Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Taking the Lead

Macumba’s excellence highlighted at Arts Activated National Conference

National media pioneer and founder of CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) John Macumba, joins key speakers at the Arts Activated National Conference in March, to present an indigenous perspective on arts, access and excellence. John will present his life experiences of living as an Aboriginal man with Cerebral Palsy, to illustrate how he has utilized the power of his creative side to achieve excellence in media communication and production. John runs his own production company, Macumba Media Services, which has provided documentaries, films and a six-part series for SBS TV. He is currently writing his life story titled The Track to Macumba, for his research doctorate at the University of South Australia. His presentation at the Arts Activated National Conference, like his doctoral research, promotes and encourages individuals to be the hero of their own lives. Read more...

Digby Webster, AART.BOXX08

STC & OZCO offer people with disability work placements

Getting a job in the arts has always been highly competitive, but pathways do exist for people with disability and the key is participating in arts projects as often as possible to gain skills and experience that match the needs of arts organisations. Digby Webster and Audrey O’Connor are two individuals who have both gathered a variety of experience in the arts, leading to work placements with promising potential. With support from Disability Services Australia, Digby is currently working part time at the Australia Council for the Arts and Audrey is working part time at Sydney Theatre Company with assistance from Jobsupport Inc. With increased incentives for employers who offer jobs to people with disability, being rolled out under the Australian Government’s National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy, and more tailored support available to employees, the chances of getting a job in the arts is becoming an option for more people with disability. Read more...

Douglas Channing and Jethro Trevitt at Miroma

Arts Activated National Conference used as training for arts based programs

A disability service in the eastern suburbs of Sydney has registered more than half of its Day Service staff to attend the Arts Activated National Conference at the Powerhouse Museum in March 2010. Eleven staff from Miroma will attend the conference as part of their staff development and general training. Georgina Michaelis, the CEO of Miroma will also be attending. Georgina said, “This is a great opportunity to provide professional training for our staff who work in direct care with people with disabilities in arts based programs. We attended the first Arts Activated Conference in 2008 and it inspired ideas, variety and scope for us to use within our programs. It was also an effective networking opportunity, attracting new people to Miroma and connecting Miroma artists to a broader network of like-minded people.” Read more...

Actor Miranda Harcourt launches Arts For All. Photo courtesy
Neil Mackenzie

Arts For All both sides of the Tasman

A new publication improving access to the arts for people with disability in New Zealand, is the result of arts access organisations working together in the pacific region to develop and strengthen available resources. Jan Hinde, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, describes Arts For All: Opening doors to disabled people, as a “ground-breaking” publication for New Zealand. “This book is a practical tool, complemented by online information sheets, guidelines and checklists,” Jan Hinde says. “We’re extremely grateful to Accessible Arts for sharing their resources with us. In the process, we have built on our relationship with an organisation across the Tasman that’s also committed to access for everyone.” Hard copies of the publication and download versions in Word and PDF file formats are available from Creative New Zealand. Additional resources are available at Arts Access Aotearoa.

Creative Inclusive

Accessible Dance under new management

After six years of support from Accessible Arts and Sydney Dance Company, Accessible Dance classes will be managed by an independant dance practitioner with a passion for using dance and movement to work with people from all groups and backgrounds. Kirsty Fromholtz has taught dance in various forms to a range of community groups including people with disability, youth in regional areas and people from indigenous and refugee communities. In 2007 Kirsty developed a dance program at The Forsight Foundation for people who are Deafblind. Accessible Dance was originally set up as an International Day of People with a disability project. Becky Chapman, Arts Development Officer at Accessible Arts said, "Accessible Dance has encouraged the dance aspirations of people with a disability year after year. It's a sign of a good project when it creates and sustains demand from the community. " Read more...

Emerge Outside: inclusive project at the Performance Space

An innovative project for musicians with mixed abilities will use sound to explore new realms of possibility in a place free of social and physical barriers. Emerge Outside is part of the ClubHouse, a new program of critical dialogue, creative exchange, conversation and revelation about interdisciplinary arts at the Performance Space. Eight artists with mixed abilities will use found sounds and field recordings gathered from environments where constriction does exists, to build a soundscape that will be performed live on Friday the 26 February 2010 at 7:30 pm. Artists Randolf Reimann (Tra La La Blip) and Jacqui O’Reilly, who is also the Communications Coordinator at Accessible Arts, conceived the project to enable music makers with mixed abilities the opportunity to experience sound art using modern synthesis techniques. Read more...

Louis Black is one of the artists from the Sargent Centre
Mural project, standing by one of his artworks.

Community partnerships produce public art out west

A new multi-functional disability support centre in Blacktown has provided the space for a public art project involving artists, people with disability and Blacktown City Council. During the construction of the Sargent’s Centre, Blacktown City Council employed two artists, Tia McIntyre and David Capra, to design and create a mural with artists with disabilities who will use the new centre. "Given the mural was 20 metres long, it was not without its challenges," said David Capra. "The work is a testament to the artists’ skill and enthusiasm. Over the course of the project, it became clear that we needed to arrive at a design that illustrated the group's close bond." Artworks produced during the series of art making workshops are also featured in the interior of the building. The new facility will house several disability services, including the Tuesday Night Club, Pecky's Limited, Sunshine Homes and Independent Living for the Physically Disabled. Read more news from the Western Sydney region...

Suzanne Wiley, Jobsupport Inc and Audrey O’Connor at Sydney
Theatre Company

Artist Profile: Audrey O’Connor, performance maker and writer

Audrey O’Connor has practiced performance, acting and writing for many years. In 2007, Audrey played the lead role in Yolk, an international award winning short film. Audrey has been a member of the Merry Makers dance/movement group since the age of seven, and a part of the Special Olympics Dance (Performance) Group since 2005. Audrey’s recent involvement with Accessible Arts and Kino Kabaret saw her contribute to the production of several short films. As an 18 year old, looking for her first ‘day’ job, Audrey’s skills and experience have been a good match for a work placement at Sydney Theatre Company, where she is working part time in a variety of functions across administration, set construction and archives. With the support of Jobsupport Inc, a quality Disability Employment Network service, Audrey’s experience in the arts is being optimized in her work placement, offering more chance of it leading to permanent employment for both employer and employee. Read more...

Music For Everyone Group Jam 2009

National music award won by inclusive music organisation

An organisation in the ACT that provides a broad range of accessible music programs has won the Music Council of Australia’s national Music in Communities Award. Music For Everyone is a community organisation that makes music accessible to everyone, regardless of background, age or ability. “Members who leave the ACT often let us know that they can’t find anything like us in other parts of Australia – something for toddlers, children, teens and adults all under the one roof, to say nothing of our programs for schools, people with disabilities, and social inclusion groups,” says Artistic Director Vivienne Winther. The Music in Communities Awards are an initiative of ‘Music. Play for Life’, the Music Council of Australia’s grassroots music advocacy program aimed at getting more Australians musically active.  Read more...

Other Events and Opportunities

• Sydney Theatre Company presents Optimism - captioned, Auslan interpreted and audio described performances in February.

• Studio Q: Shadow Puppetry and Acting workshops - write and develop original stories that will be told through the magic of shadow puppetry at Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.

• Shopfront: Body Lines movement and theatre workshop - explore dance, drama, voice and storytelling to discover different forms of self-expression at Carlton, with Margot Politis from Restless Dance Theatre.

• 2010 Sydney Mad Pride: Mad As Art Youth Event - Live performance, music, art, film, forum and expo; including the Sounds of the Streets Band with special guest, Forever Tupou (So You Think You Can Dance).

• Creative Leisure Classes for people with disability in 2010 - tutored by arts professionals at Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre

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.