Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Okay,
Speaker 2 00:01:00 Good evening and welcome to disability and progress where we bring you insights into ideas about in discussions on build stability. We tonight have a, uh, by the way, I'm Charlene doll. Sam is, uh, off this week, but she'll be back next week. Don't worry. We are guests to sleeping as a Reuben harden from who is an access innovator for, oh, sorry. I'm not used to doing this guy. Sorry. Uh, heart of the beast puppet and mask theater in Minneapolis. Hi Ruben. Hi. Thanks for joining us today. We really appreciate it.
Speaker 0 00:01:44 Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 00:01:46 I think we'll start with a little bit of background about you and, uh, what brought you to your current position?
Speaker 0 00:01:57 Um, yeah, so I have been doing disability access work since I was 15. Um, I'm 24 now, so that's nine years. Um, I am autistic and physically disabled. Um, so it started as self-advocacy and moved on from there. Um, my passion project currently in my free time is a literary journal for non in semi speaking writers and visual artists. Um, I came to the position at heart of the beast because of my experience with disability access and disability justice work, as well as my experience in the art world. And I felt like it combined two communities I'm passionate about perfectly, and I was lucky enough to get the position.
Speaker 2 00:02:40 Awesome. So did you just happen to hear about it or did you go watch a show there or how did you actually get there?
Speaker 0 00:02:48 I happened to just see a posting for the position and I was very excited about the possibility of being able to do that work for a local feeder. Um, and I, I mean, I had known about the theater a long time and I had been going to, um, the yearly, uh, Mayday parades, but I hadn't done any work for them until this year.
Speaker 2 00:03:07 So what exactly is your title and what does that mean?
Speaker 0 00:03:12 So my title is accessibility innovator and in the context of this specific theater, it means helping plan events with a disability focus, as well as make sure that all of our events and programming, um, are accessible and involve disabled, um, artists as well. And I'm working on helping make our website accessible and because we are going to be selling the theater so we can have a, uh, physically accessible space, I will be helping with, uh, finding that space as well.
Speaker 2 00:03:46 Okay. So what kind of things do, uh, suggest are, are facilitate to make something accessible?
Speaker 0 00:03:55 Um, I mean the basic, such as making sure that we provide, you know, an interpreter, if the event is virtual, that providing captioning as well. Um, making sure that if we're hosting in person, it's a space that is mobility device accessible. Um, and I also look at making sure that it's not just an event that disabled participant can show up at, but what holistically involves disabled people, both as like leaders and artists and who are being able to give these ideas and being brought into the theater. Um, because we do have a lot of disabled artists in Minnesota and I want to make sure that that's being acknowledged.
Speaker 2 00:04:36 So where are you guys located right now? I know you're talking about you'll be moving, so, but, uh, where are you now where we're from?
Speaker 0 00:04:45 Only located in Minneapolis.
Speaker 2 00:04:50 Okay. So where will you be going? Are you still staying in Minneapolis?
Speaker 0 00:04:55 I believe that's the plan. It's very early in the stages, but I know that, um, there'll be looking for spaces still in Minneapolis.
Speaker 2 00:05:03 Okay. Yeah. So was your position, uh, did it exist already or was this something they decided that they should develop?
Speaker 0 00:05:14 So they had this position specifically for the Mayday parade back in 2019, and then they realized, um, in the last year that they needed to have that same position for their work in general.
Speaker 2 00:05:28 Oh, okay. Well then that's good because that's the piece that gets lost a lot and then all kinds of life experiences. And I'm glad to see that the arts are really developing an inclusion and access to everything. So everybody's equal.
Speaker 0 00:05:50 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I, that, it's, it's easy to think, oh, we need this for this event, but not realize that there were people that also want to be performing and creating events too.
Speaker 2 00:06:06 So do you think, uh, your position helps the organization become even more, uh, viable?
Speaker 0 00:06:15 I would hope so. I I'd like to think I'm being helpful in these ways.
Speaker 2 00:06:21 Uh, do you get a lot of feedback from the customers, the clients that come in and the customers?
Speaker 0 00:06:26 Um, I mean, I am very new to this position. So the care worker event is the first event I'm helping with. Um, but I, I definitely feel like the direction that we're going in in this specific event, we'll get positive feedback. I think we're working very hard on it. We're making sure to involve disabled people in all aspects. And it's a book that I know is very well loved within our community. So I'm thinking that we will get a positive response.
Speaker 2 00:06:52 So do you have any personal, uh, goals right now for what you want to achieve in the next six months to a year?
Speaker 0 00:07:04 Um, yeah, I, so I've been brought on until December with hopes of being on working on further. Um, it's kind of, it's called like a kind of a trial position to see how it works and, and what's needed. I would say definitely the next three months it's implementing these events, making sure that we're continuing with, um, events with a disability focus afterwards, as well as making sure that all of our materials and website is fully accessible. So those are my main goals right now and what I've been working on.
Speaker 2 00:07:34 Okay. Okay. I think we'll that we'll talk about, uh, do you, uh, during October, you all are having some, uh, uh, panels workshop, uh, about, uh, a book that was written by, uh, oh, excuse me, car care. Where, uh, well just tell me about that. Tell me the author and the book can be okay.
Speaker 0 00:07:59 So the book is called care work, dreaming disability, justice, it's by the author, Leah Lakshmi, um, who has been writing about and doing disability justice work within the community for about 20 years. My understanding, um, the book itself is talking about the topic of care work in a very creative way. So it's talking about ways that people who can't have access to formal aspects of care work such as personal care attendants can reach out to the support, their support networks and get that kind of help. The ways that, um, activist that they've worked with within the disability community have cared for each other. They talk a lot about both like their experiences as a disabled person and asking for helping care as well as ways that they imagine this can change as we move forward in the world. Um, a lot of the focus of the book is specifically about, um, queer femmes of color who are disabled and all of the work and labor have done, which I think is, um, really important that we have a book with this focus that talks so much about that.
Speaker 0 00:09:02 Um, as a, in the general disability world, we see that tends to not be as much of our conversation. Um, a lot of it's just very, just talking about like the history of the ways that we've supported each other and the history of ways that we showed up for each other, both within activism, but also just when we haven't been able to get help from able-bodied people. Um, and I think it's a great starting off point for just a larger conversation around the ways that able people can help us, but also the ways that we can help each other.
Speaker 2 00:09:32 So where is, is this a virtual or going to be, uh, in-person or at how often in October? So,
Speaker 0 00:09:42 Yeah, so this specific event is going to all be virtual. Um, it, it will be every Tuesday, um, from seven to eight 30 and then the, um, panel will be on November 2nd, also from seven to eight 30. Each art workshop will involve a different art activity. Um, they're all, they're all mixed media and we've created them to make sure that they're physically accessible.
Speaker 2 00:10:09 So is this part of the theater, or
Speaker 0 00:10:12 This is a part of the theater.
Speaker 2 00:10:14 Okay. Is there a cost, but you can't tell us how much, but yes or no?
Speaker 0 00:10:20 Um, no, there is not a cost. Ah, good
Speaker 2 00:10:22 For you. It's always good. Yes. So, um, are you facilitating this or are you just, uh, part of the pro uh, program
Speaker 0 00:10:33 I'm part of the behind the scenes planning? The person that will be facilitating is named Igor Ray. They helped, he helped create this idea and we'll be facilitating the, um, panel as well.
Speaker 2 00:10:46 So how would somebody find out more about this?
Speaker 0 00:10:50 I have registration information as well as more in depth info on our website, our Facebook page and our Instagram page. And it would,
Speaker 2 00:10:59 Yeah, go
Speaker 0 00:11:00 Ahead. It's all by, in the name, in the heart of the beast theater.
Speaker 2 00:11:03 Okay. That's in the heart of the beast theater. Okay. You don't put puppet mask in there. I,
Speaker 0 00:11:10 I do not believe
Speaker 2 00:11:10 So. Oh, okay. I didn't know. Where did that come from? Is that used a lot or is it just something that happened to be said somewhere that puppet mask part?
Speaker 0 00:11:21 Oh, um, it, it is a puppetry and mask theater, so they, they include that piece to just make it clear that the type of art that they do.
Speaker 2 00:11:30 Oh, okay. Okay. I kind of thought so, but so the, but the websites are again, tell our listeners in the
Speaker 0 00:11:39 Heart of the beast theater.
Speaker 2 00:11:41 Okay. Just trying to keep myself straight on and our listeners. Um, what, what do you perceive that will come of with these, uh, these sessions? Do you see?
Speaker 0 00:12:00 Yeah, so my, my hope is that, um, a combination of things will happen one that Pete, but because the Cedar has a large reach and folks not within the disability community will probably show up, um, maybe not knowing a ton about the event, that they will be educated about, you know, disabled artists within the community, as well as what care work is. And hopefully we'll begin to start to reach out to other disabled, to disabled people and try to understand the ways that they can be supportive. Um, I also hope that it will help us to reach out more to disabled folks in the twin cities and the arts community who maybe didn't know that harder than the Cedar has this interest in reaching out to this community. And I hope that it will kind of bridge a gap that seems to have been formed in the artists community in general here.
Speaker 2 00:12:48 So in the H each of the sessions early are going to be specific people that are a panel, or is it just a get together and, uh, talk. So
Speaker 0 00:12:59 For this specific for art workshops, it will be an art activity. We have two artists and then will be teaching two of the workshops each. Um, and so that whole workshop will, we will be led in an art activity. And then the last event will be a celebration of the series as well as a panel where, um, a group of disabled folks who all have different experiences with the concept of care work, we'll discuss questions again, led by gore.
Speaker 2 00:13:24 So how would somebody get the book to read ahead of time?
Speaker 0 00:13:28 Um, I know that the, that heart of the beast had some, has some copies available and it's also available at most bookstores.
Speaker 2 00:13:36 Okay. So you want something that's out there? Yeah. So
Speaker 0 00:13:38 You could easily find it online. I believe it's on Amazon as well as available through Barnes and noble. I know like local bookstores here have it as well. Um, you can definitely easily find it by Googling the name. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:13:51 Okay. Uh, what else would you like to share with us about what you do and in your aspirations, your, you sound very energized by what you're doing and what, what's the big picture for you? What what's next?
Speaker 0 00:14:08 Um, yeah, so, I mean, I'm, I'm very energized by this. I love the art world as an artist, and I love my community as a disabled person, and it's definitely been hard to access the art world at times because I'm disabled. So being able to come into a community in our community as someone of both these identities and be able to make things, um, more accessible for disabled artists, like myself feels really good. And it's something that I've always wanted to do. So, yeah, I am. I'm very excited. It's, it's definitely like I'm excited to work every day. Um, and I want to be able to even like, change the art world a little bit. If I can do that in my lifetime, like that will mean a lot to me. Um, in terms of next steps, mean, I definitely just want to keep working with heart of the beast right now and figure out how we can continue doing great events like care, work, and continue. I'm just kind of, re-imagining the ways that disabled people are included in the art world. I, that to me feels like, uh, an important next step.
Speaker 2 00:15:08 So if you could do anything with a magic wand to help disabled people be more a part of the arts, what would that be?
Speaker 0 00:15:22 That's a really good question. I feel like there'd be a lot of things I would do if I had had a magic wand. Um, I think the first thing I think of is just so during the pandemic, there's been like a beautiful, what I would call like Renaissance of non semi speaking artists, just creating amazing things. There was a couple, um, non-speaking poets that are going to be published with milkweed in next year. Um, they, there was the first ever music festival for non-speaking musicians that happened this last year. And the people that seem to only be paying attention to it are people within the community. So I think what I would do is, is make it so everyone else knew that this was happening because it's amazing art is being created. And I think all these artists deserve such a much, much wider audience and then currently have.
Speaker 2 00:16:12 Okay. Uh, what, what else do you want to tell our audience? Because you're talking to the world right now, cause we, we are on the web. So you could, you could talk and say anything you want about the arts and being, uh, inclusive. If, if you could tell the world one thing, what would you tell them?
Speaker 0 00:16:37 Um, I mean, in the topic of the book, I would say how necessary it is for us to think about the ways that we show up for each other in our community and the ways that we, um, we ask for help, because it is very much okay to ask for help. And there's so much shame as this able people when you need help. And I, and I'm am so enthused to be able to be doing this specific workshop because it's allowing us to normalize and value asking for help when you need it.
Speaker 2 00:17:13 Absolutely. And it's, that's kind of the vein of everything this week got to show up for each other. We've got to, we got to look out for each other and, uh, good for you. And you're young and you got a lot of energy and, and hope I, you seem like you really are focused on your, on your dream of making things inclusive. And I think, uh, everybody should have that big dream and the opportunity to, to work on it. So, uh, yeah, we got a lot of time. You could talk to us about anything. Have you ever done a, uh, uh, present, uh, uh, are you, are, are you a performer? Are you just, uh, more of the behind the scenes person?
Speaker 0 00:18:06 Yeah, I mean, I'm a performer. I I'm a poet. Um, I admitted to the lead, don't have personal experience in puppetry, but I've always been a big fan of puppetry and it's one of my main special interests. So I was very, very happy to be able to be working in the vicinity of puppets and masks. Um, I do a lot of poetry about disability, um, and as well as like Judaism and my identity as a trans person, um, I do also do a lot of the behind the scenes work, especially with my literary journal. And I try to make sure that I'm helping, um, facilitate giving like other disabled artists opportunities to be published and have readings and be able to participate in accessible workshops.
Speaker 2 00:18:51 Awesome. Uh, again, how would people, uh, join the panel discussions in October?
Speaker 0 00:18:59 So, yeah, so be able to register for the events, both the art workshops and the final panel. Um, you can go to either our Facebook page, our Instagram, or our website, which is all in the heart of the beast. And there is a, um, a registration link available on all of those, um, resources.
Speaker 2 00:19:21 Okay. Uh, you want to add anything else you'd like to share with us? So we got all, we got a lot of time for you.
Speaker 0 00:19:28 Um, I mean I could just sort of go more into the topic of care work and why we felt the need to do art activities on the topic.
Speaker 2 00:19:37 Sure. Let's do it. Let's do it. Yeah. So
Speaker 0 00:19:39 I did honestly come in, you know, later into the process. So I can't speak to the beginning stages of why this was originally created, but by talking to everyone that's been in this process the whole time, I know part of it was definitely wanting to make sure that disabled artists were being were at the forefront of something and being in having something that was very focused around disability, um, as well as wanting to create art activities that are physically accessible for everybody, which I think is very important. Um, that's often not something that is considered when creating art workshops and teaching art and often like is what leaves disabled artists out of creating is because it's not accessible for them. I'm going to also know a big focus is just really within the, because it's the pandemic currently. And because even able people are really thinking about care work and thinking about the, their, their inner circles and the people that they ask for help when things are hard, that this is like the right moment to really be discussing this topic as a community within Minnesota.
Speaker 2 00:20:44 Do you think the, uh, COVID crisis kind of spurred this on
Speaker 0 00:20:50 This specific event? I'm not sure. I believe it was an idea beforehand. Um, but I think that in a larger sense, the pandemic has absolutely forced us to think about the ways that disabled people weren't even able to show up to things because they couldn't get in the door. And now that we have the options of virtual events and doctor's appointments are virtual and all these things are now accessible via somebody's home, people are now really having to look themselves in the mirror and realize that they hadn't been involved in disabled people in very big ways. Um, I think it's sad that it took such a large and heartbreaking worldwide event, but it's definitely happened.
Speaker 2 00:21:36 Uh, did you guys continue to do something spiritual?
Speaker 0 00:21:42 Um, I would hope so. I believe, I believe so. I'm not exactly sure what the plan is right now, since we don't know when the pandemic is going to be over. So for the foreseeable future, we're doing things virtually. And I imagine that that may continue just because we've realized the ways that it can be accessible, um, whether it's, you know, having an in-person event, but still live streaming it or what that can look like. I know that that's definitely something I will be advocating for and I'm sure my colleagues would, would agree with that as well.
Speaker 2 00:22:11 Yeah. Uh, I, I think a lot of us are thinking that way. I mean, we're doing this spiritual, I we'd usually go down to the station, but, you know, with the, uh, things that are involved, it's become kind of, kind of nice to be able to do this from home. Um, so, uh, anything else you'd like to share with us? Any thoughts, city things you've been kind of wanting to say over the radio, you know,
Speaker 0 00:22:48 Um, yeah, I mean, now that I have the tension of, of the Minnesota public, I'd say, please come to this event, even if you are not disabled, even if you are not an artist, um, this is a really necessary moment for us to be engaging in this topic together. Um, the art activities are very like simple and easy to do, even if you're not an artist. And it's a way to engage with your community in ways you may not have previously. And it's not just about doing art together. It's about trying to build a community together in ways that we haven't previously and talk, talk about something that people don't really consider as valuable. And even if this is something that you haven't even considered till this moment, like show up, it's free, it's an hour and a half. It won't be a lot of your time. And I think something within you will, will change.
Speaker 2 00:23:37 Okay. Hey, well, uh, any other thoughts?
Speaker 0 00:23:43 Um, no that, that's it. Well,
Speaker 2 00:23:45 Thank you. And good luck. It sounds like a really good program. And I think, uh, uh, you never know, we, it, it, radio is interesting. We don't really know what happens after this, but I've heard, I've heard that people do seek out, uh, what we talk about. So, um, thank you. And, uh, one more time give people the information for the, uh, October activity in the panel. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:24:13 So, um, the event starts the first Tuesday in October. It is from seven to eight 30. It is every Tuesday going up to October 26 and then the final event, which is a panel will be November 2nd, from seven to eight 30 as well. You can find the registration link on our Facebook, our Instagram and our website, which is all in the heart of the beast theater.
Speaker 2 00:24:41 Thank you, Robin. And good luck. We wish you well in your endeavors.
Speaker 0 00:24:45 Thank you very much for having me and talking to me. Um, have a great rest of your night. Thank you.
Speaker 3 00:24:52 The views expressed on disability and progress are not necessarily ones of K FAI, fresh air community radio, or its board of directors. This is podcast producer, Aaron saying, thanks for listening. We will see you next week when we will have Dr. Jill foster from the university of Minnesota medical school, talking about vaccines until then take care. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:25:19 Yeah.
