CANADIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF THE DEAF

DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, TORONTO

ORGANIZATION PROFILE

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD), a registered non-profit charitable organization incorporated in 1973, which preserves, encourages, and advances the arts and culture of Canada’s Deaf population through performance and visual & media arts and literature reflective of Deaf heritage. The CCSD also promotes new forms of creativity and better understanding between Deaf and hearing adults, youth, and children through engagement in the arts. The CCSD firmly advocates the use and promotion of sign language.  CCSD is recognized as one of Canada’s national arts service organizations, has received numerous awards for its Deaf arts productions.  

DEFINING THE CENTRE

DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, a project of CCSD is located in the Distillery Historic District, Toronto. It is open to the public and rooted in the Deaf community.  Opened in 2006, it provides a forum to celebrate Deaf life through the arts. The Centre hosts many visitors annually, mentors Deaf / hearing students and interns, and promotes visual and performing artists through professional art exhibitions in its gallery, sign language theatre performances and film productions. DEAF CULTURE CENTRE’s current project is to establish Deaf arts training on a national scale and to increase arts eco-system to support Deaf visual and performing artists and arts professionals. CCSD relies on donations, earned revenues, sponsorships and grants.

The Leadership

Joanne, through her tireless effort with the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE strives to not only connect Canadians with access to natural sign language, but in doing so to Deaf culture. In that way, DEAF CULTURE CENTRE strives to provide a forum to celebrate Deaf life through the arts. CCSD encourages the development of a unique culture that is not subject to stigma or prejudice; indeed, through the CCSD’s work, the contributions of Deaf artists to Toronto's vibrant artistic scene stand testament to the larger sense of community CCSD wishes to establish.

No child should grow up in this country without language or culture and that no Deaf or hard of hearing Canadian is subjected to the normative values of the hearing community. In short, CCSD hopes to establish a fruitful and productive dialogue between Deaf and hearing cultures that illustrates similarities while celebrating difference, and, in doing so, deconstructing stigma surrounding the Deaf issues in Canadian culture.

The Beliefs, Core Value, and Philosophy

The core mission of the CCSD is to celebrate the immense creativity and talent of Deaf Canadians. Here, at the CCSD, we celebrate a vibrant, creative, and innovative culture driven by a uniquely embracing language. No other language gifts the mind, body, and soul with such an expressive vehicle quite like sign language. Our language reaches beyond the dwelling of isolation and invites us to celebrate one another for who we truly are and not lament who we are not. It enables us to not only value authenticity; it inspires us to achieve it. 

People think of Deaf people as one entity but it actually includes Deaf visible minorities and Deaf Indigenous individuals, LGBTQ individuals, Deaf individuals in wheelchairs and those experiencing mental illness. It is not a monolithic community but has a rich, varied heritage to explore and express through visual arts, Canadian Deaf visual artists remain disenfranchised without a centre of excellence to feature their work and expand on their practice. 

The key mandates of the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) are as follows:

• artistic practice is supported through a sustained and interconnected arts ecosystem 
• artists and arts professionals benefit from activities that advance learning and strengthen networks 
• arts organizations and specialists assist artists in developing and producing work, as well as reaching a public
• planning, implementation and evaluation to expand the national certification process for Sign Language instructors/teachers, coaches and consultants

We are now at a tipping point in building capacity through these arts partnerships and increased exponential exposure – integral vital and authentic part of the Canadian arts eco-system.  If others beyond our community can see the value of Deaf community, Deaf culture and sign language, that is truly inclusive in society.

Curatorial and Programmatic Framework

At the beautiful 1500 sq. ft. gallery space located in the heart of the Distillery District, the CCSD and the DCC exists to exhibit Deaf art and culture to the general public. The DCC is host to over 10,000 visitors per year from all over the world, and is a site for mentoring many students and interns annually. The DCC promotes Deaf artists of all ages through annual art exhibits, multimedia displays, Deaf View Image Art (De’VIA) website production, and book publications. Visitors to the DCC learn about Deaf leaders and the contributions Deaf people have made to society throughout history, and Deaf cultural practices and values in an effort to promote greater cross-cultural understanding between Deaf and hearing people. 

When establishing exhibitions in the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, the CCSD is guided by the De’VIA manifesto. De’VIA explores Deaf experience on a personal, cultural, and physical level. It tends to use intense colours and contrasting textures, often with emphasis on facial features, eyes, and hands to reflect Deaf insights and values.  Many Deaf artists work in the genre by instinct, but are not aware that their work is De'VIA. The CCSD believes that reclaiming the lost art of De'VIA in Visual art, signed music, and theatrical performance will advance artists’ professional artistic expression, and is dedicated to uplifting and showcasing Deaf artists who are incorporating the De'VIA concept into their work.

The Working Values

The DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, a project of CCSD, promotes Visual Arts and Theatre Arts in sign language - a true expression from the heart of who we are.  The DEAF CULTURE CENTRE features works by Deaf artists in a cultural space that is a starting point to understanding Deaf Life and a social hub that introduces contributing members to the arts scene, to the Deaf community and to society at large.

RANGE OF PROGRAMS

The CCSD’s headquarters, located in the historic Distillery District of Toronto, is the first free standing DEAF CULTURE CENTRE of its kind internationally. It offers an art gallery, a board room with video conference ability and special event facilities, as well as a giftshop featuring Deaf artists’ artwork.

Visitors are comprised primarily of Deaf patrons at special events and of hearing Distillery patrons exploring the site and from around the world, both Deaf and hearing.  A Social Enterprise partnership with the Palgong Tea Company well known for its milk tea based with rich flavored teas fruit teas, flavored topping foams, smoothies and coffee variations, it is designed to enhance the experience of visitors in a signing environment, it is located in the Historic Distillery District area of Toronto, a revitalized heritage site that is home to a growing number of arts, entertainment and cultural organizations. It is here that visitors/customers can see Deaf culture in action.

The CENTRE provides education and cultural opportunity to both Deaf and hearing communities, and provides many opportunities in which there is Deaf and hearing visitor exchange. Sign Language Institute Canada(SLIC), one of the important branches of CCSD will soon become a reality.  SLIC was established in 1981 for sign language instructors to develop the national certification process for Sign Language Instructors/Teachers and to pursue to a higher level.

In addition to its core artistic and cultural programming, CCSD and its DEAF CULTURE CENTRE offer:

1. Six exhibits at the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE Art Gallery featuring Deaf artists, Deaf-Blind artists
2. Increase arts eco-system to support Deaf artists – Develop E-store to sell Deaf artworks online.  Build a Deaf Artists Directory on website to address the many requests we receive and provide artist exposure and network
3. Increase Artists Collectives in other provinces via monthly Arts Advisory Committee meetings via video-zoom.  Train artists how to increase profile and income 
4. Develop relationship for arts training in Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (The Banff Centre) with professional Deaf artists providing workshops/practices, programming, a doorway to establishing the Deaf Arts Institute without Boundaries
5. Stories from a Suitcase forum theatre production, seeking funds for the final forum-theatre production.  Mentees from The Black Drum will direct the play.
6. Celebrating Ideas with Inspiration in Deaf Arts - Expose Canadian Deaf artists/actors online by developing KissFist Tea Chats inspired by TED Talks; maximum 18 minutes each.  Recruit Deaf Arts presenters with diverse backgrounds.  
7. Publications, Training and Professional Development - Canadian Deaf Theatre Handbook Part II: The Black Drum Signed Musical Theatre Process; Mentorship Framework document and complete Deaf View Image Art: Canadian Exhibits Handbook
8. Expand the Sign Language Institute Canada for professional development and high level certification for Sign Language instructors, coaches, consultants, etc. 

OVERARCHING GOALS

Besides providing structured support for Deaf cultural activities across the country, CCSD actively pursues special projects that add to the wealth of Canadian Deaf culture, and augments the resources available to families, schools, artists, athletes and others. Amongst our core social impact goals are increasing the organization’s capacity to promote and celebrate Deaf culture to an expanded audience, and increasing the organization’s capacity to deliver services that eliminate barriers to social inclusion for members of the Deaf community.

Of fundamental importance to the CCSD is increasing access to sign language. If a person has no language, they have no culture, and no sense of identity; they have no access to knowledge and empowerment.  We believe strongly in the domino effect of language and culture: once you have a language and a culture, everything else takes care of itself. One of our primary goals is therefore to enable everyone to have access to Sign, so that they can enjoy the gift of language that will give them the tools needed to express themselves and explore the world around them. 

The CCSD engages in a number of outreach initiatives in our pursuit of the goal of expanding access to sign language. The organization is continually working to establish Deaf arts communities in provinces and territories across Canada, as well as reaching out to parents and siblings of Deaf children, interpreters, and school boards to raise awareness and increase accessibility between Deaf and hearing communities. The Centre also actively engages with community partners, including the University of Toronto, expanding its outreach both locally and nationally.

The CCSD is also always striving to enhance the quality of Deaf artists in terms of the De'VIA concept, notably through increasing networking skills for Deaf emerging and/or professional artists; increasing cross-cultural exchange among professional artists; advancing professional development, networking, dialogue and knowledge-sharing among arts professionals from the designated arts communities; and increasing public access to culturally diverse, Deaf arts.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

CCSD measures success based on a framework of Principle Focused Evaluation. Our principles are as follows:

Guiding: Provides direction and informs priority-setting.

Useful: Informs decision-making: interpretable, feasible, and actionable.

Inspiring: Values are explicit, motivational, and meaningful for ongoing, long-term engagement.

Developmental: Context and complexity sensitive, enduring rather than time-bound.

Evaluable: Use mixed methods understanding that both qualitative and quantitative data will require interpretation and judgement.

Our social impact principles are:

1. Increasing the organization’s capacity to promote and celebrate Deaf culture to an expanded audience.
2. Increasing the organization’s capacity to deliver services that eliminate barriers to social inclusion for members of the Deaf community. 

The success of our social impact will be measured by our ability to:

1. Provide training for educators and interpreters, as well as provide a higher level of literacy competency.
2. Promote the artistic works of Deaf artists and their careers.
3. Create meaningful employment for Deaf individuals at the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE.
4. Bring positive awareness of Deaf culture to the greater public within an integrative environment, reducing social segregation and a lack of cross-cultural understanding.
5. Generate additional income to support the sustainability and financial independence of CCSD.

Registered Charitable Number:  11883 0702 RR0001

Revised by CCSD, 2020