The Blackwood Gallery’s Quiet Parade
From ASL interpretation music to a royal storm cloud in a ballgown, the Quiet Parade was truly a sight to behold.
If you saw a storm cloud in a ball gown walking around campus on Wednesday: no, you weren’t seeing things. On Wednesday, September 18, the Blackwood Gallery held the Quiet Parade around the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus, and it was truly a sight to behold.
Initiated by Aislinn Thomas, a disabled artist who thrives in low stimulation environments, the parade was first conceptualised as Thomas’s desire to create a parade she could attend — where she would be comfortable and wouldn’t have to deal with overstimulation. It grew into an accessibility friendly parade, considering both physical and sensory access needs. It was also meant to highlight all the ways accessibility isn’t considered in both our built environment as well as the conversations we have about it.
Artists participating in the parade included the HUSH BAND: a quiet marching band, Deaf Spectrum: performing ASL music, and Birdie Gerhl, who had a fun interactive performance piece known as “Could you please hold my worm”. The entire parade was curated by Ellyn Walker.
The parade itself was eye-catching and inspiring, attracting the attention of many students. With dynamic physical performance, bright colours, and fantastical costumes and props, many stopped to watch the promenade as it made its way around campus. The parade also involved audience interactions, handing out stim toys, showing off public stimming, and handing out a worm. To increase the level of accessibility, it has also been recorded and is available for asynchronous viewing.
While the “quiet” part of the Quiet Parade had a rough start, both because some audience members didn’t get the memo in time and because of the wind interacting with some of the props — a commentary on how much we all think about accessibility on a daily basis. For the most part, the parade delivered on its promise to be sensory friendly. As someone who deals with auditory overstimulation myself, watching the Quiet Parade was truly an ease on my hearing.
My personal favourite parts of the parade were the ASL interpretation music, the snail hats, and the royal storm cloud in the ballgown. It was a genuine joy to witness, and I encourage everyone to give it a watch. You can learn more about the Quiet Parade and its contributors at www.blackwoodgallery.ca/program/quiet-parade.
