6 minute read. Content warning: None
chatGPT Summary: Kay reflects reflects on a challenging start to their day, receives exciting news about hosting an open house at FLEET, and outlines a detailed, accessible schedule for the upcoming event on Granville Island, focused on inclusivity, radical silence, and creative engagement.
I was unable to focus today.
The newly installed water tank has sprung a leak; either that or the pump is leaking, but I don’t know enough about it to troubleshoot, so I sat next to puddles of water and watched as it ran along the floorboards. It wasn’t until midway through the day that I realized that some of my prepared large paper works had become soaked, and a dark cloud settled over my thoughts. I kept trying to work on things, and even after I had picked up everything that had previously been on the floor, I kept catastrophizing.
However, in what I will call a big win, I decided it would be best to pack up and leave the island. I wasn’t getting anything done, so I took a chill walk back home. I’m glad I did. The clouds that had gathered over my brain began to dissipate, and today was indeed a gorgeous autumn day.
Even better, on my way home, I received notification that Granville Island and FLEET have granted me permission to host an open house event. So, I spent the rest of the afternoon dreaming up what such an event could look like. Here is my very tentative and unconfirmed schedule.
FLEET: Granville Island – Open house with Kay Slater
October 25th, 4-9 PM (Granville Island – Chain & Forge Plaza), in the former village of Sen̓áḵw (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh or Squamish Language), or sən̓aʔqʷ (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ or Musqueam language)*.
A lightly programmed evening at the FLEET mobile artist studios on Granville Island. When the patio is not engaged in performance and presentations, visitors are welcome to tour the trailer at their own pace. An interactive video game is available throughout the evening for visitors to try on their devices (using free wifi on the island), and a small print series will be available for sale by donation. See program and access notes below.
Mask-on Gathering Times:
4-5:30 PM: Anyone attending the open house during this time will be asked to wear a mask to respect and prioritize immunocompromised visitors or prefer masks for their safety and wellness. Masked visitors can move through the trailer whenever and however they need.
5-5:30 PM: Artist “talk” and silence concert (on the patio) – masks requested. Plaza chairs will be available for seating outside the patio.
General Program (Masks** not required/requested, but welcome)
**Note: Host/Kay will not be wearing masks during the general program time to allow for lip reading and ASL grammar.
5:50-6:10 PM – Sunset watch party in silence (on the patio). Sun sets at 6:05 PM.
A sun set watch party while gathering in silence in the Chain and Forge plaza (although visitors are welcome to move through the trailer whenever the back patio is not being engaged). visitors are invited to gather in the plaza and watch the sunset from under the bridge. Visitors are encouraged not to talk with each other and be in the presence of the setting sun. Earplugs will be made available. Non mask-wearing visitors can distance themselves from mask-wearing visitors across the plaza.
6:15-6:45 PM – Artist “talk” and silence concert (on the patio)
Kay will share some thoughts about radical silence and the creative access work they have done while in residence at FLEET. The talk will be presented using a projector, text-to-speech technology, and signing. Questions can be asked using text, written or digital, gestures and signs, or can be posed by speaking and will be answered as Kay understands them through lip reading. A very short concert/performance will mark the end of these talks. This talk will take place during mask gathering time in the late afternoon light at 5 PM, and then again, the same talk will take place just after sunset at 6:15 PM, with visitors not required to wear masks.
Shadow Show -Title TBD (on the patio) – Two showtimes: 7-7:20 PM and 8:30-8:30 PM
A concise shadow puppet show created during the October residency, performed through the back patio doors of the FLEET trailer. Visuals will be described through narration on the patio so it can be experienced by low-vision or non-visual visitors. 2 showtimes to allow for different schedules. It’s the same story each time.
Access note: These shows fall outside of the mask-on gathering times due to the need for low light/sunset. Kay will also film the performance and describe the version online by the end of the residency. Kay is also available during the final week of the residency for on-demand evening performances of the show for any folks who need distancing or mask-on attendance.
9 PM – Event ends. Community Centre Washrooms close at 9:30 PM.
Throughout the evening:
The Haunted Island, Interactive Game: A text-based video game encouraging players to walk the island and build sensory descriptions of different locations. Wifi is needed to access the game initially, but it can be downloaded using #VanWifi on mobile devices – available near the Granville Island Market. It is designed to be played by anyone, regardless of sensory access needs, but Kay welcomes feedback if players experience barriers.
Radical silence prints: A short-run series of prints created during Kay’s October residency will be available by donation.
RFID/QR Self-Guided Tours: Inside the trailer, if physical access is possible, the trailer will be marked by RFID tags and QR codes so that visitors can get more information on the work done inside the trailer. For those unable to access the trailer due to the stairs (no railing/no ramp), a small-scale model will be available with RFID tags throughout to provide an adjacent tour experience.
Social media post:
Technology note:
I continue to test the use of AI within my writing and artistic practice. I used chatGPT to create a summary and reading estimate and to recommend some content warnings for this blog. Grammarly also assisted me with spelling and grammar.
I used the Instagram API to create embed code and share the two social media posts I uploaded there.
Access note:
*This blog attempts to prioritize non-visual experiences and consider screen readers when publishing. This means that NAPA (North American Phonetic Alphabet) use will always be followed by the English equivilent. This access conflict is no way a perfect solution as it requires Indigenous place and proper names to always be accompanied by colonial language, but it also requires that screen readers receive garbled data that is both meaningless and annoying. Compromise should be a place from which we can have conversations, and in this work I wish to both acknowledge access challenges as well as the systematic erasure of Indigenous language and oral culture.