WHO AND WHY?
Our founder is Mieke Maligne, a musician, poet, sewist, and disability advocate. Mieke graduated with a bachelors of popular and Jazz Music in 2015, and taught voice, guitar and ukulele post graduation after opening her own studio M&M music.
Mieke released two albums, “Just the Sun” 2011, and “Mosaic” in 2014. Both received air play and placed on nation wide charts. Just the Sun won Jazz Album of the year at the Edmonton Music Awards and Mosaic was nominated for R&B album of the year.
Mieke’s passion to connect with people and community was fostered in these years. Around 2017 Mieke’s previous health problems developed and extended into significant and severe disability and chronic illness. Being immunodeficient was an additional barrier especially during the continued Covid 19 pandemic, along with anaphylaxis to many triggers like fragrance, in addition with more traditional access needs regarding mobility. During this time Mieke wrote about access and Disability in her poetry on the account @healingscript.
First hand Mieke witnessed and felt the exclusion and barriers that boxed her out from her previous communities and shared spaces, while trying to navigate life in a whole new way. Even in aware and accessible spaces very often these accessibility needs are unconsidered, and lot of this project and knowledge is in part from our personal experience. Mieke’s husband Matt is a musician and we had to find ways for him to gig safely as a person or close exposure. We learned it is possible to make change and make these spaces more inclusive and safe. Mieke wants to make real and tangible change and knows they are many others like her who should have access to the arts in a safe way either again or for the first time for the rest of their lives.
Mieke also understands that virtual access is sometimes the only way of accessible connection for some Disabilities, Mieke is an advocate for virtual connection options in the arts and all community gatherings in addition to making in person events safer. She understands that real life happens virtually too.
