News
Arts and disability in Canberra generates and strengthens
A number of arts and disability initiatives in the ACT are strengthening networks and promoting cross sector inclusion to improve opportunities for people with disability to participate in the arts.
artist/proof, a visual arts exhibition celebrating International Day of People with Disability; GENERATE, a new online arts and disability network; and a performance by the Radiance Dance Project 2009, are being presented during December to showcase arts and disability in the territory.
The Radiance Dance Project is a forty-week inclusive performance project using the mediums of movement, theatre and dance to engage women with and without disabilities in expressive arts. The performance project will present intact - a disarming glimpse into the complexity and beauty of being human. Founded in 2005 by independent community arts worker Morgan Jai-Morincome, the project has been supported by the ACT government through community arts project funding.
“Radiance has grown out of the lack of opportunities for people with and without disability to dance, create, explore, collaborate and perform together. The project views all humans as having diverse abilities and offers a space where individuals can express their unique selves in connection and collaboration with others,” explains Morgan Jai-Morincome.
The need for one central arts and disability hub in the ACT is at the core of work being undertaken by the ACT Community Arts Office. The soon to be launched online arts access network GENERATE, will give artists the opportunity to become members of a network, upload their profiles and artists statements to the GENERATE website, create blogs, access resources like templates for project planning and receive regular newsletters.
Coordinator of GENERATE, artsAbility Officer Caro Roach from the ACT Community Arts Office explains, “There are so many great creative programs for people with disabilities already happening across Canberra through arts organizations, health and community services. But people don’t know they have so many choices, or can’t always identify who is doing what.” GENERATE will improve access to this information.
The Community Arts Office has also partnered with ACT Human Rights Commission to present artist/proof, an exhibition celebrating International Day of People with Disability. The show explores concepts of identity, accessibility, connection, wellbeing and acceptance and will be launched by ACT Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan committed advocate for disability and community and Disability and Community Services Commissioner Mary Durkin. Being held in a new purpose built arts centre in Belconnen, artist/proof will give centre stage to the creative output and talent of artists who can exist on the margins of the contemporary art community.
This will compliment the new arts access online network, which is planned to go live on 27 November 2009.