Butternut Series

Butternut Series, a set on Flickr.

Now you can check out my recent projects and creations on flicker; artwork and photography. Why not visit Fitz Pix. Please take a gander, and if you like what yous ee, leave a comment.
Thanks.
Wanda

Via Flickr:
On her 40th birthday, Sylence MacCleod awoke to find she had changed. Upon looking in the mirror, she found she had become a clown. This series depicts moments in her life after that awakening.

Sargasso - The Audio Described Experience

Yesterday I went to Sargasso by Philip Beesley.  Sargasso is a large scale suspended sculpture on display during the Luminato Festival at the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place from June 8 to 18, 2011.  

The instalation is amazing.  


Philip Beesley’s “Sargasso” combines visionary design with high-tech digital engineering to transform a downtown public space – and to offer a glimpse of the potential future of architectural art. A worldwide pioneer in the fast-growing field of responsive architecture, Beesley and his team of collaborators from the disciplines of architecture, engineering, biology, and sculpture use interactive technology to infuse one of Toronto’s busiest spaces with astonishing new life.

As if existing properties of this piece of "living art" aren't awesome enough; and they are, things move in response to your presence, there are little sounds and lights continually participating in the evolution of your experience, this  exhibit is AUDIO DESCRIBED FOR BLIND AND LOW VISION visitors.  You can download the audio file, or, if you have a smart device, you can scan the bar code at the site and play it on your phone.  Pretty cool eh?


The afternoon was beautiful and sunny.  The light in the space was stunning.  My friend and colleague Rose Jacobson and I were blown away by the beauty and genius of the design and application of the piece.  And the audio description mad it even better.  I took some photos (alas, silly me didn't bring a proper camera) on my iPhone, and have put together a little video with the audio for you to share a little of our experience.    This was a pretty quick job, as I want to get it posted ASAP, so people can get down there while Sargasso is still up.  


So, enjoy the soothing voice of audio describer Rebecca Singh on this photo tour of Sargasso.
This video is a creative collage made by artist Wanda Fitzgerald. the
soundtrack is an audio description of the sculpture "Sargasso" and is
intended for use while physically at the sculpture. This audio recording
is being used as "narration" here by special permission from Rebecca
Singh and Theatrelocal.org
 




 

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe2YsNcUJNU

Increase Your Audience By Being Accessible – Access to Digital Content

Attention Arts organizations - the information contained here may prove invaluable. Access (SCS) Consulting Services can help you solve your accessibility needs and increase your patronage.

Arts organizations have long been struggling financially; this in part has to do with cuts to arts funding and in part due to declining audiences. Making your online content accessible for people with disabilities, seniors, friends and family can increase your profitability.

People with disabilities make up 15.5% of the population, which is a significant number when you consider audience development.  Providing access to digital content, making exhibits and performances accessible could help to capture this market. People with disabilities, seniors and their companions have money to spend and want to enjoy the arts.

While Arts organizations in Ontario are slowly beginning to make an effort to make events accessible with audio description, closed captioning and ASL, they consistently disregard one very important aspect of making their events fully accessible: access to digital content.  Potential patrons may not be able to interact with content on websites, PDF documents, forms, ticketing information, videos and other content.  As a result, your organization may not be attracting a large segment of the population that can make your events more profitable. These barriers need to be addressed if change is to happen.

The goal here is to make the arts accessible to all people – a goal that needs to be adopted both in the material universe as well as in policy-making circles. We must ensure that all people, artists and patrons, have the ability to participate in the arts with ease and dignity. This is a win/win situation for everyone!

What Is Digital Content?

Digital content is any information that is published or distributed in digital form, including; text, data, sound recordings, photographs and images, motion pictures and software.

What Needs To Be Made Accessible?

• Web Design and Usability (including online ticketing)
• Text and data
• photographs, images
• Audio/Video
• PDF (including documents, applications and facility rental forms)
• Word and PowerPoint documents
• Events and Performances

As more information is transferred electronically, making digital content accessible becomes a social responsibility, especially if the content is meant for the public.

Making digital content accessible is neither a difficult nor an expensive task. Most common software applications like Adobe PDF maker and Microsoft Office have built-in tools for making documents accessible.

While providing accessibility benefits people with disabilities who are deemed a large minority group, it should not be forgotten that these same features are useful for seniors, people who have low internet bandwidth, and individuals accessing content through mobile devices. Making digital content simple to interact with is a priority when attracting a wide audience.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outlines the following four basic principles in making websites accessible:

Perceivable — Information and user interface components must be presentable to users such that they can perceive the presented information, i.e. it can’t be invisible to all their senses.

Operable — Users must be able to operate interface components and navigate. The interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform.

Understandable— Users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface.

Robust— Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. Users must be able to access the content even as technologies advance.

ACCESS (SCS) CONSULTING SERVICES

What makes Access (SCS) Consulting Services Different?

We engage experienced arts practitioners with disabilities who understand the industry as well as accessibility compliance standards.

Website Audits

Ensure that your website is accessible. We can provide:

• Evaluation of your site using WCAG 2.0 and W3C guidelines, U.S. section 508 of the rehabilitation act and AODA legislation
• Explanation of what and where the problems are, including a ranking of priorities and specific instruction on what needs to be done to address each issue
• Overall best practices, recommendations
• A usability section provided by both screen magnifier and screen reader users

Document Conversion

• Convert your documents into an accessible format that works with adaptive technologies.
• Adapting document styles and formats in Word, PowerPoint and other formats
• Creating accessible PDFs from documents in Word, PowerPoint and other formats
• Modifying your existing PDFs with accessibility tags and alternative text for images
• Converting your existing PDFs into other formats such as accessible HTML, Word and PowerPoint

Special Workshops and Seminars

• Accessibility training
• Accessible web design to reach a wider audience
• Document Accessibility
• Performance and Event accessibility:
• Audio Description
• Captions
• Touch Tours
• ASL 

Access (SCS) Consulting Services

Leave the Accessibility to Us!

Need help making digital content accessible?  Contact Access (SCS) Consulting Services to try our NEW website design and PDF document conversion services. Our new associate, Wanda Fitzgerald, is an expert accessibility and digital content consultant with more than 15 years experience. We make existing documents, forms or other digital content accessible.  Our prices will make you smile. Our expert services will make you accessible! See www.access-scs-consulting.com or call 416-561-7942

LUMINATO FESTIVAL, SARGASSO DOWNLOADABLE MP3 FILE LINK

Dear Friends!

Here is the accessible URL for our Audio Description of Sargasso- which is a
wonderful large-scale suspended sculpture at this year's LUMINATO.

 http://www.luminato.com/2011/download/sargasso

Select the URL to go directly to the downloadable audio file. You can
download this file and bring it with you to listen to on your mobile device
or mp3 player.

The press release about the exhibit is pasted below! Please enjoy and  bring
your friends! I welcome your feedback as well,

yours, on behalf of Picasso PRO/CT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luminato 2011 is June 10−19, mark your calendars!


LUMINATO INTRODUCES AUDIO DESCRIPTION PILOT PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP WITH PICASSO PRO/CREATIVE TRUST AND THEATRE LOCAL

The Luminato Festival is proud to announce the preparation of an audio description for “Sargasso,” a large scale suspended sculpture on display at the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place from June 8 to 18, 2011. Users will be able to download the audio description as an mp3 file in advance or onsite with a smart phone device. This marks the first time that Luminato offers a descriptive service specifically targeted at the visually impaired community.

In his Luminato-commissioned installation, Philip Beesley’s “Sargasso” combines visionary design with high-tech digital engineering to transform a downtown public space – and to offer a glimpse of the potential future of architectural art. A worldwide pioneer in the fast-growing field of responsive architecture, Beesley and his team of collaborators from the disciplines of architecture, engineering, biology, and sculpture use interactive technology to infuse one of Toronto’s busiest spaces with astonishing new life.

From June 8-18, Beesley’s “Sargasso” transforms a familiar downtown locale: the sweeping atrium of the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place. “Sargasso” is a vast canopy consisting of tens of thousands of lightweight, digitally-fabricated components which form an interconnected network of metal, acrylic, and mylar elements. Sargasso slowly shifts and floats above the pedestrian traffic, while shaping the nature of the environment itself.


Previous projects undertaken by this multidisciplinary group have been featured internationally, including in the Canadian Pavilion at the 2010 Venice Biennale in Architecture, and have won many awards, notably VIDA 11.0, FEIDAD, the Prix de Rome in Architecture, and the People’s Choice award at Toronto’s 2010 Nuit Blanche.

Audio Describer Rebecca Singh trained with Picasso Pro/Creative Trust and was last heard describing “More Fine Girls” at the Tarragon Theatre. Rebecca has also been a Fellow of the Luminato Festival* since September 2010.


The audio description pilot program is produced in association with Picasso Pro/Creative Trust and Theatre Local. This small project is serving as a pilot project, with the hopes that audio description can be integrated throughout the visual arts program in years coming.

*This position is generously funded by the Canada Arts Training Fund at the Department of Canadian Heritage, in partnership with Obsidian Theatre Company.

Featured Artist - Murray Powell

I've decided to start a new feature on my blog.  Once a month (hopefully) I will post the profile of an artist with a disability whose work I am familiar with.  This month, and my very first feature, will be Murray Powell.  

Murray Powell

Murray is an extraordinarily talented singer songwriter who lives in Toronto, and I've known him for many years.  We have also worked in the theatre together on several productions when I was with The Glenvale Players, the most memorable being a production of "Greetings" by Tom Dudzick. Murray is currently a contestant in this year's iFactor completion held by CNIB.     

He will be releasing his first CD entitled “REMEDIOS” on June 25th. If you would like to hear a sample of Murray's music, a haunting and beautiful song about life in a residential school, please follow the link below, and DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR HIM. http://www.theifactor.ca/VideoGallerySite/contest/MyVideoPlayer.aspx?ID=HBzcBe7O9Qk

Note regarding iFactor: This is an annual fund raising event held to benefit CNIB, not the artist. However, they do win a prize and receive recognition. Each vote costs $1 the proceeds of which go to CNIB

This post in no way supports the contest, only the artist, who is fabulous.

So, gentle readers, without further adieu, and in his own words, I give thee;  

Mr. Murray Powell...

"I am a singer, song writer and performer and I play rhythm guitar and Bass as well.

I have been involved in music since the age of 12 as my parents both were musicians and I experimented with Piano, accordion, trumpet and trombone. I also used to play and sing with some other friends at high school dances.  I studied music in school and attained a grade 8 vocal and grade 3 in music theory and played major roles in some Gilbert & Sullivan operettas including the Macado and HMS Pinafore.

 

For a time during my work life I put music aside but, more recently, I got back into playing and took guitar lessons in the early 2000’s.  During the past 9 years I got back into singing publicly starting with a live performance at a fundraiser event for the Glenvale Players Theater group in 2002.

Two years ago I formed a group called Prowler and the Wildman AKA “PWM” comprising a mandolin, lead guitar, drums and myself and for several months we performed a weekly gig from 8:00pm to midnight on Wednesday nights at the Black Swan in the east end of Toronto, until the owners had a change in venue.  I have also performed at several other local open stages and bars including Sarah’s Café, TKO’s, California Bar and Grill, The Old Nick, Eton House and Tario’s

Over the past 4 years I have participated in a weekly jam with a group of other musicians held on Saturday afternoons which is still occurring at Wise Guys Bar & Grill on Danforth Ave. east of Woodbine (Toronto) where I have had the occasion to try out many new songs and share good times with these musicians.

I also had the opportunity to perform at Winter Folk this past spring a music festival held annually in the east end of Toronto.

I have a repertoire of over 300 cover songs including country, folk, Irish, blues and good old rock and roll.

In June, 2011 I recorded and (will) released my first CD of original songs called “remedios” comprising 13 of my own compositions.  This CD is dedicated to the memory of my daughter Leslie Marie Kelly who was killed in 2008 at the age of 26 and there is a special song for her on this album.

I am looking for opportunities to play either independently or with my group as well as promote my CD and welcome any referrals that may come my way.  I am also open to participating in interviews and or discussing my material upon request.

Please feel free to contact me at the address cited below.

powmurmusic@bell.net

  

Thank you for your interest"

Thanks so much Murray, and I will be at your launch in two weeks with my box of tissue.  I know I'm gonna cry when I hear Leslie's song.  Wishing you the best of luck with lots of love.

A Play with POV Audio Description - Common Criminal 2008 - Scene 1

In November 2008 we remounted my London Fringe production of Common Criminal.  An experiment in alternative descriptive audio, wherein, instead of a third person narrator, the description is mainly voiced by included characters of the (DVS) Memory, played by Debbie Gillespie, who was concealed from the audience.  Debbie is actually blind, so it was an interesting process to develop the description.  And the Voice Over for the thoughts of Gregory McPherson, played by singer song writer Sean Peever, who also performs all the music in the show.  The show was performed at the Tranzac Club in Toronto, with the audience using typical audio description receivers..   Those who chose to use them were treated to an entirely secret and eerie layer to the story. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you. . .

Common Criminal - Scene One  (with transcription and POV audio Description)

Common Criminal: A Dark Drama Written and Directed by Wanda C. Fitzgerald

THE STORY: A Dark Drama Based on Real Events. Befriended by a charming stranger, Maureen, a blind employee of Avon Probation Services, discovers she is being systematically stalked by a man convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a disabled woman. Will further incarceration detour his goals, or simply postpone them? This unique drama features original live music, experimental POV Descriptive narration, interpretive dance and and integrated cast of blind and sighted actors.

Geoff Gilmour-Taylor (McPherson)
Sean Peever (music, descriptive voice over of McPherson's thoughts.)
Debbie Gillespie (DVS Memory)
Wanda Fitzgerald (Grace, The Memory)

Access Fitz!: LUMINATO INTRODUCES AUDIO DESCRIPTION PILOT PROGRA...

Access Fitz!: LUMINATO INTRODUCES AUDIO DESCRIPTION PILOT PROGRA...: "Gentle readers; I am posting the following information here. However, I am not responsible for the accessibility issues with Luminato's web..."