Activating the arts in death: What are the cultural implications for MAiD?

Abstract

This discussion paper attends to subcultural production emerging at the intersection of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), death, disability, and other forms of precarious life. We think with disability arts, that is art created by disabled, mad, sick, and ill people that springs from the experience, politics, and culture of disability (Frazee, 2008) and plays an important role in advancing disability rights and justice. We consider how this form of cultural production animates diverse and intersectional representations and political perspectives in ways that are invitational rather than didactic or prescriptive. By engaging three Canadian disability performance art pieces that activate “crip theory” critical perspectives, we consider how these subcultural productions both indirectly support and extend disability rights endeavours to challenge the implementation of MAiD legislation in Canada. We highlight how each of these works creates space for thinking about the relationship of death and dying in nuanced ways that promote disability life and vitality in a post-MAiD context, without slipping into ableist tropes.