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Sound Circles 2006 - 2008
Accessible Arts and Sound Circles 2006 – 2008
Sound Circles are not quite choir, not quite performance, but a meeting of hearts, minds, bodies and voices. Sound Circles is based on the simple idea of combining sound, percussion and body movement with all participants contributing freely. Sound Circles aims to create a meeting of people through creative activities in voice/sound and performance, in such a way that it develops a sense of belonging and place’ for all involved.
Sound Circles was set up by Access Arts QLD in 2004, as a social workshop program to provide opportunities to members to participate in the arts for the first time. The program also provided training opportunities for staff, volunteers and members to develop skills and gain employment opportunities in facilitation and support roles. The program provides an excellent entry-level arts experience for integrated groups, including those with high support needs and severe disabilities.
2006 saw the migration of Sound Circles from Queensland to Sydney. Cali Vandyk-Dunlevy was instrumental in bringing Sound Circles to Sydney as part of her student placement at Accessible Arts. On Wednesday 6 September, Accessible Arts presented a day that was jam-packed with the energy of Sound Circles. The Morning Introductory Workshop involved 100 participants from arts and disability organizations, this included arts workers, carers and performing artists with a disability. The afternoon session provided information and insight into becoming a sound circles facilitator. This Sydney initiation aimed to expand and shape Sound Circles to the unique needs of all who engaged with it across NSW.
To enable the growth of Sound Circles within NSW communities in 2007, Accessible Arts together with Access Arts QLD facilitated a Sound Circles Facilitator Skills Development Program (SCFSDP). 13 participants involved in the 3-day program developed their skills as disability arts workers within the Sound Circles (SC) context. As part of the program, participants co-created SC with clients and staff from the day program at Miroma, Vaucluse. This exchange enabled the disability arts workers involved to exercise their skills as facilitators and cement the inclusive principles of SC. Following the success of the SCFSDP, a series of SC were held at the Penrith Regional Gallery and the Lewers Bequest over a 3week period in May-June 2007. 15-20 participants came from various local disability organizations to co-create SC at the gallery. To enable greater growth and support to communities wishing to engage with SC, Accessible Arts employed a Community Project Worker dedicated to SC. Jeanette Lamb was appointed to the contract role in July 07.
A six week Sound Circles workshop was held at Accessible Arts from Oct 6-Nov 10 2007. This opportunity was created to re-engage current facilitators and to open the experience of Sound Circles to a broader community. The 15 individuals that formed this dynamic Sound Circles were diverse in their abilities and creative needs. This program attracted performers with a disability, carers and participants from Sunnyfield as well as 6 independent arts workers that alternated the role of facilitator within the 6-week program. This program enabled networking opportunities amongst participants and from this experience 2 arts workers based in Wollongong planned to set up a SC in their local area in 2008.
In 2008, a particularly pleasing partnership was established with Eloura Blue Mountains Disability Service. The Sound Circles facilitator was Jeanette Lamb. This partnership resulted in a series of nine Sound Circles workshops in which staff and participants from the Eloura Disability Service collaborated with High School students from Winmalee High School. The high school students chose to be involved through their Personal Development Health Physical Education (PDHPE) program. The project was supported by The RA Gale Foundation in 2007 and 2008 and generated positive partnerships with disability services, schools and arts workers. The expanded time frame of these workshops enabled a local arts worker Naomi Vaughan to be mentored as a Sound Circles facilitator. This was to ensure greater prospects for the sustainability of Sound Circles in the Blue Mountains.
In 2009, Access Arts Queensland and Accessible Arts NSW consider that Sound Circles has been very successful in creating an opportunity for many people to participate in the arts for the first time, and for Accessible Arts NSW to form a productive interstate partnership. Sound Circles has grown interest in other art 
forms and provided a pathway to participate in other workshop experiences. Due to a limited number of practicing facilitators in NSW, Accessible Arts NSW is unable to sustain and support the further development of the program. Accessible Arts NSW would like to thank everyone who helped to pilot Sound Circles in NSW and who worked hard to promote and support the exploration of this integrated arts methodology. We look forward to sharing expertise and experiences with organisations such as ourselves in other parts of Australia and of building upon the experience of this relationship with another Peak body working in Arts and Disability.
Sound Circles will continue to be offered in Queensland as demonstration workshops to groups and at conferences and events. Sound Circles will also continue to run in other regions and in Brisbane for organisations with which Access Arts QLD will partner.
Sound Circles has demonstrated clearly the value of sharing expertise and experiences with a sister organisation from another part of Australia. Accessible Arts looks forward to the potential of building upon this successful partnership in the future, not only with such bodies as Access Arts QLD, but also with peak bodies working in Arts and Disability in NSW and beyond.
How can I or my community get involved in Sound Circles?
If you or your community are interested in being a part of Sound Circles contact Emma Bennison on (07) 3358 6200 at Access Arts Queensland.
