The National accessArts Centre (NaAC) is Canada’s oldest and largest disability arts organization. The NaAC supports over 350 artists living with developmental and/or physical disabilities with programming that empowers them to develop their skills and pursue their creative careers. The organization provides a platform for artists to bring their work to the global stage, advocating for greater inclusion, recognition, and celebration of artists with disabilities in all arts and culture spaces.
The NaAC partnered with Perch Communications to develop a fundraising campaign and case for support with evocative new messaging that’s a bold call to arms for the organization’s supporters.
The NaAC partnered with Perch Communications to develop a fundraising campaign and case for support with evocative new messaging that’s a bold call to arms for the organization’s supporters.
Highlights
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Credits |
"More people should do business like Jenny. She is incredibly thoughtful and generous with her time. She was willing to learn from my perspective and then carefully approach the work using her methodology. Working with Perch, we were really able to push our messaging further and say, 'if you're not with us, you're against us.'"
- Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, President and CEO of the NaAC
The Challenge: Finding a Courageous Voice with the Power to Drive Revolutionary Change
The international arts scene has a lot to lose if artists with disabilities continue to face barriers and exclusion. Talented creatives with important visions are iced out of the art world due to the glacial pace of systemic change in both traditional art institutions and popular media. “The disability community is being completely ignored in the arts and culture space. We’re trying to change that,” says Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, President and CEO of NaAC.
Twenty-seven percent of Canadians live with a disability. That means nearly one-third of the population is largely left out of the meaningful conversations happening around, and through, art in the country. “We need to fight to create space, because if we don’t, people will trample on us—and they have,” JS says. “Throughout the history of the disability movement, people have had to fight hard to be heard. In the United States, until people in wheelchairs crawled their way up the steps of the Capitol building, there wasn’t awareness of physical accessibility challenges and the rights of people living with disabilities. The NaAC takes that history very seriously. It’s our responsibility to fight just as hard alongside people with disabilities.”
Witnessing artists with disabilities advocate for themselves and face obstacles with incredible bravery, JS felt that the NaAC needed to step up and find greater courage in its own voice through a more direct and assertive approach to messaging. “I’ve spent seven years at the helm of this organization and we’ve been trying to connect with people somewhere in the mushy middle where we won’t piss anybody off while still generating growth. But that hasn’t worked,” he reflects.
To move the needle on disability inclusivity in the arts, JS knew that the NaAC would have to take a more radical stance than it had in the past. “When we initially launched new branding, we had a case for support that talked about inclusion in a way that was trying to be very polite,” JS says. “But real, positive, substantive change that’s revolutionary in nature can’t happen when people are just engaging in lighthearted conversation. We needed to demonstrate the same level of courage that our artists demonstrate by standing strong and talking about the real reasons why inclusion matters.”
The NaAC had been working with Jenny and the team at Perch Communications for several years and when it came time to revise their messaging, JS made the call. “We reached out to Jenny to find a new, empowered, courageous voice.”
Twenty-seven percent of Canadians live with a disability. That means nearly one-third of the population is largely left out of the meaningful conversations happening around, and through, art in the country. “We need to fight to create space, because if we don’t, people will trample on us—and they have,” JS says. “Throughout the history of the disability movement, people have had to fight hard to be heard. In the United States, until people in wheelchairs crawled their way up the steps of the Capitol building, there wasn’t awareness of physical accessibility challenges and the rights of people living with disabilities. The NaAC takes that history very seriously. It’s our responsibility to fight just as hard alongside people with disabilities.”
Witnessing artists with disabilities advocate for themselves and face obstacles with incredible bravery, JS felt that the NaAC needed to step up and find greater courage in its own voice through a more direct and assertive approach to messaging. “I’ve spent seven years at the helm of this organization and we’ve been trying to connect with people somewhere in the mushy middle where we won’t piss anybody off while still generating growth. But that hasn’t worked,” he reflects.
To move the needle on disability inclusivity in the arts, JS knew that the NaAC would have to take a more radical stance than it had in the past. “When we initially launched new branding, we had a case for support that talked about inclusion in a way that was trying to be very polite,” JS says. “But real, positive, substantive change that’s revolutionary in nature can’t happen when people are just engaging in lighthearted conversation. We needed to demonstrate the same level of courage that our artists demonstrate by standing strong and talking about the real reasons why inclusion matters.”
The NaAC had been working with Jenny and the team at Perch Communications for several years and when it came time to revise their messaging, JS made the call. “We reached out to Jenny to find a new, empowered, courageous voice.”
Photos by Curtis Comeau Photography.
"Real, positive, substantive change that's revolutionary in nature can't happen when people are just engaging in lighthearted conversation. We needed to demonstrate the same level of courage our artists demonstrate by standing strong and talking about the real reasons why inclusion matters."
- JS Ryu, President and CEO of the NaAC
The Solution: Transforming Meek Messaging into a Tenacious Call to action
Perch Communications worked closely with JS and the NaAC team to generate ideas for a new case for support and an accompanying campaign. In addition to writing and editing copy based on NaAC’s fresh messaging approach, Perch orchestrated a photoshoot with several featured artists and coordinated graphic design to deliver a complete case for support. They also developed ideas to roll out the new messaging across the NaAC website, social media, and out-of-home advertising.
1. A trusted partner who's deeply invested in the cause
Long before NaAC reached out to Perch about creating the case for support, Jenny made it a priority to keep up with what the organization was doing. “We were searching for a partner we could trust to write our story and we needed someone who would take the time to really get it,” JS says. “When I met with Jenny, she already knew what was going on in our organization. She had already seen what initiatives we had launched. She came prepared with an understanding of why those initiatives were critical to our cause. Demonstrating that she understood that made a world of difference.”
Jenny’s proactive approach to working with clients saved the NaAC team time and energy onboarding Perch, which meant that they could hit the ground running. “Our team doesn’t have the time—or the patience—to try to get someone to understand the culture, the message, the story, and how we want to communicate,” JS says. “With AI on the rise, anyone can write, but do they understand the spirit of our vision? That’s what Jenny and Perch provided for us.”
Jenny’s knowledge of the organization and deep understanding of the team’s goals made the entire process seamless. “We only needed one meeting. I told Jenny how I envisioned the document and the language I was looking for and she got to work,” JS says. “When the final draft of the case for support came in, I think I only made one suggestion, and that was it.”
1. A trusted partner who's deeply invested in the cause
Long before NaAC reached out to Perch about creating the case for support, Jenny made it a priority to keep up with what the organization was doing. “We were searching for a partner we could trust to write our story and we needed someone who would take the time to really get it,” JS says. “When I met with Jenny, she already knew what was going on in our organization. She had already seen what initiatives we had launched. She came prepared with an understanding of why those initiatives were critical to our cause. Demonstrating that she understood that made a world of difference.”
Jenny’s proactive approach to working with clients saved the NaAC team time and energy onboarding Perch, which meant that they could hit the ground running. “Our team doesn’t have the time—or the patience—to try to get someone to understand the culture, the message, the story, and how we want to communicate,” JS says. “With AI on the rise, anyone can write, but do they understand the spirit of our vision? That’s what Jenny and Perch provided for us.”
Jenny’s knowledge of the organization and deep understanding of the team’s goals made the entire process seamless. “We only needed one meeting. I told Jenny how I envisioned the document and the language I was looking for and she got to work,” JS says. “When the final draft of the case for support came in, I think I only made one suggestion, and that was it.”
"We only needed one meeting. I told Jenny how I envisioned the document and the language I was looking for and she got to work. When the final draft of the case for support came in, I think I only made one suggestion, and that was it."
- JS Ryu, President and CEO of the NaAC
2. Audacious messaging, distinctive copy, and standout design
Jenny and the team at Perch took the work of drafting the case for support off of the NaAC team’s desks. This not only freed them to focus on other parallel initiatives, it also made for a more impactful result. “My recommendation to other organizations working on a case for support is: don’t do it in-house,” says JS. “The way that you think your work matters is very different from how the outside world sees it, no matter how good the work you’re doing is.”
With Perch’s informed, third-party perspective, NaAC uncovered a fresh voice they may not have found if they’d completed the project themselves. “I’m ensconced in our own corporate branding strategy, but we wanted this campaign to really stand out,” says JS. “Jenny led the graphic design and direction to create something that reflected the organization’s DNA, but presented it in a new light."
Jenny and the team at Perch took the work of drafting the case for support off of the NaAC team’s desks. This not only freed them to focus on other parallel initiatives, it also made for a more impactful result. “My recommendation to other organizations working on a case for support is: don’t do it in-house,” says JS. “The way that you think your work matters is very different from how the outside world sees it, no matter how good the work you’re doing is.”
With Perch’s informed, third-party perspective, NaAC uncovered a fresh voice they may not have found if they’d completed the project themselves. “I’m ensconced in our own corporate branding strategy, but we wanted this campaign to really stand out,” says JS. “Jenny led the graphic design and direction to create something that reflected the organization’s DNA, but presented it in a new light."
3. A case for support that calls for revolution
With Perch’s expertise, a brave new brand voice emerged from NaAC’s goals and vision. The new case for support, titled Bold Ideas Need Bold Allies, boasts the no-holds-barred call-to-action “Join the Revolution.” It asks supporters to stand up and fight for inclusivity with as much determination as the artists that the organization advocates for. “Working with Jenny, we were able to push our messaging harder and really communicate that if inclusion doesn’t happen, it’s a slap in the face to the 27 percent of Canadians who identify as having a disability,” JS says.
“If you want people to take action in this day and age when there’s so much noise, you have to tap into an emotional response,” JS says. “When we were using our old messaging, I was seeing fear in the way we were talking about our cause. People were worried we were being too antagonistic, they wanted us to tone it down. But I realized that when there’s tension, it means you’re doing something right. I wanted to ramp that tension up in this call for support because I knew it would give people something to say and it would help us stand out in people’s minds.”
With Perch’s expertise, a brave new brand voice emerged from NaAC’s goals and vision. The new case for support, titled Bold Ideas Need Bold Allies, boasts the no-holds-barred call-to-action “Join the Revolution.” It asks supporters to stand up and fight for inclusivity with as much determination as the artists that the organization advocates for. “Working with Jenny, we were able to push our messaging harder and really communicate that if inclusion doesn’t happen, it’s a slap in the face to the 27 percent of Canadians who identify as having a disability,” JS says.
“If you want people to take action in this day and age when there’s so much noise, you have to tap into an emotional response,” JS says. “When we were using our old messaging, I was seeing fear in the way we were talking about our cause. People were worried we were being too antagonistic, they wanted us to tone it down. But I realized that when there’s tension, it means you’re doing something right. I wanted to ramp that tension up in this call for support because I knew it would give people something to say and it would help us stand out in people’s minds.”
"Working with Jenny, we were able to push our messaging harder and really communicate that if inclusion doesn't happen, it's a slap in the face to the 27 percent of Canadians who identify as having a disability."
- JS Ryu, President and CEO of the NaAC
The Results: Connecting with True Allies and Fierce Advocates
In the days after the campaign launch, it was clear to JS that the new messaging approach was ruffling feathers—exactly as he’d hoped. While some social media followers expressed discomfort and disappointment at the bold statements and audacious asks, others proudly voiced their support for the NaAC’s fresh, impassioned direction.
“It was important to us to create messaging that allowed us to automatically weed out the people who won’t help us,” JS says. “When we launched the campaign, people had a strong reaction. This is the first time we’re actually seeing people either get their backs up or lean in with us. If people feel guilt, so be it. We want to find our allies. Why try to blend into the traditional arts and culture space when you can stake your ground elsewhere and identify people who will flock to you?”
For the NaAC team, this campaign represents an initial tidal shift that will generate larger waves of change as they refine their messaging and approach. “I am under no illusion that this campaign is going to be the one game-changer. This is about setting the groundwork for future campaigns and initiatives,” says JS. “We’ll bring Perch back in again and assess what’s working and what isn’t, and we’ll continue to build on top of that.”
“It was important to us to create messaging that allowed us to automatically weed out the people who won’t help us,” JS says. “When we launched the campaign, people had a strong reaction. This is the first time we’re actually seeing people either get their backs up or lean in with us. If people feel guilt, so be it. We want to find our allies. Why try to blend into the traditional arts and culture space when you can stake your ground elsewhere and identify people who will flock to you?”
For the NaAC team, this campaign represents an initial tidal shift that will generate larger waves of change as they refine their messaging and approach. “I am under no illusion that this campaign is going to be the one game-changer. This is about setting the groundwork for future campaigns and initiatives,” says JS. “We’ll bring Perch back in again and assess what’s working and what isn’t, and we’ll continue to build on top of that.”
A Case for Support that Inspires Supporters to Fight for Your Cause
Perch works to deeply understand your cause, your mission, and the vision that drives your organization. We can help you develop evocative messaging and a done-for-you case for support that deeply moves your audience, inspiring them to get involved with your initiatives and create the meaningful change you want to see in the world.
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