Karen Bailey

Raising Stanley / Life With Tulia
Storyteller Kim Kilpatrick & Visual Artist Karen Bailey
Directed by Bronwyn Steinberg

The journey from puppy to working guide dog for the blind told through stories, paintings and video.

Stanley is a Yellow Lab with Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. Tulia is Kim's fourth guide dog and has worked with her for seven years.

In their collaborative performance piece, Karen Bailey and Kim Kilpatrick delve into issues of identity, accessibility and canine service using sound and images.

Kim Kilpatrick is a storyteller, former para-olympian and disability rights activist who has handled four guide dogs. Born blind, she brings a fresh and unique approach to the art of storytelling.

This performance installation echoes an historical truth - mans relationship with animals has been economic, passionate and complex. In contemporary society, with an increasing emphasis on the rights of non-human animals, we must ask ourselves: is he just a dog that works, a tool to make humans life easier or is he more than that?