Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "Arts Access Victoria - Alter State, captured 2022"
  Arts Access Victoria - Alter State - reads, in part "Alter State is a celebration of disability, creativity and culture."
• “Arts Access Victoria launches the disability arts festival Alter State”
  In 2021, Arts Access Victoria launched Alter State, a major disability arts festival celebrating contemporary art and live performance with artists from Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand). “In October 2022, the inaugural Alter State presented 28 performances, including 5 world premiere events, schools’ shows and 14 different types of art forms, as well as 32 films, in-conversation sessions, and workshops.”
• Alter State
• "Arts Access Victoria - Events Archive, captured 2022"
  Arts Access Victoria - Events Archive - Information about events including The Gathering, Boxed In by Daniel Coulson, Nexus 2022, Alter State 2022 by June Jones and DJ Ayna, Alter State – CheckPoint
• “Arts Access Victoria – The Present and the Future (2020 – present)”
  Arts Access Victoria – The Present and the Future (2020 – present)- increased technology and digital literacy training and online programs and projects including Alter State Festival and celebrated 50 years in 2024
• "The Other Film Festival Program 2022"
  The Other Film Festival Program 2022, in conjunction with Alter State, Arts Centre Melbourne - films include Sparkles (2020) Tina Fielding and Jacqueline Pelczar; My One Legged Dream Lover 1999 Kath Duncan; Imagined Touch 2022 Jodee Mundy, Heather Lawson, Michelle Stevens; The Dos and Don’ts of Getting Married 2022 Karen Jackson and ARC Disability Services; Archiving the Body 2021 Lisa Prowd Tim Crafti Tszuki
• Gary Cooper
• Arts Access Victoria
• Arts Access Society Inc. (Victoria)
• "Interview with Caroline Bowditch"
  Caroline Bowditch is an Australian artistic director, leader, performer, presenter, instructor, disability advocate and was the CEO of Arts Access Victoria. Interview Summary Caroline Bowditch, the CEO and Artistic Director of Arts Access Victoria, shared her journey as a performance artist and her experiences working within the Disability Arts community, highlighting her creative process and the challenges faced by disabled artists in Australia. Despite significant support and successful projects in the UK, she expressed concern over the limited progression and exposure of Disability Arts in Australia, noting a lack of ambition and opportunity deterring artists from aiming for larger, mainstream stages. Bowditch emphasized the importance of integrating access as a core component of artistic work and changing the aesthetic by including diverse bodies and perspectives. She also discussed tackling intersectionality within Disability Arts, reflecting on her own experiences as a visibly disabled and queer woman, and contemplating the future of Disability Arts, the desire for cultural equity, and the impact of potential shifts in societal barriers.
• "Bree Hadley (2022) Disability and the Arts, Creative, and Cultural Industries in Australia. Australian Academy of Humanities"
  Reads, in part "There are five interrelated factors that support arts workers, arts organisations, and the arts sector at large to develop improved policy, protocol, and training practices."
• "Back to Back Theatre - Annual Report 2022"
  Back to Back Theatre Annual Report 2022 - Chair’s Report, international premiere of film SHADOW, continued international touring of original stage show THE SHADOW WHOSE PREY THE HUNTER BECOMES, continued touring GANESH VERSUS THE THIRD REICH and THE DEMOCRATIC SET, premieres of new screen works FIRST RESPONDERS (ABC) and WHATEVER SCARES YOU (SBS), immersive installation DREAMS FEEL REAL WHEN YOU'RE IN THEM from Theatre of Speed, CAMP training weekends, creative development of new Back to Back work MULTIPLE BAD THINGS, ensemble member development of their own works.
• "Interview with Veronica Pardo"
  Veronica Pardo is a disability arts ally and has been a disability advocate with previous leadership positions in organisations such as Arts Access Victoria and Multicultural Arts Victoria, Interview Summary Veronica Pardo, former Executive Director of Arts Access Victoria, discussed the evolution and impact of Disability Arts in Australia, detailing the political dimensions of the field and the importance of genuine representation and intersectionality. Pardo highlighted the importance of leadership transitions in arts organizations informed by a spirit of solidarity and mutual support, particularly citing Caroline Bowditch's role as significant in the sector. She emphasized a need for systems-level change within the arts to reflect true diversity, beyond tokenism, advocating for dismantling exclusive structures and creating new ones informed by those marginalized. Finally, Pardo stressed the importance of acknowledging the work of predecessors in Disability Arts to honour their legacy and inform current artistic and cultural practices.
• "Interview with Kath Duncan"
  Kath Duncan is a writer, a director, a provocateur, a visual artist, a comedian, a producer, a journalist, a radio broadcaster and disability advocate. Interview Summary Kath Duncan is an experienced and prominent figure in the disability arts community with a passion for experimental performance arts, having witnessed the beginnings of the disability arts movement in Australia and participated in its evolution. Her art is inherently political, shaped by her unique perspective as a congenital amputee. Kath firmly believes in the inherent creative revolutions and endless inspiration within all impairments. Kath highlights the ongoing struggles within the disability arts sector, including high unemployment rates for disabled individuals, systemic barriers, and the need for disabled leadership in arts organizations. While cherishing the milestones and transformative experiences she's had, Kath calls for significant systemic changes, emphasizing the importance of team playing and collective work to support and grow the disabled artist community.
• "Interview with Tina Fielding"
  Tina is a writer, actor, film maker and disability advocate Interview Summary Tina is an actress with Down Syndrome who identifies strongly with her art form, viewing her disability as an ability that enhances her talent and quality in storytelling through acting. She enjoys the process of acting and finds joy in watching her family perform, which inspired her to pursue the craft; however, she acknowledges that there are difficult moments that can be challenging but ultimately rewarding. Her artistic journey has involved working with various local companies in Perth and her work has evolved by adapting to new roles, with the aim of authenticity in her performances. Tina's influence and acknowledgment in the field are growing, noted by positive media attention, and she encourages other artists with disabilities to embrace and identify with their unique abilities.
• "Interview with Jodee Mundy OAM"
  Jodee Mundy OAM is a Disabled creative director, performer, writer, activist, creative producer, executive producer, commissioner, interpreter, film, festival maker and cultural leader. Interview Summary Jodee Mundy OAM, is an artist and festival director who identifies as Coda (child of Deaf adults) and lives with chronic illness reflects on the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Deaf and Disabled artists in Australia. Her work is deeply political, aiming to tell untold stories and bring visibility to marginalized communities. Despite significant achievements, Jodee stresses the need for structural support and inclusivity within the industry, especially given the limitations of hybrid access models post-pandemic. Jodee's personal journey, including her recent incurable cancer diagnosis, shapes her advocacy for a culture of care and well-being in the arts. Jodee leads Alter State, Australia’s Disability- led arts festival presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Access Victoria.
• "Interview with Sofya Gollan"
  Sofya Gollan is a distinguished artist, screenwriter, filmmaker and cultural leader in advocating for the Deaf and disabled communities. Interview Summary Sofya Gollan is a versatile and experienced artist with a background in acting, writing, directing, and producing, known for her work in theatre, film, and television, and for navigating the industry as a deaf individual. Her journey into the arts began with her involvement in the Australian Theatre of the Deaf and further developed as she trained at prestigious institutions like NIDA and AFTRS, where she expanded her skills in filmmaking. Despite facing challenges and ableism within the industry, Gollan has made significant contributions to disability representation on screen, and highlights the need for ongoing support and funding for disabled artists to promote equity and access to opportunities. Returning as creative practitioner to the industry after an executive role, Gollan continues to advocate for inclusivity and representation, while aiming to create and share content that authentically reflects the deaf experience.
• Caroline Bowditch
• "Bree Hadley, Gerard Goggin, Petra Kuppers, Colette Conroy, Meagan Shand, Donna McDonald, Martin Paten, Norm Horton, Sarah Moynigan, Veronica Pardo, Caroline Bowditch, Morwenna Collett, Kerry Comerford, David Doyle, Pat Swell, Clark Crystal, Peter Stuart (2019) The NDIS and disability arts in Australia: Opportunities and challenges. Australasian Drama Studies, 74, pp. 9-38."
  "In Australia, disabled people’s participation in the arts has historically been afforded by means of direct-to-organisation grants that arts, community services or disability services arms of government award to arts organisations, charities or disability service organisations, who then deliver programmes. The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is creating wide-reaching changes for disability arts practice in Australia. We undertake a first step in addressing the need for research into how the NDIS will alter the landscape of disability arts practice in Australia. We highlight a set of questions that all performing and creative arts industry stakeholders will need to respond to, in order to ensure that the excellent work done in disability arts in Australia to date can continue in the new climate that the NDIS brings."
• "The Other Film Festival Program 2024"
  The Other Film Festival Program 2024 – Australian works screened include Rewards for the Tribe 90 Minutes | 2023 Director Rhys Graham ; 14 in February 9 Minutes | 2023 Director/WriterProducers Victoria Singh-Thompson, Lily Warland, Pip Smart, Anna Mannix; Revolver Baby 12 Minutes |2024 Director/ ProducerProducer James Di Martino and Daniel Facciolo; Bokeh 12 Minutes | 2024 Director/ WriterProducer Christian Misuraca and Daniel Shao; Carer 19 Minutes | 2024 Director/ Writer CompanyProducer Victorian College of the Arts Oliver Wicks; Dungeons, Goblins and Broccoli 8 Minutes | 2023 Director Dan Sanguineti; The Flower Man 8 Minutes | 2024 Director/ Writer/ Producer Evangeline Read;Threshold 8 Minutes | 2023 Director/ Writer Sofya Gollan; The Water of the Womb 9 Minutes | 2023 Director/ Writer/ Producer Baris Ulusoy
• Jodee Mundy Collaborations
• Arts Centre Melbourne
• Josh Pether
• Joshua Pether
• Tina Fielding