SPiLL’s HISTORY

SPiLL.Propagation (SPiLL) was founded in 2009 by a group of Deaf and not-Deaf artists (allied artists). Co-founder, Paula Bath (allied artist), had returned to Canada from an international art residency at the National Deaf Theatre in Stockholm Sweden. Paula saw Sweden’s art landscape had integrated sign language by moving beyond concepts of sign language as accessibility by way of translation. Theatre practices infused sign language into the art form itself and it became a new aesthetic. Together with fellow co-founder Tiphaine Girault (Deaf Illustrator and multi-disciplinary artist) they decided to explore this concept of infusion in Canada and with Canadian Deaf artists.

At Spill Propagation, our mission is to enhance the arts by amplifying the participation of Deaf and allied artists and by integrating sign languages into the creative landscape.

Through our multidisciplinary approach, we explore arts practices in Canada (and around the globe) through a critical lens which allows us to deliver creative research and uncover engaging, collaborative opportunities for our community.

To propel Canada into a transformative era of artistic expression led by a wholehearted approach to learning and embracing innovation that challenges conventional norms and breaks free from phonocentrism to deliver a truly inclusive and ground-breaking artistic landscape.

SPiLL is committed to encouraging Deaf-artists to lead the artistic process through its collaborative art creation and production programming with various art companies, organizations and centers.

SPiLL works nationally and internationally. Sign Languages are a linguistic and cultural connection and are less about geography or arts discipline.

As such SPiLL maintains a multi-disciplinary arts focus to maximize the involvement of Deaf artists in critically exploring various arts practices as well as to increase the number of collaboration opportunities.

At SPiLL.PROpagation we infuse art practices and art institutions with sign languages.

SPiLL is committed to producing engaging and collaborative opportunities that enhance the arts.

OUR CO-FOUNDERS

TIPHAINE GIRAULT

Visual-story teller, director and translator

Originating from France, Tiphaine has a BA in Graphic Novel and works in French,
English and two sign languages. For over ten years Tiphaine has worked as a professional artist in comic arts, printmaking and sign language translation and performance. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions and documentaries. Tiphaine has hosted national arts leadership residencies expanding art practices in sign language with SPiLL.Propagation, and in 2018, was honoured for her leadership in the arts in LSQ in Quebec.

PAULA BATH
Researcher, creator and writer

After learning American Sign Language (ASL) at the age of sixteen, Paula went on to study translation, communication, and cultural institutions and to obtain a BA and MA in Communications. Paula’s work is observational and conversational and brings images and texts together to explore moments when dominant social ideas, beliefs and social structures are lived, felt and discussed by people. Paula is thrilled to live and work in the spaces of sign and spoken languages – ASL, langugue de signes québécoise, English and French.