Accessible Arts Western Sydney
Accessible Arts works extensively with the arts and disability sectors and local councils in Western Sydney towards accessible and inclusive programs and practices.
Since 2007 the Western Sydney team has been working across the region to raise awareness and create opportunities in the arts for people with disability. The Western Sydney project has been developing strong partnerships with arts and disability organisations and local councils to ensure sustainable programs and practices.
The project covers eleven local council areas including Auburn, Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith.
In 2009-2010, Accessible Arts is working closely with Western Sydney arts centres on a regional commitment towards access and inclusion. Cultural institutions engaged include Blacktown Arts Centre, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith Regional Gallery, Casula Powerhouse, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta Artist Studios, Fairfield Museum and Gallery, Powerhouse Youth Theatre and the Powerhouse Discovery Centre (Castle Hill).
The Western Sydney Blog
Read the latest news and information about the project on the Western Sydney Blog.
LATEST NEWS FROM OUR BLOG
Western Sydney Arts Centre Initiative
In February 2009, Accessible Arts convened a regional meeting for arts centre managers and cultural officers to discuss ways in which arts centres can ensure access and inclusion of people with disability.
Accessible Arts will work with arts centres to provide support in the following areas:
- Marketing/ Audience Development - Provide information and share data to aid the development of marketing strategies and databases.
- Training - Broker Disability Awareness & Access Training for staff and volunteers.
- Collaborations/ Partnerships - Broker cross-regional collaborations and partnerships between arts centres such as sharing resources and cross programming.
- Awareness raising/ Advocacy - Raise awareness of the key issues and barriers to access in the arts for people with disability.
- Mentorships/ Career Pathways/ Employment - Promote mentorships, professional development and employment opportunities available within arts centres and any informal or formal training that can be provided.
- Plugged In - Work with arts centres towards a regional creative initiative for October 2010.
Scoping Study
From April to September 2009, Accessible Arts undertook a scoping study of disability services in Western Sydney to determine their knowledge and use of arts centres in the region. The scoping study involved consulting with the disability sector through conducting a survey and compiling a database of disability service contacts in Western Sydney.
Objectives of study:
- To provide information about the access of arts centres in Western Sydney by the disability sector, and
- To create a database of disability service contacts in Western Sydney.
Survey questions focused on areas such as awareness and frequency of visits to local arts centres; barriers to access; most appropriate performance and workshop times and costs; the types of activities and services people are interested in, including outreach, and the best way to keep people informed about future events and opportunities.
The disability services that participated in the survey predominantly offer day programs, community participation programs or provide information about opportunities to people with a disability in Western Sydney.
Seventeen disability services participated in the survey including Disability Services Australia, Australian Foundation for Disability, Nepean Area Disabilities Organisation, Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, The Junction Works, Sunnyfield, Northcott Disability Services, Inala, Woodville Community Services Inc, Autism Spectrum Australia, Disability Enterprises, Liverpool Community Access Service, McCall Gardens Community Ltd, Flintwood Disability Services Inc, North West Disability Services, Warrah and Wesley Mission.
2009 Creative Programs
Project Hip Hop
Marky Mark, Morganics and Digby.
Accessible Arts Western Sydney & Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) have partnered up on the Hip Hop Project. The beginnings of this project took place last year with Club Wild which led the group to perform at The Beach Rd Hotel in Bondi. This year most of those hip hoppers have returned, along with a few newbies, to take part in a two day song creation workshop at PYT with Aussie B-boy Morganics. They created an original song called 'Funky Guitar Style Noises' which they performed over the week end at two of Western Sydney's biggest Youth Week events, The Burbs in Blacktown & Bring It On! in Fairfield. Keep an eye out for these guys as there will be more to come!
Open Program
Shadow Puppetry at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.
The Open Program is a skills development workshop series that will aim to operate out of all major arts centres across Western Sydney. The Open Program currently exists at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery and the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith.
InterACT
InterACT, an integrated school holiday workshop program, is an initiative of Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) in Fairfield. Accessible Arts has supported this initiative by employing workshop coordinator, Matt Stewart to work one day a week from PYT to establish relationships with special schools and support units across Bankstown, Liverpool and Fairfield. There are two aspects to interACT. Firstly, schools can nominate to have a performance workshop such as Acting For Camera or Break Dancing to take place within their school with students with and without a disability. And secondly students can enrol themselves in school holiday workshops that will take place within arts centres across Western Sydney, namely, Blacktown Arts Centre, Parramatta Riverside, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. If your school is interested in having a workshop or you want to enrol in a school holiday workshop or for further information contact Matt at PYT on matt@pyt.com.au or 9724 6077.
Further information
The Western Sydney Team
Alison Richardson, Creative Programs Coordinator 02 9251 6499 (ext 112) or email arichardson@aarts.net.au
Jennifer Teo, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator 02 9251 6499 (ext 111) or email jteo@aarts.net.au
Archives
2008 Creative Programs & Strategic Initiatives