Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Arts Access Australia, the British Council and Accessible Arts NSW are pleased to launch a new professional development opportunity for Australian artists and arts workers with disability.

Accessible Arts supports the facilitation of a number of sector networks to champion innovative access in arts development and audience development. Becoming involved offers peer exchange, professional development and a closer look at how excellence in access is being achieved.

Graeme Innes (AM), Australia’s Disability Discrimination Commissioner has been confirmed as a guest speaker at Arts Activated 2012. Graeme was crucial to the development of the National Disability Strategy and the Disability (Access to Premises – buildings) Standards 2010, as well as being an active high profile advocate for the implementation of cinema captioning and audio descriptions.

Creating Connections North Coast is now in its sixth month and enthusiasm for the project from arts and disability communities across the Mid North and Far North Coast continues to grow.

Competition : Holroyd : Closing date 28 June 2012 : Stockland Merrylands is calling for entries from young photographers in the Holroyd area.

Exhibition : Cabarita Beach : 2 June 2012 : "Road to Recovery" Art Exhibition at Cabarita Beach Surf Club.

Workshop : Central Coast : Applications close 8 June 2012 : Digital futures seeks applications from young artists with mild intellectual and/or physical disability.

Call Out : National : Closing date 13 July 2012 : Bowness Photography Prize is now accepting entries from amateurs and professionals.

Exhibition : Sydney : 29 May 2012 : Art Exhibition at the Chatswood Social Club

Workshop : Darlington Sydney : 1 June 2012 : Go nuts! Go Digital! hands-on workshop at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre.

Accessible Arts Board member Dougie Herd features in the Every Australian Counts campaign, inviting people with disability to get creative with video and tell their story to support the campaign.

The NSW Government is committing $1.5 million to increase access to arts and cultural activities for people with a disability.

Social media is what allows anyone with an internet connection to publish their own content and connect with other people. Through it, we receive a wealth of information and interaction.

AbaF and Arts Access Australia hae announced the launch of the AbaF Arts Access Award. This new national award will recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of arts organisations that have implemented projects or strategies to improve access for people with disability to their venues, programs or services.

Blind Citizens Australia have congratulated the Federal Government on their public announcement of a 13 week trial of audio description on ABC1 commencing mid 2012, with 14 hours of audio described content to be aired each week.

It has just been announced that the first captioned performance in the world to offer patrons theatre captioning on smartphone and tablet devices will be Andrew McKinnon’s production of ‘Dickens’ Women’ at The Playhouse at the Canberra Theatre Centre.