The Christine Karcza Disability Leadership Award (Karcza Award) is a bi-annual award administered by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and is presented to an individual who identifies as d/Deaf, Mad or d/Disabled. The award recipient will receive a cash prize of $5,000.

The recipient will demonstrate leadership within the performing arts in one or more of the following areas:

• advancement of accessibility for d/Deaf or d/Disabled audiences
• advancement of opportunities for d/Deaf and d/Disabled artists or arts workers
• development of skills or mentorship of d/Deaf or d/Disabled artists or arts workers
• leadership of commitment and excellence of practice as a d/Deaf or d/Disabled artist

The Christine Karcza Disability Leadership laureate will select a leader of their choice who is an emerging d/Disabled or non-d/Disabled leader (in the areas listed above) to receive a cash prize of $2,500.

A disability activist and rigorous advocate of access in the arts, Christine Karcza worked tirelessly and passionately with leading cultural organizations, including the National Arts Centre, the Stratford Festival, the National Ballet, the Toronto Fringe Festival, the Royal Ontario Museum, Creative Users Projects and Mirvish Productions, building awareness of the many barriers that exclude disabled people everywhere.

The vision for her consulting company, I Can Do This, was for people with disabilities to be given the opportunity to be active cultural participants and leaders. As a mentor she inspired many to advocate for the same vision. Christine’s sudden death left ambitious and collaborative projects unfinished and many grappling with the loss of a leader and mentor.