A shared vocabulary.

An acronym which refers to Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, while the + represents the countless affirmative ways a person may express their sexuality or gender outside of the heteronormative binary. The 2S (representing Two-Spirit) has been moved to be listed first as a way of recognizing that Indigenous peoples were the first to inhabit our land.

Discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities or people who are perceived to be disabled. Ableism characterizes people with disabilities as inferior by situating those who are able-bodied as the norm. Under this belief system, people with disabilities need to be ‘fixed’ in order to be considered as valued citizens.

An inhabitant or descendent of Acadie. Acadians are descendants of the French settlers who arrived in Acadie in the 17th and 18th centuries. Many Acadians were expelled from their lands in the 1750s after the French lost their colony to the British. Those that hid or returned are the ancestors of the Acadians living in Nova Scotia today. Acadians have a unique culture, a distinct French-Acadian dialect and a rich musical culture that lives on today.

Having the ability to approach or enter a place. This can also refer to information and having the ability to take in and process this information.

Tools used to provide greater access during a performance.

An acronym meaning Assigned Female at Birth. This means that when the person was born someone examined their external anatomy and made the judgment that their birth certificate should be marked as female. Note that the sex they were assigned at birth has nothing to do with their gender at all and an AFAB person can identify as any gender.

A new art movement that examines how we age, how we change over time, and how we can embrace a more authentic version of ourselves over time. These subjects are explored through various forms of art although the Aging art movement is believed to have begun in the field of photography. Aging art is a social justice movement that questions how we view our bodies, our identities, and challenges long-held beliefs that the aging body should be hidden away. It challenges us to embrace the changes in our bodies and minds over time rather than feeling shame over them.

Someone who supports an individual or group facing alienation or hardship, even though they do not belong to that group themselves.

An acronym meaning Assigned Male at Birth. This means that when the person was born someone examined their external anatomy and made the judgment that their birth certificate should be marked as male. Note that the sex they were assigned at birth has nothing to do with their gender at all and an AMAB person can identify as any gender.

A term that refers to taking something that doesn't belong to you and most often refers to an exchange that happens when a dominant group takes or borrows something from a minority group that has historically been exploited or oppressed. This act reinforces stereotypes and contributes to oppression.

A collection of artists that wish to work together toward the common goal of a more equitable arts community, which centers on mutual aid and self-care. This arts coalition will dismantle the barriers placed in front of underrepresented artists and will focus on meeting everyone’s needs so that its’ members are able to give their full attention to creating art. A key element in the creation of an equitable arts coalition is that it would be controlled by its’ members and would not be beholden to any more powerful organization.

A term referring to the many ways of expressing ourselves artistically. In this report, we give examples of some of the dominant performing arts modalities but there are many more examples that are not listed and are equally valid within this conversation.

A person who does not believe in the existence of a god or deities.

A racial and cultural classification based on the person having a highly melanated skin colour.

Blindness refers to a spectrum of vision loss. A person’s experience of blindness can range from sight loss which interferes with your daily activities to total blindness. Total blindness does not mean that the person sees nothing at all, some people still see changes in light or a haze. Someone who is partially sighted has partial vision in one or both eyes. It is common for a blind person to identify with the Disability community as they do not identify as having their own unique culture and language, but not every blind person will connect with that label.

An economic and political system where the means of production of goods and services are owned and operated by private individuals, with the goal of making a profit.

The text version of audio content in a video, which has been synchronized with the video. Captions are used to make your content more accessible to a variety of users, including those who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, people learning the language, and for neurodivergent individuals.

A health condition that lasts one year or more, that requires treatment, and may limit daily living activities. Chronic illness is often incurable. Although chronic illness may lead to disability, not everyone with a chronic illness is disabled, and most people with disabilities do not have a chronic illness.

A person who was assigned female at birth and their gender identity remains female.

A person who was assigned male at birth and their gender identity remains male.

An umbrella term for persons whose gender identity/expression conforms to that typically associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. A person whose gender expression matches the sex that they were assigned at birth. It is disrespectful to use normal or regular to refer to cisgender folks

Conversations intended to take place in an environment where only people of a certain identity are invited to participate. Closed space conversations typically happen within groups of underrepresented communities, with the goal of having a space where they can feel safe to share openly without fear of repercussions and without having to explain basic concepts and ideas which are understood within the community.

The practice of domination (often by subjugation) of the people in power over the other people in the area. This often happens by establishing colonies and typically has the goal of economic dominance. Colonizers may impose their language, religion, beliefs, or cultural practices on those with less power. The strongest example of that in our region would be when the European settlers colonized Turtle Island, stealing the land, resources, culture, and language of the Indigenous people in an act of genocide.

There are many ways in which the system criminalizes the bodies of those it deems inferior. Examples of this include: the sexualization of some nipples as opposed to others (i.e. breastfeeding parents or who is allowed to go topless), a hesitancy to show intimacy between queer couples in our media, using a immigrant’s health as a means of deciding whether or not they should be accepted into the country, driving while black and racialized stop-and-frisk policies, the lack of investigation of thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, forced do not resuscitate (DNR) policies for disabled people entering the health system for minor ailments, and forced hysterectomies for trans men requesting gender confirmation surgery. All of this is evidence that ugly laws are still very much alive and well today.

An artistic movement that looks to ‘crip’ the arts by embracing ways that Disability can disrupt the status quo and create change. Language is often used as a tool to subvert the norms and shock people into thinking about their preconceived notions. The Crip arts as well as Disability arts are used as tools to counter misrepresentation while shifting control back to the Disabled community. Impairment is celebrated as a source of diversity rather than a difference that should cause shame.

The identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person’s self-perception. It encompasses nationality, ethnicity, religion, language, cuisine, aesthetics, social class, or any other social group with their own distinct identity.

d/Deaf is defined as a total or partial hearing loss. Traditionally the lowercase deaf refers to the audiological condition of having hearing loss, while the capitalized Deaf refers to the community of people who share a culture and language. People who are Deaf take great pride in their unique culture and as a result, many people from the Deaf community do not identify their deafness as a disability, while others do identify as both Deaf and Disabled. Hard of hearing refers to a person with mild to moderate hearing loss. They may or may not identify with the Deaf community. People in the Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing communities may or may not use Sign Language to communicate. In the end, it is important not to assume a person’s identity and instead ask them their identity and respect it. Although not used in this report another important identity that exists in the d/Deaf community is that of a CODA. CODA is an acronym for Child of Deaf Adult and typically refers to a hearing person who has a parent or parents who are d/Deaf. This gives them a unique experience in the d/Deaf community.

A term created in the transgender community, which refers to someone’s unused birth name. A deadname should never be used, as it does not match the person’s gender and personal identity.

An art movement that expresses the unique values of Deaf artists. Deaf art has been especially influenced by history, including the negative and oppressive events of the oralist movement. Deaf art represents aspects of Deaf culture, Deaf identity, American Sign Language (ASL), Deaf gain, deafness, hearing loss, oppression, Deaf perspective, Deaf experience, celebration, resistance, and cultural identity. It is separate from the De’VIA (Deaf View/Image Art Movement) although they both act as forms of resistance to the narrow view of the hearing/oratory art world.

According to the medical model of understanding disability, a person with a disability is someone who has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This definition focuses on what is lacking in the individual and looks to the system to fix it. For the purpose of this report, we define Disability through the social model which says: Disability is caused by the way society is organized, rather than by a person’s differences. The social model of Disability looks at ways of removing physical, attitudinal, communication, and systemic societal barriers so disabled people can be independent and equal in society, with choice and control over their own lives. Disability is not a personal problem or limitation to be overcome by an individual, but rather a failure of society to be inclusive and accessible. You may notice that throughout this report Disability was sometimes capitalized and other times it was not. When Disability is capitalized it is an act of reclamation, which acknowledges Disability as a source of diversity that fosters pride, while celebrating that Disabled people have a shared identity, culture, and community. We embrace the strengths that come with being Disabled. When disability is not capitalized it refers to the medical model definition (or diagnosis) of disability or to a disabled person who chooses not to identify with the label of belonging to the community of Disability. I also chose identity-first language rather than person-first language for this report, as I personally take great pride in belonging to the Disability community and choose to embrace my identity before my personhood. Many people will choose person-first language instead.

A movement developed in 2005 by a collective of disabled queer women of color (all part of the Sins Invalid performance company) as a way of establishing civil rights for people with Disabilities. The Sins Invalid catchphrase is, “an unashamed claim to beauty in the face of invisibility”. Disability Justice is the leading Disability rights movement in North America today, and has at its core the 10 Principles of Disability Justice. These principles include intersectionality, leadership of those most impacted, anti-capitalist politic, commitment to cross-movement organizing, recognizing wholeness, sustainability, commitment to cross-disability solidarity, interdependence, collective access, and collective liberation. For more information on Disability Justice visit the Sins Invalid website at: 10 Principles of Disability Justice.

The unfair or prejudicial treatment of a person based on the group or class that they belong to. This treatment may occur based on race, age, ability, gender, sexuality, or class as a few examples. Systemic or institutional discrimination also happens. These refer to policies or practices that appear to be neutral but that have discriminatory effects on individuals based on their identity.

The art of playing with gender. It is performance art where a person gets to explore and exaggerate various aspects of a gender identity of their choosing.

A person who expresses themselves using the art of drag. They may be a person of any gender and they may be exploring using any gender signifiers and gender roles.

A person who uses clothing and makeup to explore and often exaggerate male gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Drag Kings were traditionally females or AFAB, but today anyone can be a Drag King.

A person who uses clothing and makeup to explore and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Drag Queens were traditionally males, but today anyone can be a Drag Queen.

The economic class a person inhabits. This can be measured by their income, occupation, and education.

An arts movement that encourages seniors to explore their creativity and to use art as a tool for processing emotion and fostering connections, while maintaining physical ability and mental acuity. These goals promote ongoing active engagement in life while allowing seniors to maintain their voice through art.

An Elder is someone recognised within their community as a keeper of cultural knowledge and are well respected members of an Indigenous community. They lead through example, by living their lives according to deeply ingrained principles, values, and teachings. Although their role varies from one community to the next, Indigenous Elders are deeply committed to sharing their knowledge, providing guidance, teaching others to respect the natural world, and to learning to listen and feel the rhythms of the elements and seasons.

A term that refers to the shared culture or way of life of a group. This shared culture can be marked by its practices, values, beliefs, history, religion, and language.

A social justice movement that uses art as a tool to challenge the belief that thin esthetics are the norm and that fat esthetics are undesirable. It strives to show beauty, strength and health in ‘fatness’ and removes stereotypes and social stigmas connected to a larger body type. Fat art also shows the social stigmas and obstacles placed in the way of fat individuals, deemed as unworthy in our society. The Fat art movement has played a role in the fat acceptance and body positivity movements.

Femme is used by people who express themselves in a way that is traditionally perceived as “feminine.” Femme can be used as either a gender identity or as a gender expression. In the case of this report, we are referring to AFAB performers who are performing Feminine Drag, meaning the character they play embraces a traditionally feminine gender expression.

Society views gender as the societal expectations (gender roles) put on a person based on the way their body is perceived (either masculine or feminine). Personal gender (what we are referring to in this report) refers to a spectrum of identities that combine or reject ideas of femininity and masculinity. Some cultures recognize a third gender identity outside of the binary of feminine or masculine. A person’s gender may fall anywhere along this spectrum or may be completely outside it. Where you situate yourself may change or evolve from day to day or over your lifetime. Gender includes the ways you understand your physical body, the way you experience your inner thoughts, and the ways you express yourself to the outside world. Gender is how we experience ourselves.

External; how an individual chooses to express their gender to the world around them. A person may exhibit their gender expression through appearance, style, and behaviour. Please note that although these tools can be used to express gender, they do not necessarily have a specific gender attached to them. Makeup can be worn by a person of any gender. This means that a person’s gender identity can sometimes inform a person’s gender expression, but a person’s perceived gender expression does not dictate their gender identity.

Internal; the personal understanding and experience of an individual’s own gender. Everyone has a gender identity; for some, it matches the sex they were assigned at birth, while for others they are incongruent.

For the purpose of this report gendered refers to having certain attributes, characteristics or expectations assigned to a particular gender.

Genderqueer identity is open to anyone who “queers” gender. This means anyone who does things that are outside of the norm of their actual or perceived gender identity. It can also refer to a gender identity where the person falls outside of, falls in between, or fluctuates along the many gender categories. People who are genderqueer often experience their gender as fluid, meaning it can shift and change at any given time.

The intentional, systematic destruction of a group of people because of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race.

The process of changing the character of a community through an influx of more affluent individuals.

Funds provided to an individual by the government with the intention of allowing them to cover their most basic living expenses. These funds come with strict rules as to how they can be spent and who is deemed worthy of support.

A hearing interpreter is any ASL interpreter who is able to hear. Hearing interpreters may work alone or alongside a d/Deaf interpreter to interpret as a team. Some people believe that the use of a d/Deaf and hearing interpreter team increases the level of accuracy in the overall transmission of information.

The assumption that being cisgender or heterosexual is the norm, and anything that exists outside of that is strange or wrong.

An acronym for Indigenous, Black, and People of Color. Please note IBPOC should not be used indiscriminately when actually referring to a single community within. For example, when referencing the high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women you would not use IBPOC as not all communities within this group have the same experience. This acronym was originally BIPOC (which is still used today). For this report, we chose to use IBPOC as a sign of respect to the Indigenous peoples who were the first to inhabit this land.

The action or state of including or being included and fully welcomed in a group.

A term referring to the very first people to inhabit the land. In the case of Nova Scotia, this would be the Mi’kmaq people (also known as the L’nu people). Please look under Mi’kmaw for more information.

The process of developing or transforming rules and procedures that influence a set of human interactions within the social system. This institutional system also encourages the incarceration of those deemed unworthy within prisons, juvenile detention centers, community housing co-ops, psychiatric wards, hospitals, and long-term care homes

Social identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion, sexual orientation, and ability overlap with one another and with systems of power within our community. When viewed through the lens of power, oppression, and marginalization these multiple identities overlap and amplify the effects felt by the person. This means that a Disabled Black woman is likely to face discrimination from the Disability community because they do not understand her Black identity.

The original name given to Halifax by the Mi’kmaq people, as the original caretakers of this land. K'jipuktuk means Great Harbour and is pronounced ‘che-book-took’. It is important to note that this land was never given or purchased but rather it was stolen from the Mi’kmaq people and is still governed by the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752.

For this report lived experience refers to an element of a person’s identity that they have first-hand knowledge or expertise through years of living with that particular identity. For example, my 20 years as a wheelchair user gives me the lived experience of being a mobility device user.

Artistic expression based on the principles of the Mad Pride movement, focusing on the history, identities, and expression of Madness. The Mad Pride movement celebrates the strengths of any mind that does not function in a normative way and creates space for the various experiences of psychological and emotional difference. Mad art is a form of resistance and of social justice.

The Indigenous peoples who inhabit Mi’kma’ki. The Mi’kmaw people are the original caretakers of the land on which we live. They signed the Treaties of Peace and Friendship in 1752 between the Mi’kmaq nation and Britain. This was an agreement meant to govern how the two would live peacefully alongside one another and outline fishing, hunting, and trading rights. Unfortunately, the settlers decided not to honour their agreement and instead have spent the past several hundred years attempting to exterminate the Mi’kmaw people. The history and culture of the Mi’kmaw people are passed between generations as an oral history told through legends and stories. As a result, the Mi’kmaw have a rich and unique history of music, storytelling, and dance as well as having many talented visual and tactile artists. The population of Mi'kmaq speakers is decreasing with most speakers being the elders of the communities.

Intentionally or unintentionally using the incorrect pronoun or gender when referring to a person or using language to describe that person that does not align with their affirmed gender.

An act of solidarity and reciprocity where the members of a voluntary community agree to come together and exchange resources and services and provide care for the mutual benefit of everyone involved. This system of care often happens in underrepresented communities that are not receiving the supports they need in established systems. Mutual aid is founded on the belief that everyone needs support from others and that everyone has something to contribute. Mutual aid can take many forms with care webs being most common. A care web is made when community members create a voluntary and reciprocal network where each community members provides a resource or service for someone else. Together there is a labyrinth of care created where everyone’s basic needs are met by someone else within the community.

The act of meeting people and exchanging ideas with others working within your field, with the purpose of making connections that could lead to artistic collaboration.

An umbrella term used when someone’s brain does not function in a typical or normative way. This used to be seen as an illness or a problem but now our society is starting to realize that these differences come with advantages, allowing them to realize that the person does not need to be fixed. This term is sometimes confused with neurodiversity, which refers to the spectrum of differences in the way our brains function. Common types of neurodivergence are autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome, down syndrome, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, epilepsy, depression, and anxiety.

For the purpose of this report we defined newcomers to Turtle Island as immigrants or refugees who have arrived in Canada during the last five years. Turtle Island is the Indigenous name for the land settlers have called North America. There are many versions of the creation story of Turtle Island. We encourage you to learn from your local elders their story of the creation of this land. Note that Canada is located on stolen lands and the Canadian government, who currently decides who is welcome and who is not, took power by force and with violence, as they did not have ownership of the land or the right to govern over it. There was extensive discussion during the writing of this report as to whether or not to capitalize Canada. The ‘lowercase movement’ is rejecting all symbols of hierarchy by not using capitalization except to acknowledge the Indigenous struggle for recognition. Those embracing the movement feel that by capitalizing canada, you are celebrating a government that ordered the genocide of thousands of its own people while imprisoning the rest and removing their language.

Identifying with a gender between or outside of the gender binary (the normative notion that there are only two genders, that of male or female).

An umbrella term for persons whose gender identity/expression does not conform to that typically associated with the gender they were assigned at birth.

When a person or group in a position of power controls the less powerful in cruel, unjust, and discriminatory ways. These systems of oppression are built on a combination of prejudice and institutional power.

The act of labeling someone as different or not fitting in with the norms of the social group. Othering is when you look at someone and conclude that they ‘are not like you’ or ‘are not one of us’. When an individual is othered it fosters discrimination or prejudice. When applied to a group of people it can serve to dehumanize them and is often used as a tool to take away their rights.

The estimated minimum level of income required for a person to meet their basic needs.

The unwritten rules navigating how we engage or interact with one another given the various levels of power they are assigned based on their position within a system or organization. This power is not inherently good or bad, but it can be abused by those with more power.

A right or special advantage granted to some people but not others based on their identity. This is not an advantage that someone asks for but rather society’s biases decide that one person is good, and the other is bad based on a single characteristic. They then reward this goodness with benefits or punish those with the undesirable identity. Often privilege is rewarded with not having to consider the discrimination other groups face every day. For example, my white privilege means I do not have to worry about being murdered when I am stopped by a police officer.

To be queer is to exist in a way that may not align with heterosexual or homosexual norms. Although it’s typically used to describe a person’s sexual orientation, it can also be used to express a nonbinary gender identity. Although historically used in a derogatory word to attack gay or lesbian people, Queer has now been reclaimed and used with pride to celebrate one’s strengths and uniqueness as a non-heteronormative individual or community.

An umbrella term for any art that draws on 2SLGBTQIA+ imagery or issues. Queer art is a form of resistance to society’s rigid norms around gender, sex, and sexuality. The art itself may examine subjects of queerness or it may simply be queer art because it was created by a queer artist.

A categorization where humans are divided into groups based on physical traits regarded as common among people of shared ancestry.

The prejudice, discrimination, and hatred of people of color based on the incorrect assumption that they inherit distinct characteristics and abilities that distinguish them as inferior, and the socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.

An irrational prejudice against people with mental illness or other forms of neurodivergence. A belief that those with neurodivergent minds are inferior to those with neurotypical minds. Also known as ‘mental health discrimination’ of ‘mental health stigma’.

The practice of taking an active role in the process of taking care of one’s well-being, physical, mental, and emotional health.

A state of excitation, where one or more of your senses takes in more information from your environment than your brain can process, leading to over-stimulation. This may appear as frustration or be read as an outburst. Using sensory toys can help calm a person when in a state of sensory overload.

An animal who has undergone specialised training in order to perform specific tasks that support the disabled person they are assisting.

Discrimination, prejudice, or devaluation based on a person's sex or gender. It is linked to stereotypes and gender roles and includes the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to all others.

The ways in which a person or people experience or express themselves sexually. This can encompass gender and sexual expression (outward expression of self), gender and sexual identity (inward understanding), kink practices, etc.

An Indigenous traditional spiritual ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of a person or space. Smudging involves four elements: the first element is typically a shell (representing water), the second is the sacred plant, white sage (representing Mother Earth), the third element is the fire, and the fourth element is the smoke (representing air).

A grouping of people within society who have similar socio-cultural aspects to their life. Some examples are the lifestyle, behaviors, and knowledge that a person is socialized to adopt in their formative years.

To treat someone unfairly and to mark them with shame or to discredit them based on a perceived assumption connected to some element of their identity.

Systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage people based on their race.

The practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic attempt to be inclusive of underrepresented groups by recruiting a person from a minority group without making the effort to educate yourself. Including a single member of the group to give the appearance of equality.

An umbrella term for persons whose gender identity/expression does not conform to that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. A person who identifies with a sex other than the one assigned at birth. The term transgender refers to people whose gender identity (the sense of gender that every person feels inside) or gender expression is different from the sex that was assigned to them at birth. At some point in their lives, transgender people decide they must live their lives as the gender they have always known themselves to be, and often transition to living as that gender.

A term used within Indigenous communities that encompasses cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identities. The term reflects the complex understanding of gender roles and spirituality in Indigenous culture. Two-Spirit people embrace both their feminine and masculine spirit and were considered blessed by the creator to be able to see through the eyes of both genders, as well as being known in some tribes as the balance keepers. They were often entrusted with honoured roles as healers and counselors within their community. When colonialism arrived transphobia and homophobia forced Two-Spirit people to hide but in recent years they are starting to re-emerge and are once again finding their place of honour as leaders and caretakers in Indigenous community.

Any artist whose identity lacks representation in their art form. Underrepresented artists often face discrimination and systemic barriers to success. Underrepresented artists are required to do additional work to reach the same milestones as the average artist without that same identity.

A group that is a subset of the population that does not have equal rights or privileges as the greater population.

The historically held, institutionally perpetuated, racist belief that white people are inherently superior to other races and deserve to dominate them. This term refers to political and socio-economic systems where white people enjoy structural advantages and rights that other racial and ethnic groups do not.

Work that is not fully developed or has not reached the creator’s end goal.

Presenting a performance of a creative idea, using group discussion and improvisation to flesh out and test aspects of the production before a formal staging