Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• “The Cunningham Dax Collection of artworks opens”
  In 1952, an English psychiatrist Dr Eric Cunningham Dax was appointed as the Chairman of the Mental Hygiene Authority in Melbourne. In the UK, Dr Dax had introduced art therapy in programs for patients in psychiatric care and introduced art programs to Victorian Hospitals. In 1959, Dr Dax organised the first art exhibition of psychiatric patients held at Gallery A, Flinders Lane. The Cunningham Dax Collection of artworks grew, and an official opening occurred in Faraday Street Gallery in the 1980s. “Two distinct eras are represented in the Cunningham Dax Collection; artworks produced within psychiatric hospitals from 1940s into 1970s and artworks donated to the Collection by artists and community groups from 1980s until the present.” Dr Dax had introduced art therapy in programs for patients in psychiatric care and introduced art programs to Victorian Hospitals. In 1981, the National Gallery of Australia received 68 paintings from the Dax Collection - these were returned in 1994.
• “Documentary ‘Stepping Out’ follows first group of intellectually disabled people to perform at the Sydney Opera House”
  In preparation for the International Year of Disabled Persons, a documentary was made called ‘Stepping Out’ directed by Chris Noonan and narrated by Romayne Grace, a resident at the Lorna Hodgkinson Sunshine Home. The documentary follows a group of residents as they prepare for their big debut at the Sydney Opera House. The movie was shown during the International Year of the Disabled's UN closing ceremony. The 1979/1980 Australia Council report had the following statement "A production staged at the Sydney Opera House by residents of the Lorna Hodgkinson Sunshine Home for the intellectually handicapped impressed the Theatre Board as both innovative arts-based therapy and worthwhile theatre in its own right." The 1980/81 report further stated "It was the first time anywhere in the world that a group of mentally handicapped people had performed publicly in the cultural centre of their city."
• “WHO International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities and Handicaps (1976)”
  International classification of impairments, disabilities, and handicaps: a manual of classification relating to the consequences of disease, published in accordance with resolution WHA29.35 of the Twenty-ninth World Health Assembly, May 1976
• “Sally Chance works with participants with disabilities, leading to the founding of Restless Dance Theatre”
  In 1989, UK-based community dance worker Sally Chance was invited to participate in the Come Out festival in Adelaide. She returned to South Australia the next year and begun the work with participants with disabilities which lead to the founding (alongside Tania Rose) of Restless Dance Theatre in 1991. Restless Dance Theatre continues to create and exhibit work by integrated ensembles. Their extensive performance history is available in the AusStage database. (see https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/organisation/7046)
• “Tutti Arts is founded in Adelaide by Pat Rix in 1997”
  Tutti Arts was founded in Adelaide by Pat Rix in 1997. Initially a choir of people with and without disabilities, it quickly added a focus on visual arts. Tutti has since expanded to offer programs in dance, screen, music, acting, and visual arts, and its choir continues. Programs are on offer in Brighton, Port Adelaide, and in the Barossa Valley, for adults as well as kids and youth. Tutti has performed both nationally and internationally, and has taken part in significant co-productions. Tutti Arts and KickstARt 2 Choir presented Up and Away for the KickstART Festival in Vancouver, Canada in 2004. Tutti’s international performance of 'Between the Worlds' in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2007) was remounted as a coproduction with Interact Center for the Performing and Visual Arts. Tutti returned to Minneapolis in 2009 to perform ‘Northern Lights, Southern Cross,’ which they first performed in 2007 for Adelaide Fringe. It was a collaboration with Interact, which brought together Aboriginal, Native American and Disabled Artists from the Northern and Southern hemispheres “to explore personal, racial and environmental trauma.” In 2009, Tutti Ensemble performed with the State Opera of South Australia to present ‘The Shouting Fence’.
• “Access Arts commissions a multi-arts project, Peter Vance performs the song ‘Welcome to My Day’ at the 1999 Wataboshi Festival in Japan”
  Peter Vance was asked by Access Arts to team up with Ant McKenna to compose a song. He then performed ‘Welcome to My Day’ at the 5th Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival in Japan in 1999. Access Arts sent disposable cameras out to members across Queensland; each story became a collage in the State Library foyer as a day-in-the-life of each artist.
• “Fusion Theatre established in 1997”
  Fusion Theatre (Victoria) was established in 1997. "Since its beginnings as a drama group, Fusion has expanded into two main performance ensembles that make up the company. The ensemble members collaborate with professional theatre makers, guest performing artists and designers, to devise theatre performances based on the stories, imagination and ideas of all participants." Fusion Theatre’s ongoing association with Deakin University's Faculty of Arts and Education means that each year, Deakin’s theatre and drama students work with Fusion as artists, performers, assistants, and theatre technicians. Some alumni continue to be involved with the company.
• “Melbourne venue guides published in the 1990s”
  Arts Access Victoria published the ‘Melbourne Venue Guide: A Description of Access for People with Disabilities to Some of Melbourne's Major Entertainment Venues’ in 1992. They published an updated guide in 1998: ‘The Vic Venue Guide: A Guide to Access and Facilities at Over 75 Victorian Entertainment, Sporting and Cultural Venues’. This updated guide was produced in conjunction with VicHealth and supported by Arts Victoria. The guide provided information about where to make bookings, parking and public transport, facilities and access for disabled patrons, and seating.
• “The national tour of the exhibition BodySuits results in commissions and new opportunities for artists”
  A visual arts exhibition, BodySuits, toured nationally between 1997 and 1999. It was curated by Jane Trengove. This resulted in commissions and new opportunities for artists. Arts Access Victoria published a catalogue for the exhibition in 1997; the exhibition showed in Melbourne from 5 July - 2 August 1997 at 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy (a location now known as Gertrude Contemporary).
• “Salubrious Productions (QLD) established in 1999”
  Salubrious Productions (Queensland) was established in 1999. Salubrious is an agency for disabled artists, representing musicians, writers and composers, theatre performers and actors, visual artists, and technicians in the creative industries. The agency continues operation today. Their website describes them as follows: “Salubrious Productions is a Brisbane-based entertainment and production agency. We represent a core of more than 200 diverse acts and artists and draw further from a large network of professional artists throughout Queensland and Australia.”
• “The Australian Government’s Creative Nation policy released in 1994”
  ‘Creative Nation’ was released in 1994. This was the first ever cultural policy formally developed by an Australian Government. Alongside a number of art forms, the policy included establishments like libraries in its definition of culture and pledged $250 million in funding to cultural organisations.
• “Australian Caption Centre opened in 1982”
  The Australian Caption Centre was opened 13 September, 1982. A tour took place at the Australian Caption Centre in Sydney in the 1990s; the video (now available on YouTube) explains how the Centre worked. In 2005, the Centre sold its commercial operations including the captioning services to Red Bee Media and formed Media Access Australia.
• “Deaf Arts Network (DAN) established in 2000”
  The Deaf Arts Network (DAN) was established with the aid of Arts Access Victoria in Melbourne in 2000. DAN “is dedicated to increasing the participation of deaf and hard of hearing people in the arts as artists, arts workers and audiences. […] DAN provides an authentic and unique cultural voice for the deaf community, a community historically marginalised from participation in the arts.”
• “The paralympic arts festival, Invincible Summer, is held in conjunction with the 2000 Paralympic games”
  In 2000, Sydney held the Paralympic games. The paralympic arts festival, Invincible Summer, featured comedy, dance, film, art, music, theatre, and street performance, featuring collaborations between artists with and without disabilities.
• “Flow Festival, Australia’s Deaf Arts festival, is founded”
  Flow Festival, Australia’s Deaf Arts festival, was founded in 2018 by Ramas McRae, Irene Holub, and Medina Sumovic. The Deaf-led biennial festival provides a groundbreaking and dedicated platform for established and emerging Deaf/Hard of Hearing artists. Flow is held in Victoria but is described as “Australia’s national celebration of Deaf arts and culture”.
• “Choose Art, the Australian accessible arts directory, is launched”
  The Australian accessible arts directory Choose Art was launched in 2019. It is an initiative of Arts Access Victoria, designed for and by Deaf and disabled people. Choose Art is a Commonwealth project supported by the Cultural Ministers of each State and Territory through Arts ACT; Arts Tasmania; Create NSW; Creative Victoria; Culture and Arts WA; Arts South Australia; Arts Queensland; Department of Tourism and Culture, NT and the Federal Minister through the Department of Communications and the Arts. Arts Access Victoria has created Choose Art in partnership with Arts Access Australia, Access2Arts, Access Arts, Accessible Arts, Arts Access Darwin, Belconnen Arts Centre, DADAA and Incite Arts.
• “Essay collection ‘Growing Up Disabled in Australia’ is published in 2021”
  In 2021, Carly Findlay edited a book ‘Growing Up Disabled in Australia,’ a collection of more than 40 Australian writers with disabilities sharing their lived experiences.
• “Deaf activist and artist Asphyxia creates a music course and accessible music app for D/deaf people”
  Asphyxia, a profoundly Deaf Australian activist, artist, author and composer created a music course (2020) for people who are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing to write their own music. In 2023, Asphyxia also created an app called Amplio to make music more accessible to D/deaf people.
• “Auslan features intermittently on Australian television throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s”
  Auslan appeared intermittently on Australian television throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Ana Maria Belo has curated a video compilation of scenes featuring Auslan. Belo calls it “a very brief history lesson on Deaf Actors on Australian Television before Social Media.” As she explains, “this is not a complete list of performances, but a nod to the actors who blazed a mighty trail for those of us who attempt to follow.”
• “Australia Council start development of Code of Conduct for Access in The Arts”
  Australia Council started development of Code of Conduct for Access in The Arts. Consultation took place in 2021-2022.
• “The Australian Government announced a National Autism Strategy in 2022”
  In 2022, a National Autism Strategy was announced by the Australian Government. The Department of Social Services note that the strategy developed out of a “comprehensive co-design process.” Its objectives relate to social inclusion; economic inclusion; diagnosis, services and supports; and health and mental health. The strategy puts forth a “vision for a safe and inclusive society for all Autistic people. One where we support and empower Autistic people to thrive, in all aspects of life.”
• “Bus Stop Films begins operation in 2009”
  Bus Stop Films began operations in 2009. In their own words, they “educate, create and advocate.” Their primary focus is teaching filmmaking to disabled adults, but they also offer workshops to others of marginalised identities. Bus Stop “makes films with, for and about people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.” Their website lists support workers in every Australian state and territory.
• “Deaf film ‘A Silent Agreement’ is released in 2017”
  The Deaf film ‘A Silent Agreement’ was released in 2017 (written and directed by Davo Hardy). This romantic drama features a profoundly Deaf human rights activist and his filmmaker boyfriend with a speech impediment. It is said to be the first Australian film to feature Auslan as the main dialogue. Some scenes are entirely in Auslan. Screen Australia calls it the “first Australian film to feature Auslan.”
• "Bree Hadley (2021) Ex/centric Fixations Project (theatrical play). In Sefel, John Michael, Slamcik Lassetter, Amanda, & Summerville, Jill (Eds.) At the Intersection of Disability and Drama: A Critical Anthology of New Plays. McFarland Publishers, Jefferson, USA, pp. 317-344.”
  "The Ex/Centric Fixations Project is a postdramatic performance work which renders the feeling of otherness visceral for spectators, without anchoring it any specific singlular experience of otherness, with the text unfolding with the musical flow and rhythm of a fugue state."
• "Bree Hadley (2015) Participation, politics and provocations: People with disabilities as non-conciliatory audiences. Participations: journal of audience and reception studies, 12(1), pp. 154-174.”
  "Disability has always had a prominent place on the theatrical stage. Throughout the C19th, C20th and C21st to date, disabled characters have been used to signify corruption, innocence or suffering, and, of course, as salutary examples of how to overcome such suffering. In the past three decades, the work of disability scholars, activists and artists has also provided opportunities for people with disabilities to produce their own plays, performances or installations challenging these stereotypes. Interestingly, though both the body of literature on theatre makers with disabilities and the body of literature on theatre audiences has grown apace over the past decade, there is still surprisingly little written on people with disabilities as theatre audiences. In this article, I draw on observations made during five years of practical, empirical and theoretical research into disability theatre to discuss how people with disabilities work as a distinctive sub-group of spectators, with distinctive spectatorial processes, modalities and preferences, within contemporary theatre audiences. I begin with the factors that make attending theatre difficult for people with disabilities. I note that people with disabilities respond to the challenges they face in attempting to become active audiences of contemporary theatre in three common ways. I then unpack what these spectatorial modalities teach us about people with disabilities as audiences, other marginalised groups as audiences, as well as about audiences, audiencing and the part audiences play in theatre practice more generally."