Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• Bela Greenwald
• Barbara Kitchen
• Anna Smith
• Theatre of the Deaf
• Australian Theatre of the Deaf
• “The South Australian Film Corporation announces their disability screen strategy”
  The South Australian Film Corporation launched their disability screen strategy. First, their Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-2032, which they say “breaks new ground nationally,” defines quantifiable 10-year targets. In addition, the SAFC has developed a Disability Equality Plan, Targeted Diversity Attachments, the FULL TILT Short Documentary Initiative, and Film Lab: New Voices, a feature film development program presented by SAFC with Adelaide Film Festival and Mercury CX.
• "Australian Film Commission created"
  In 1975, the Australian Film Commission was created, providing grants for film and television projects.
• “The Bolshy Divas present ‘The Other 100 Conversations’ to Australian governments heads”
  In 2011, a group of disability activists called the Bolshy Divas presented a 100-page document, ‘The Other 100 Conversations,’ to heads of all Australian governments who had gathered in Canberra for a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting. The document was addressed “to our elected representatives”. ‘The Other 100 Conversations’ comprised of 100 first-person accounts of participants of disability services in Western Australia, highlighting the lack of support and waiting times experienced.
• “Screen Australia commissions the reports ‘Seeing Ourselves’ (2016) and ‘Seeing Ourselves 2’ (2023)”
  In 2016, Screen Australia commissioned a report "Seeing ourselves: Reflections on diversity in Australian TV drama". The report highlighted the lack of characters on TV with a disability. When characters with a disability were part of the story they were played by actors without a disability and were portrayed as either unemployed or retired. Screen Australia commissioned a follow-up report in 2023 called "Seeing Ourselves 2 - Diversity, equity and inclusion in Australian TV drama". This report shows that, while diversity is a global conversation and there is an increase of disability representation, it remained significantly lower than the actual disabled population.
• "First ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC)"
  An ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) starting in 1981 and made people with disability more 'visible' for services and highlighted differences of experiences.
• "International Year of the Disabled Person (IYDP)"
  In 1976, the General Assembly proclaimed 1981 would be the Year of the Disabled Person. The 1981 International Year of the Disabled Person inspired an increase in awareness and disability arts. While UN theme was “full participation and equality” the theme in Australia was “Break down the Barriers”, raising the prole and issues of people with disabilities. The international year of the disabled persons was a catalyst for connecting Australian disability activists to each other and the international disability rights movement (Royal Commission, 2021, p. 6). Australia saw an increase in disability-themed theatre from 1981 to 1984; however, these performances were largely staged with non-disabled casts. Records of these productions can be found on the AusStage database.
• "Bree Hadley (2022) A ‘Universal Design’ for audiences with disabilities? In Reason, Matthew, Connor, Lynne, Johanson, Katia, & Walmsley, Ben (Eds.) Routledge Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 177-189.”
  “Understanding of how to create inclusive performance experiences for spectators with disabilities remains nascent in research, policy, and practice. In this chapter, I survey the state of knowledge in this field – or, as it turns out, fields, given that specialist knowledge of sign language interpretation for d/Deaf spectators, audio description for blind spectators, and relaxed performance for neurodiverse spectators, has developed separately, without intersection. I then investigate recent efforts to create inclusive aesthetics that incorporate accessibility features into performance work, as an integral part of the aesthetic, rather than as interpretations, captions, or descriptions alongside the work. I examine why this ‘Universal Design’ approach has been embraced with enthusiasm, both by disabled producers and spectators, and by non-disabled producers and spectators.”
• “Angharad Butler-Rees, Bree Hadley(2023) Exploring the Role of the Disabled Body as a Vehicle and Art Form within Anti-Austerity Protest. In Zebracki, Martin & McNeill, Z. Zane (Eds.) Politics as Public Art: The Aesthetics of Political Organizing and Social Movements. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 116-132.”
  "The impact of neoliberal austerity policy is being felt by people with disabilities across the globe. This chapter attends to disability protest in response to austerity across two contexts—the United Kingdom and Australia. It examines how people with disabilities are choreographing their protest, the strategies they are using, and the outcomes they are seeking."
• "Anthea Skinner (2017) ‘I love my body’: Depictions of sex and romance in disability music culture. Sexualities. Volume 21, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460716688"
  Reads, in part "The international disability music scene is a thriving musical subculture consisting of performers self-identifying as disabled who use their performances to explore experiences of living with disability. As a genre predominantly written by, about and for people with disabilities, it provides a space for discourse about life with disability which is largely unmediated by governmental policy, political correctness or able-bodied facilitators. As such, it is a medium through which people with disability are free to express opinions about sex and romance rarely seen in mainstream media. This article examines the ways in which the topics of sexuality and romance are explored within disability music culture."
• Bolshy Divas
• "Access Arts - Artsworkers Guidelines"
  Identifies staff, artist, support worker, and exhibition curator roles, along with policy in relation to advocacy, media, purchase of artwork, privacy, behaviour, sexual harassment, and grievances.
• "Interview with Paul Constable Calcott"
  Uncle Paul Constable Calcott is a proud Wiradjuri man and artist living with a disability on Gubbi Gubbi country….. Uncle Paul uses his art to share stories of his journey as an aboriginal gay man living with a disability in urban Australia. Interview Summary Uncle Paul Calcott is a proud Wiradjuri elder and disability advocate who contracted polio as a child. During the interview, Uncle Paul discusses becoming an artist later in life through the encouragement of his husband and influenced by the storytelling of his culture. He embraces his identity as an Aboriginal, gay man living with disability. He talks about his artwork aiming to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities, using traditional symbols to tell new stories, particularly about disability within Indigenous communities. Although there has been increased visibility and acknowledgment of disability arts in Australia, Paul notes that there's still a long way to go in terms of policy, funding, and public recognition. Uncle Paul says art can reflect political and social issues, and he proudly identifies as an artist with a disability and believes in the significance of diverse stories being told through the arts.
• “Creative Australia’s National Arts and Disability Awards are awarded to their inaugural recipients in 2019”
  Creative Australia’s National Arts and Disability Awards were first awarded to their inaugural recipients in 2019. The three awards go to an emerging or early career artist, and established artist, and someone who’s proven themselves as a leader in disability arts. From 2019 to 2023, the recipients span across artforms and the country.
• “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
• "The Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) established in 1941."
  Following the first and second world wars, there was better recognition of veteran disability and the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) was established.
• "The United Nations makes comments on the rights of people with disabilities."
  In 1951, the United Nations made comments on the rights of people with disabilities."The focus of the United Nations on disability issues shifted in the late 1950s from a welfare perspective to one of social welfare."
• "National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness Report launched in 1993"
  The National Inquiry into the Human Rights of People with Mental Illness Report was launched 20th October, 1993. This led to deinstitutionalisation.
• "The first Arts Activated conference takes place"
  Accessible Arts NSW started biennial Arts Activated conferences in 2007 "to inform, connect and activate people and organisations involved with Australia’s arts and disability sector" https://aarts.net.au/arts-activate/
• "Royal Commission on Human Relationships"
  In 1977, the Royal Commission on Human Relationships noted the legal and human rights of handicapped children and adults.
• "Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons adopted in 1975"
  The 1960s and 1970s saw major changes in people’s attitudes towards disability. Stemming from the growth of the human rights movement and the introduction of normalisation theory internationally, Australia signed key human rights declarations of people with disabilities, the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (adopted in 1975). The Declaration argued that disabled people deserve to live lives “as normal and full as possible”.