Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Taking the Lead

Bago Magic Performance Group, Wauchope NSW

‘Speak Up: Arts & Disability Priorities for NSW' now released

The report identifying key findings, issues and solutions resulting from extensive consultations conducted by Alison McLaren, Audience Development Officer, Accessible Arts, has now been released. This project represents the voice of over 500 arts and disability stakeholders, captured from face to face consultations in regional and metropolitan NSW between 2006 and 2009. Arts and disability organisations and communities are encouraged to utilise actions in this plan, to guide their local cultural and disability planning. Priorities in this Strategy will also guide Accessible Arts future strategic planning, to ensure projects are targeted towards areas of greatest need in the arts and disability sectors. This project will also form the foundation of future arts and disability research at a national level. To become further engaged in implementing arts and disability priorities in NSW, please contact Sancha Donald, CEO, Accessible Arts tel: 02 9251 6499 ext 102 or sdonald@aarts.net.au.

Nick Gleeson, guest speaker Vision Australia and
Jane Pollard, Training Manager Accessible Arts,
Disability Awareness & Access training March 2009.

Disability Awareness & Access training - improving access to the arts

At a time when social inclusion is high on the Government's agenda, Accessible Arts TAFE NSW Disability Awareness & Access training is an important and relevant professional development opportunity. This training provides strategies for venues, galleries, festivals and events to overcome barriers experienced by people with disability when accessing the arts. It is suitable for Arts sector staff across all levels of an organisation, including senior and middle management, administration, front-of-house, security, education staff and volunteers. The next training session is being held on 22 October 2009 at Accessible Arts training room, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Developed by TAFE NSW in association with Accessible Arts, all participants receive a TAFE transcript on completion. Deadline for registration is 8 October 2009. Read more...

Alison McLaren and Professor Ron McCallum AO,
United Nations Special Rapporteur for Disability,
launching Accessible Cinema the 56th Sydney
Film Festival

Accessible Arts Audience Development Officer will be missed

Alison McLaren is moving on from Accessible Arts to take on the role of Policy Officer, Cultural Development at the Local Government and Shires Associations (LGSA) of NSW. Alison has worked as Audience Development Officer for four years and has made a significant contribution to the organisation. A number of major projects were initiated through her work. These include management of the ‘Removing the Obstacles' report that investigates the relationship between heritage and disability discrimination legislation. She also completed an extensive and long-term consultation process with the arts and disability sectors between 2006 and 2008 resulting in the Speak Up: Arts & Disability Priorities report, recently adopted by the Board of Directors of Accessible Arts. Alison will continue to support access in her future role, particularly through the partnership Accessible Arts has with LGSA to deliver the annual Accessible Arts Cultural Award.

The Kursk by Sasha Janowicz, captioned
performance at IPAC.

Community Infrastructure allocations improve access to the arts

Recent upgrades at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, to improve access for people with disability, attracted funding from the Federal Government Community Infrastructure Program. Simon Hinton, CEO of IPAC said, "The $780,000 refurbishment has given us the opportunity to reconfigure seating to give improved sight lines and provide wheelchair seating comparable to the best seating in the house." These developments build on other access initiatives at IPAC, including a monthly captioned theatre performance and sound enhancement facilities in all theatres. In September, a captioned performance of The Kursk by Sasha Jannowicz will be presented. The Prime Minister announced additional funding of $220 million for the Community Infrastructure Program in June 2009 and will commence the next round of funding at the end of 2009.

Profile: Kath Duncan, multimedia artist and researcher

Kath Duncan, Lismore based multimedia artist and researcher, will travel to England in September to participate in deciBel, Performing Arts Showcase, Manchester UK. Kath will speak at Leadership Lounge UK: International Artists in Conversation, to reveal the journeys, insights and opportunities that have shaped her artistic identity. Kath will also present a performance piece combining her current PhD research with images and audio works at ‘Lead On' Open Space Disability Conference in Cheltenham. Working in mainstream and alternative broadcasting, print, multimedia and performance for the past twenty years, Kath is currently completing her PhD on her experiences in ‘special' education in the 1960s. The UK Arts Council is funding her trip to attend these two major international events, that aim to inspire thinking about the relationship between cultural practice and leadership. Kath has also launched a public appeal to cover additional costs. Read more...

Creative Inclusive

New sessions of Tra La La Blip Electronic
Music Workshops to be presented for Don't
DIS My ABILITY 2009.

Small Arts Grants attract big arts ideas

From Albury in the South, Mullumbimby in the North and Cobar in the West, a total of 44 applications were received for the Accessible Arts Small Arts Grants round as part of this year's statewide Don't DIS My ABILITY campaign. Accessible Arts coordinates the arts program of this campaign, on behalf of the Department of Ageing, Disability & Homecare, for International Day of People With a Disability. An array of art forms were included in applications, such as visual art, craft, film, music, print-making, dance, mural making, sculpture and theatre. Ten of these projects have been selected to receive a small grant of up to $1000. Grant recipients will update information about the development of their projects on the Don't DIS my ABILITY facebook page. Contact Becky Chapman, Arts Development Officer tel: 02 9251 6499 ext 107 or bchapman@aarts.net.au for more information on how to get an arts event off the ground for 3 December 2009. Read more...

Tickets to captioned screening of A Good Man selling fast

Award winning feature film A Good Man is being screened with captions at the Chauvel Cinema on 5 September 2009. This Australian documentary is the true story of a struggling Australian farmer, his quadriplegic wife and their plans to open a brothel in small country town, Inverill NSW. A Good Man was co-winner of the Foxtel Australian Documentary Prize at the 2009 Sydney Film Festival. The Festival jury described it as ‘a human story of huge heart told with candour and humour.' Tickets to the one off screening are selling fast. All proceeds from the screening will go towards creating a fully accessible edition of the film including audio-description for people who are blind or have low vision. Read more...

The Pink Stars will perform live at the 24/7
Film Festival

Manly Arts Festival celebrates diversity

The 2009 Manly Arts Festival will celebrate creative diversity and passion for art in all its forms during September. As part of the festival, teams of blind and sighted people will sculpt a 23-dot message in Braille, along the inter-tidal zone of Manly Cove next to the Manly Wharf. Braille on Many Beach (BOMB) will celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille. Sunnyfield Frenchs Forest Day Program will also present two works at the festival. Their short film, Pink Stars, will premiere at 24/7 Youth Film Festival at the Orpheum in Cremorne on 27 September 2009 and will include a live music performance from Sunnyfield group Pink Stars. They will also present a performance work Travel starting at the Bus stop at the Star of the Sea Theatre on 15 September. The Festival offers a range of other events, workshops and exhibitions; many are free or low in cost.

Artist Kevin Meagher with his ceramic sculptures
at Off the Edge, July 09

Making it in clay

The 12th Australian Ceramic Triennale was held in Sydney in late July with satellite exhibitions across NSW. Ceramic artists with disability from across Australia contributed to the critique and creative impact of the five-day festival. Such events included Off the Edge, an exhibition by artists and arts workers whose work is informed by disability. This exhibition involved 22 artists from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria and was officially opened by Josie Cavallaro, Arts Development Officer from Accessible Arts. Josie also presented a conference paper titled ‘Accessing the Mainstream' as part of a panel discussion titled ‘Art, Clay and Wellbeing'. The aim of the paper was to examine access to art making beyond an outreach model and into pathways for professional development. It contributed to a collection of diverse presentations and dialogue with artists with disability, art workers and ceramicists.

Chickenshed production, Crime of the Century, was
presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival August 09.

UK Profiles: Mind the Gap and Chickenshed

Sancha Donald, CEO of Accessible Arts, engaged with the arts and disability sector in the United Kingdom on a weeklong exchange in July 2009. Sancha visited a diverse group of professional and community organisations to be profiled over the coming months. Mind the Gap and the Chickenshed are this month. Mind the Gap is a professional touring theatre company based in Bradford, Yorkshire, which performs in the UK and internationally. The company offers training to people with learning disabilities to become professional actors, and fosters actors with learning disabilities to achieve their potential. Chickenshed is a well-established inclusive theatre company based in London which produces a range of works from solo pieces to full-scale productions with casts of 250+ and a 20 piece strong band. Read more...

Other Events and Opportunities

• Access Tours at the Art Gallery of NSW - The Grand Courts Celebration Weekend at the Art Gallery of NSW will include an Auslan interpreted and Audio described tour.
• Actors wanted for Australian Theatre of the Deaf - Join the company in 2010 to perform in the schools and touring program.
• The Liverpool City Art Prize - A national competition, with a $10,000 prize for the overall winner.
• Encore: 2009 Exhibition from Miroma - showcase of works from the Miroma Painting Program, Dover Heights.
• Tell your story on ABC Radio - Heywire is a space for young people to create and share their stories, ideas and opinions.
• Outreach Group Exhibition - Pine Street Creative Arts Centre showcasing works from outreach programs at CarriageWorks.
• Cohabitation: Bondi - The After Party Project, a new inclusive theatre company in Sydney, premiere performance.

Feedback

We invite feedback and suggestions from our readers. Share your experiences of attending any of the listed events or offer suggestions for future newsletter items. Email feedback to info@aarts.net.au.

Send us your news

Contributions to the newsletter are welcome and encouraged. Please send us your item by the 15th of the month, for the following month’s edition. Listings should include the title, date, location, a short description (100 words), plus all available contact details, access details and an image (JPEG or GIF format). Arts events, opportunities or news that will be of interest to people with disability, their families, friends and carers and are accessible will be published. Email contributions to info@aarts.net.au.