Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "A number of theatre companies are established in the 2000s"
  A number of theatre companies were established in the 2000s, particularly towards the end of the decade. Some key companies in disability theatre or inclusive arts practice to emerge in the 2000s are: Second Echo Ensemble (2005, integrated, often producing work in partnership with the Tasmanian Theatre Company), Ever After Theatre Company (2006, performers with disability), Rollercoaster Theatre Company (2007, performers with disability), DirtyFeet (2008, inclusive), and Blue Roo Theatre (2009, performers with disability).
• “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.”
• “Production company A2K Media founded in 2007, as a 'a Disabled-led production company, creating connections that entertain, educate, and empower'”
  A2K Media is “a Disabled-led production company, creating connections that entertain, educate, and empower.” In 2024, A2K launched their Disability Justice Lens course, which teaches screen professionals how to bring disabled people onto their productions and make their workplaces more accessible and empowering.
• “Captioned films launched in Australia”
  In 2001, captioned films were launched in Australia with a speech by then Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM. The process with a series of submissions from both the film industry and the Deaf and hard of hearing community. These submissions led to the establishment of a Forum comprised of representatives from the film distribution and exhibition sector, the Deaf and hearing impaired communities and the Australian Caption Centre. After a trial run in Sydney and Melbourne, three major cinema exhibiters (Greater Union, Hoyts, and Village) agreed to show open captioned films at selected venues throughout the country.
• "Access2Arts (SA) established in 2009"
  Access2Arts (SA) was established in 2009. In their own words, “following on from many years of work by the Community Arts Network SA (CANSA), a project was created within Arts SA called the Disability Arts Transition Team. This led to our establishment as an independent body to represent, advocate and respond to the needs of the arts and disability sectors.” The organisation became incorporated in 2013. They are the body for arts and disability in South Australia.
• “Les Murray's poetry is influenced by his autism”
  In 1974, Les Murray wrote a poem about autism, ‘Portrait of the Autist as a New World Driver’. Over the decades since, autism has continued to be a theme, as recognised by Amanda Tink.
• "The Other Film Festival launched in 2004"
  In 2004, Australia’s first international disability film festival, The Other Film Festival, was launched at the Melbourne Museum. In 2022, Screen Australia began providing funding for festival.
• “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’.
• "The first ACT DisAbility Arts Festival is held"
  In 2004, the first ever ACT DisAbility Arts Festival was held as part of International Day of DisAbility celebration.
• “The first Focus on Ability film festival held in 2009”
  In 2009, the first Focus on Ability film festival was started by the CEO of NOVA Employment, Martin Wren. (NOVA is a Sydney-based disability employment service.) FOA holds events in Australia’s major cities and welcomes entries in open categories as well as a schools category and international section.
• “The Asia-Pacific Wataboshi festival comes to Brisbane”
  Hosted by Arts Access Qld, in 2003, the Asia-Pacific Wataboshi festival was brought to Brisbane with the aim to raise the profile of disability arts. David Helfgott was the ambassador.
• “The Art of Difference Disability and Deaf Arts Festival takes place in 2009”
  The Art of Difference Disability and Deaf Arts Festival in 2009 featured visual, performing, literary and new media artists as a two-week international arts festival.
• "A contemporary visual arts exhibition, Connected 2008, is presented in 2008"
  In 2008, Arts Access Victoria produced Connected 2008, a contemporary visual arts exhibition attracting over 400 entries from artists with a disability across Victoria.
• “Access Arts establishes the SAFE Grant”
  In 2007, Access Arts established the SAFE Grant – Sacred Angel Funding Empowerment. It is a one-off grant for $1,000 to “emerging and professional artists with disability living in Queensland. It is designed to fund the costs (up to $1,000) of attending conferences, training courses, events or mentoring to help enhance an artist’s professional career.” The SAFE grant was established by Peter Vance, whose wife Marilyn passed away from angiosarcoma. In 2019, Choice, Passion, Life (CPL) “committed to upholding the legacy of Peter and Marilyn for an additional 10 years”.
• “Studio A established in 2000”
  Studio A (NSW) was established in 2000 to create access and opportunities for visual artists with intellectual disabilities; their in-house artists’ “practices range from painting and drawing to sculpture, textiles and digital media”. In their own words, “At Studio A, we are dedicated to professionally empower artists with disability and have their voices heard within contemporary Australian culture.”
• “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.
• “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.