Accessible Arts is conducting a survey for the Deaf Community in NSW to find out what the Arts mean to people who are deaf and to learn about their experience of artistic opportunities as artists, audience members or participants.
Sydney’s newest entertainment destination, The Concourse in Chatswood, will host Accessible Arts’ third Arts Activated National Conference in October 2012. This new cultural hub, many years in the planning and with considerable consultation with the disability sector and with Accessible Arts, is a leading example of accessibility within a world-class Arts centre.
Students from Halinda School travelled from Whalan in Western Sydney to participate in the Tactile Tours - Access program at this year’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. Visiting the exhibition for the first time, Assistant Principal Anne Bennett is enthusiatisic about attending the exhibtion as a regular event on the Halinda school calendar.
Accessible Arts and Museums & Galleries NSW (M&G NSW) will present a one day seminar on 28 November 2011 to promote improved access to heritage listed buildings for audiences, staff and arts professionals with disabilities.News
Scholarship furthers artist's interest
Carla Wherby, Auburn based visual artist and recipient of Accessible Arts’ AART.BOXX scholarship, travelled with her sisters Paula and Lisa to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra last month to study war objects, memorabilia and ephemera.
"Due to the vastness of our collection, the majority of our art lies hidden away in storage, so it was wonderful to be able to show Carla some artwork which doesn’t often get exhibited. Carla was particularly interested in works by some of our official war artists from recent conflicts and peacekeeping operations," said Alexandra Wiber, Assistant Curator at the Austrailian War Memorial.
Carla uses extraordinary graphic and representational skills in drawing to depict the complexity of war in political and social history and this theme in her work inspired the trip to Canberra.
“Staff at the Australian War Memorial were very helpful,” Carla said.
“I was shown a range of works not usually on public display due to space limitations, including collections from Ex De Medici, Jon Cattapan and Wendy Sharpe.”
“Viewing memorabilia from the Australian Women’s land army was great too, inspiring ideas for my work.”
“I took the opportunity to also visit the Renaissance exhibition at the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Film & Sound Archive.”
Carla expressed her gratitude for the opportunities the scholarship has enabled. With assistance from Arts NSW, the 2011 scholarship emphasises the importance of further professional development opportunities that target artists with disability.