Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Taking the Lead

Unlimited, Cultural Olympiad.

International arts and disability unlimited at next Olympics

Unlimited, the UK’s largest ever disability arts program, has been launched by the 2012 Cultural Olympiad as part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, planned for July 2012 through to September 2012. Unlimited will celebrate disability, arts, culture and sport on an unprecedented scale including supporting collaboration between artists in the UK and other countries, to showcase new work from around the world. The Cultural Olympiad puts Culture at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to showcase excellence in the performing arts and creative industries. Unlimited will ensure arts and disability have prominent involvement in this cultural activity. Jenny Sealey, MBE, UK based artist and Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre Company is the Artistic Advisor to Unlimited. Jenny is coming to Australia in March 2010 to be the keynote speaker at the national Arts Activated Conference 2010 – Arts, Access, Excellence. Her involvement at the conference will outline the possibility for participation by Australians in the Cultural Olympiad.  Read more...

Jenny Sealey, MBE, Keynote Speaker, Arts
Activated Conference 2010 and Artistic
Advisor to Unlimited.

Arts Activated Conference 2010 - Early-bird online registration now open

Online registrations are now open for the second national Arts Activated Conference – Arts, Access, Excellence at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney from 25 to 26 March 2010. A strong program has been announced with a range of national and international speakers from the arts and disability sectors including Jenny Sealey, MBE, Artistic Director Graeae Theatre Company (UK) and Artistic Advisor Unlimited, Sue Williams, Arts Council England (UK), Tony McCaffrey, Artistic Director Different Light Theatre Company (NZ), Rachel Gadsden, Visual Artist (UK), Rafael Bonachela (NSW), Artistic Director Sydney Dance Company, Phillip Channels, Artistic Director Restless Dance Theatre (SA) and Camilla Connolly, Visual Artist and Australian Director of the Asperger Women Association (NSW). The conference is intended for artists with and without a disability, arts workers, disability service providers, policy makers, funding bodies, festival organisers and volunteers, cultural institutions, venues and anyone interested in arts, disability and access. Early-bird registrations are open until 18 December 2009.

Bruce Maguire at Sculpture by the Sea
guided touch tour 2009.

Sculpture by the Sea guided touch tour exemplary job

On Friday 13 November 2009 three people with low vision participated in a guided touch tour presented at Sculpture by the Sea. The tour was a huge success engaging three volunteers with extensive experience in touch tours in the visual arts to lead the tour.  Bruce Maguire, Policy/Project Officer, Disability Rights Unit, Australian Human Rights Commission joined the tour and said, "Sculpture by the Sea did an exemplary job of arranging and conducting the tour, and the "discovery through dialogue" model allowed me to engage with the sculptures in a rich and meaningful way." Accessible Arts CEO, Sancha Donald, Emily Mierisch, Education Coordinator from Sculpture by the Sea, and Anneke Barnes, Access to Festival Coordinator from Accessible Arts also joined the pilot tour.  Read more...

Development Manager joins the Accessible Arts team

Accessible Arts has created a new position within the organisation to strengthen partnerships and expand fundraising activities for growth and development. Naomi Bower is the new Development Manager and will oversee all aspects of Accessible Arts' annual fundraising strategy. Naomi has been involved in the arts and cultural development for ten years, eight of which were in community and public sector arts work in London. In 2007 she facilitated the development of a creative industries network in Camberwell, South London and worked with Southwark Council on arts based regeneration initiatives. During this time Naomi also developed a strong involvement in electronic music, releasing a solo album in 2005, performing and organising music events, including those for refugees and non-English speakers in London. Since returning to Australia in late 2008 she has worked with innovative new media organisation, CuriousWorks and now also brings her knowledge and experience to Accessible Arts. Read more...

Photo courtesy Restless Dance Theatre

Artist Profile – Kyra Kimpton, performer and performance creator

Kyra Kimpton, Adelaide based performer and performance creator, works in physical theatre, dance theatre and film. Kyra is a youth ensemble member, tutor and dancers representative at Restless Dance Theatre. She is also involved with theatre workshops at No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability. Current projects include Beauty with Restless Dance Theatre and Take Up Thy Bed and Walk with independent artists Gaelle Mellis and Hilary Bell. In 2010 Kyra will undergo a month of creative development in the UK with Choreographer Jemima Hoadley, before returning to Australia to perform at the Arts Activated National Conference 2010. “Being involved in Arts Activated feels just perfect for the dance theatre solo Prelude. Jemima and myself will be exploring the incorporation of different elements, striving to create an accessible performance style. We are both very excited by the opportunity to gain feedback and to perform to a diverse audience in Sydney next year.”

Creative Inclusive

Jared Younger and Helen Newman, Accessible
Arts small grant film mentorship project,
Albury NSW.

Arts projects throughout NSW develop artistic ability

The Honourable Paul Lynch, Minister for Disability Services will officially launch the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign for Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC), Department of Human Services NSW on Thursday 3 December 2009 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This year’s campaign sees an increasing number of quality arts events, projects and activities underway throughout the state. Accessible Arts will be attending over twenty events in metropolitan and regional NSW to show support and celebrate International Day of People with Disability. Damien Conte, Janet Diane and Jared Younger are three independent artists with disabilities, whose creative aspirations in visual art, theatre and film making have been fostered by 2009 Accessible Arts Small Arts Grants as part of the Don’t DIS my ABILITY campaign. Read more...

Mixed Abilities Ensemble workshop, 2008.

Galleries in Western Sydney highlight programs for International Day of People with Disability

Fairfield City Museum and Gallery will host a variety of events to celebrate International Day of People with Disability in the Western Sydney area. The First Flight Crew will perform their latest songs with Morganics, Ana Nguyen, singer/songwriter and AART.BOXX 09 artist is also performing.  Workshops in Hip Hop and Chalk Art are being presented and interACT, a new online resource kit for working in integrated performance settings produced by Powerhouse Youth Theatre in partnership with Accessible Arts, will be launched. Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest are presenting Sizzle, an inclusive arts festival from 1 December to 13 December also in celebration of International Day of People with a Disability. The program of events includes an exhibition, performance, an audio described tour, short films and a workshop on creative initiatives for carers.

AART.BOXX Artists Talks, Mori Gallery 2009

AART.BOXX committee expands understanding of access

Hugh Nichols was one of nine people on the AART.BOXX 09 committee, a group of artists, writers, disability workers, arts administrators and even an animatronics expert, who met regularly throughout the year to drive and create Accessible Arts' national survey exhibition AART.BOXX. “Working on the committee opened me up to be able to see things I had never considered before. I only really ever had a very basic understanding of what access is and over the time I’ve been involved with AART.BOXX, I've realised how expansive an issue it actually is. There is so much to it on both a social and artistic level that needs to be explored and reconsidered.” Hugh is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies at Macquarie University and will eventually do his Masters. His contribution to the committee and the exhibition was tireless and added to an improvement in documenting and promoting the artists and the show. Read more...

The Radiance Dance Project 2009

Arts and disability in Canberra strengthens and generates

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 intact, a performance by The Radiance Dance Project 2009 will be presented during December to showcase arts and disability in the territory. “Radiance has grown out of the lack of opportunities for people with and without disability to dance, create, explore, collaborate and perform together,” explains Morgan Jai-Morincome, Founder and Artistic Director of the project. 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. Launched online on 29 November, the arts access network GENERATE, will give artists the opportunity to become members of a network to share information and pool resources. Read more...

STAGETEXT captioning for theatre

UK Profiles: STAGETEXT and VocalEyes

Sancha Donald, CEO Accessible Arts, engaged with two well-established London based companies specializing in the delivery of access technology throughout the UK, during her week long exchange with the sector in July 2009. STAGETEXT, established in 2000 provides captioning for theatres and other arts venues, to provide access to live performances for Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people. The company also provides training in the delivery of live open captioning. VocalEyes, a London based company established in 1998, works on behalf of people who are blind or have low vision, to enhance engagement with the arts. To date VocalEyes has audio described more than 700 performances at 108 venues throughout the UK. Read more...

Other Events and Opportunities

• Mainstream cinema excluding people with disabilities – exemption sought by Hoyts Corportion for temporary exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

• Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability USA -  submit a proposal for session and pre-conference workshops for the 2010 LEAD Conference.

• The Other Film Festival – Now accepting films made by, with or about people with disability.

• Sensorial 2009 – Disability Enterprises Leura present their fifth annual art exhibition in an ongoing partnership with Katoomba Fine Art Gallery.

• Access2Art - An exhibition and sale of artworks, exploration and expression to celebrate International Day of People with Disability in Castle Hill.

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.

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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.