For the last several weeks, students at Seaquam Secondary have been working with internationally-renowned singer Jugpreet Bajwa to learn about ableism and inclusion, and at the end of the month they will be sharing what they’ve learned in a variety show-esque afternoon of performances at the school.
Bajwa, who is visually impaired, is one of 14 differently-abled artists-in-residence with the UBC-led Wingspan Dis/Ability Arts, Culture and Public Pedagogy program. Billed as Canada’s first accessible and inclusive disability and deaf artist residency program in schools, the program was launched in 2019 by UBC professor of educational studies Dr. Leslie Roman to help break down stereotypes and foster inclusion and understanding in K-12 classrooms.
“Creating inclusion begins with educating students, teachers and educational leaders that disabilities or deafness are not something to fear or feel shame about. The more we learn, the more we appreciate what artists with disabilities and deafness bring to the table of our schools and our entire educational system,” Roman said in a press release.
For 2024, artists have been placed in schools or as touring artists performing in art galleries, museums and community centers in B.C., Manitoba and Ontario.
As the program’s only resident artist in B.C., Bajwa has been working with Grade 11 and 12 English and literature classes at Seaquam — as well as the school’s music department, theatre company and various one-off classroom visits — plus a Grade 4 class at Vancouver’s Elsie Roy Elementary.
“The goal of the program is to promote inclusion, diversity and basically have artist go and talk about their experiences growing up with the disability that they have,” Bajwa told the Reporter. “I usually say that I’m differently-abled rather than disabled because I feel that being differently-abled is a lot more easier to digest in terms of yes, we have limitations of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use our limitations to our strengths.”
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Bajwa, who graduated from Seaquam in 2013, said he tries to get the students to understand their preconceptions and what ableism is using fun activities like having them put on blindfolds and describe everyday items placed in front of them or navigate the schoolyard, forcing them to experience the familiar in an unfamiliar way.
The English classes have used these exercises with writing prompts to practice descriptive writing, compose poetry and do research projects, while in other instances the activities have served as a jumping off point for students to ask questions so as to better understand Bajwa’s lived experience.
“I think that sometimes as a society we get really nervous about asking certain questions because, oh, what if we offend somebody, right? So [it’s] getting people to research things and getting people to think outside the box in terms of what we can do to be more inclusive and how can we take that next step,” he said.
“I’ve also been doing a lot of ‘hidden talent’ discussions with classes, basically getting people to realize that we all have different potential. I grew up being bullied a lot and feeling like there was really no purpose, and so a lot of [those discussions] really came from the experiences that I went through and trying to instill in the students here that hey, we all have something to give. Like what they’re good at, what they’ve been complimented on — it can be little things, it can be skills that translate into a career.
“Like, [say] there’s someone that’s really good at basketball but they don’t think they can make it professionally. Maybe they could still have a career in sports writing or they could translate that into something else. So it’s getting them to understand my experiences and getting them to understand that we all have potential. That is really important.”
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Grade 11 student Zane Labrador said he felt a deep connection while listening to Bajwa talk about his experiences, especially the parts relating to feeling like and outsider and his work in the music industry.
“Music is a very big part of my life as well as Juggy’s, and just how he used it to move through, push forward and persevere through difficult times, it really connected with me as I was always someone who stood out from other people because I was very, very into music, which alienated me a little bit from people who liked it but didn’t have a huge commitment.”
Labrador is very active in the school’s music community — as a member of the choir, jazz band and wood ensemble, working with Seaquam’s Grade 8 music exploration class and as a volunteer with the districts elementary feeder schools band. He plans to pursue a career in music and/or education, said after meeting him in class he reached out to Bajwa lend a hand with the program or any performance opportunities.
Bajwa took him up on his offer, bringing him along to work with the students at Elsie Roy and including him in the planning of the upcoming program showcase.
“This is something I’m very passionate about and it has enveloped my entire life. It’s just awesome just to be out there, especially with someone as cool as Juggy. It’s just a lot of fun, and the experience is something that I really wanted to pursue,” Labrador said.
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With Bajwa’s time at the schools coming to an end, he and the students are working on putting together a big showcase at Seaquam the afternoon of Friday, May 31.
The free show will feature musical performances, poetry readings, spoken word pieces and static art displays by students from Seaquam and Elsie Roy, all with intros by the students discussing what they learned through the program and how it inspired their work.
“We’ve got an amazing, full lineup of students,” Bajwa said.
Bajwa will also be performing several numbers, including a special song he wrote with the students at Elsie Roy. Fellow Wingspan artist-in-residence Connor Derraugh will be flying in from Winnipeg to perform as well, including a duet with Labrador.
“It’s going to be a lot of jazz involvement because of me being a jazz musician at heart,” Labrador said.
Delta MP and Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough will be providing welcoming words to kick the show off, along with a video message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Wingspan showcase is open to the public, showtime 3 to 6 p.m. The school is located at 11584 Lyon Rd.
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