Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

On Wednesday 21 July 2010, Accessible Arts hosted a forum to consult with Regional Arts NSW and its network of Regional Arts Development Boards, to propose a strategy for rural and regional engagement with arts and disability.

The art exhibition that has been presented annually by Accessible Arts since 2006, has shifted to a project to be developed over an 18-month period and presented bi-annually.

A partnership between Accessible Arts and Critical Stages, to support the NSW tour of UK modern classic A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, is educating performing arts venues about access and disability awareness.

Applications are now open for Accessible Arts Small Grants, for individual artists or organisations to create high quality arts project as part of the 2010 Don’t DISmyABILITY campaign.

Applications are now open to artists, arts workers, curators, writers and creative thinkers to form a creative committee and co-ordinate AART.BOXX for 2011. This opportunity is open to people with and without disability.

Accessible Arts held a skills exchange day for Western Sydney arts centres on 27 May 2010, in response to the need to develop audiences that include people with disability at museums and galleries.

Seminar : Sydney : 24 - 25 Aug 10 : Seminar on access changes to public buildings will provide an overview about the upcoming Premises Standards.

Exhibition : Sydney : 16 – 19 Aug 10 : A multi art-form exhibition demonstrating the values of respect and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Workshop : Sydney : 1 Sep – 17 Dec 10 : MCA’s annual Bella program, provides free hands on art education for young people with specific needs.

Performance : NSW : 23 Jul – 30 Oct 10 : Critical Stages tours a UK modern classic theatre production with disability themes, in partnership with Accessible Arts.

In March 2010 Accessible Arts hosted an inclusive dance masterclass Beyond Technique | Searching for Authenticity at Carriageworks, Sydney, with Philip Channells, artistic director of Adelaide's multi award winning inclusive youth company Restless Dance Theatre.

Western Australia based arts access organisation, DADAA have launched a national arts and health digital platform, in partnership with the Rio Tinto WA Future Fund, Healthway and The University of Western Australia.

An employment program piloted by The Spastic Centre in 2009 has created opportunities for people with cerebral palsy to establish profitable business ventures in the arts.

Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, has applauded an agreement that will vastly improve provision of captions and audio description in cinemas, so that people who have previously been unable to enjoy going to the movies will have greater opportunity to do so.

The Minister for Disability Services, Peter Primrose, has announced that Professor Ron McCallum AM has been appointed as interim Chair of the NSW Disability Council.

Regional Arts Australia and the National Rural Health Alliance are working together to produce a book that highlights stories about arts and health projects from regional Australia.

Orana Arts is offering funding for an arts volunteer from the Orana Arts region (residing in Dubbo, Gilgandra, Mid-Western, Narromine and Warrumbungle LGAs) to attend the Regional Arts Australia National Conference in Launceston, Tasmania, 26 - 29 August 2010.