Breaking the Silence Between Us

Deaf Performer Chris Dodd discusses the cultural intersection between Deaf and hearing artists in the context of performance creation. Bringing in his own perspectives as a Deaf performer in working with hearing collaborators, Chris relates the important lessons he has learned regarding accessibility and inclusion and in making a safe space for everyone involved.

Chris Dodd is an Edmonton based Deaf performing artist, playwright, accessibility advocate and Governor General Innovation Award finalist. He is the founder and artistic director of SOUND OFF, Canada’s national theatre festival dedicated to the Deaf performing arts. His solo work, "Deafy", began touring at the SummerWorks Performance Festival in 2019 and will be published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2021. His most recent work, “Please Remain Behind The Shield”, was commissioned by Canadian Stage as part of their multidisciplinary performance event “We Were, We Are, We Will Be”. Chris holds a degree from the University of Alberta’s Drama program. He was recently the recipient of the Guy Laliberté Prize for innovation and creative leadership by the Canada Council of the Arts.