/disabled identified communities in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Drawing on Participatory Action Research, community-based, and artistic practice research, this project invites eight participant co-researchers from 2SLGBTQIA+ and mad/Deaf/disabled communities in Toronto to participate in a series of six art workshops and focus group sessions exploring community care from January-February 2023. Multimodal art-based activities each week are used to inform participant exploration around community care, and as a facilitation tool for focus group sessions. Focus groups are audio recorded, transcribed, and undergo thematic analysis drawing on narrative inquiry methods. This paper discusses the findings and outcomes of my research in relation to Theme 4: The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life. What does it mean to use art-based practice research in service of social justice, and in centering 2SLGBTQIA+ and mad/Deaf/disabled perspectives in the academy? What are some of the challenges of facilitating 2SLGBTQIA+ and mad/Deaf/disabled community participation in action research, and what does it mean to cultivate access and inclusion in artistic research? This presentation will take up questions of inclusion, access, and community participation in artistic research through the case study of my M.A. thesis project. Centring arts-based research as community praxis, this paper considers the implications of working with and alongside 2SLGBTQIA+ and mad/Deaf/disabled participant co-researchers for increasing the accessibility of art-based practice research.