Rainbow on Mars 1

“Eyesight is conventionally understood as the “governing sense” and as such, holds greater power and validity over the other senses. The performing arts, such as theatre and dance, are intended to be visual events. The performers’ body, their physicality, movement and facial expressions as well as the lighting, set, and costume design are all meant to be looked at; marvelled at. It is this understanding, the “marvel” of the visual, that provides for accessibility practices such as Audio Description for blind audience members so that we, too, can be included in this “event.” While such inclusionary practices are important, “describing” what catches the eye of sighted people reproduces the validity of sightedness. My question becomes, is there a way to open the validity and thus the value and creativity of blindness within the performing arts event? IDA engages the stories of the eyes and shows how a blind perspective is an integral part of the human sensorium and of perception. IDA disturbs the isolation of the senses as one power over or against the other to bring the intrigue of the perceptual interchange between blindness and sightedness to the fore. IDA breaks with conventions of narrating only what is there to be seen and weaves together the internal thoughts and felt movements of the performers; their breath; the imaginary of the lighting, set, costume and sound designers; as well as me, the blind artist. IDA is not merely a description of a performance; it is a performance!”