Sara Diamond fonds
Coalition for the Right To View
Visual Evidence
A Series of Video Screenings, Workshops and Multimedia Events About Sexuality and Sexual Images.
April 25 – June 27, 1987
Visual Evidence was produced in response to federal and provincial legislations that would effectively censor or restrict audio-visual and other materials about sex and sexuality. A Canada Council exhibitions grant was applied for through the Vancouver Artist’s League, a coalition of local non-profit artists’ centres and individual artists, and by The Coalition for the Right To View, representing cultural, educational and other organizations and individuals concerned about censorship. Events were held at Video In, Pitt International Gallery , Vancouver Gay & Lesbian Community Centre,d Western Front, Heritage Hall, and Women In Focus.
CRTV spokespersons, Sara Diamond and Karen Knights, working out of Video In, took on the bulk of administrative and curatorial duties [In Formation program curated by Meaghan Baxter; Double Jeopardies curated by Carol Allen and Richard Fung]. Pro bono legal support was enlisted to assist with any legal challenges. Visual Evidence was organized as an act of civil disobedience, publicly announcing that it was screening sexually explicit depictions. and in direct challenge to the B.C. Motion Pictures Act, that had not been submitted to the Film Classification Office. There were also no age restrictions on attendees.
Primary goals for the series were to:
Publicly defy the new classification legislation
Illustrate the breadth of work potentially affected
Draw attention to its negative effect on sex and HIV education for youth and 2SLGTBQIA+ community whose materials were disproportionately targeted
To bring attention to its threat to the creation of a visual language of female and 2SLGTBQIA+ desire
To build on The Heat Is On model of presenting and discussing the latest work, styles, and strategies, uninhibited.
The event also expanded alliances and solidified the Vancouver cultural community’s stand against proposed and implemented legislations restricting access to sexual imagery including the federal bill C-54 and the induction of videotape in the BC Classification system.
More on this event and the Coalition for the Right To View can be found in the SVES organizational files.
Promotional Material
Administrative Records
Funding & Alliances
Request to VAL Board for assistance with planned series. June 17, 1986.
Vancouver Artists League Canada Council Exhibition Assistance grant
Diamond to VAL, 1 Feb 1986
Visual Evidence to VAL re grant success, 18 Jan 1987
Letter of continued committment to the CC Exhibition Jury, 9 Sep 1986.
Correspondence
Diamond to John Greyson, 17 Feb 1987
Diamond to Marusya Bociurkiw, 9 Jun 1987
Diamond to VTape distributors, 9 Sep 1986
Responses to classification and border seizures
This statement read before each event.
The non-explicit video, Wild Life, enroute to Visual Evidence, was designated “child pornography” by Canada Customs. From the SVES fonds.
SVES successful appeal. As SVES was the recipient, the Society was legally responsible. This risk had been agreed to by SVES in solidarity with artists’ actions against censorship and with the knowledge that queer materials would be targeted. From the SVES fonds.
Legislation
BC Govt Bill 30 Motion Picture Act defined how video would be incorporated into the Motion Picture Act and subject to classification.
Related Materials in the Diamond fonds
To view writings by Diamond related to pornography and censorship produced before and during her time with CRTV, link here.
The Heat Is On symposium and screening event curated by Diamond and Karen Henry was a precurser to Visual Evidence. To view all materials, link here.