Following the success of the audio-described Tactile Tour program in 2010, Sculpture by the Sea are partnering with Accessible Arts to offer people with vision impairment and people with intellectual disability the opportunity to engage with art in a hands-on guided experience.
Accessible Arts hosted the Festivals Forum in July 2011, to review access for people with disability at festival events throughout NSW. Representatives from fifteen festivals large and small, and supporting arts organisations, gathered at the Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House to attend the three hour forum.
As part of an agreement to support festivals to develop accessibility, Accessible Arts has provided training to Sculpture by the Sea staff for the third consecutive year. Twelve staff from all sections of the organisation attended three hours of Disability Awareness and Access training to further embed accessibility practices throughout their organisation.
Nastasia Campanella is a Sydney based freelance print, radio and online journalist who also happens to be blind. She recently attended one of the audio described tactile tours presented by Sculpture by the Sea in partnership with Accessible Arts and reported on the experience.News
Forum promotes accessibility at major festivals
Festivals are increasing in popularity and continue to give expression and exposure to innovative creative arts and culture, which in turn adds greater vibrancy to communities who share in these occasions. Accessible Arts will present a forum in July, to bring festival producers together to discuss the unique challenges they face when improving access to festival events.
Accessible Arts has been working closely with some of the major festivals in recent years to improve and increase access initiatives at festival events. This has delivered a range of outcomes, including major festivals presenting audio described tours, Auslan interpreted events and improved information about accessibility in printed programs and online.
“The forum is an opportunity to review the progress made and discuss the challenges in common facing festival organisations when addressing accessibility, in a range of creative and cultural environments,” said Sophie Clausen, Access Coordinator, Accessible Arts.
A panel of speakers will include Simon Darcy PhD, Associate Professor Events, Sport and Tourism at UTS, who specialises in developing inclusive practice for organisations. Simon will be joined by Bruce Maguire, who currently works as a policy officer with Vision Australia and formerly worked in the Disability Rights Unit of the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“The forum will also be a valuable opportunity for input from the disability sector through participation from our guest speakers, to facilitate an exchange of ideas, experiences and expertise.”
With support from the City of Sydney and Sydney Opera House, the half-day forum will be held on 19 July 2011.