Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "Dance Me To My Song - IMDB"
  Dance me to my song' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "A woman with cerebral palsy communicates with the world via her computer with a voice box. Her caretaker is a short-tempered woman who begrudges the woman the care she needs"
• "Emily's Eyes - IMDB"
  Emily's Eyes' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - review reads in part "Something to nudge you out of your comfort-zone! You might think YOU have problems once in a while! Little Emily Wu was born blind in one eye (The film is actually correctly known as EMILY'S EYE), totally deaf and was expected to be intellectually impaired to say the least - she had other ideas!
• "My Brother Vinnie - IMDB"
  My Brother Vinnie' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry
• "IMDB Sparkles"
  Reads, in part "A 30-something-year-old Down syndrome woman leaves her past behind, and runs away from a small country town. Along her journey, she makes an unlikely friendship, teaching us all not to be afraid to celebrate who we are."
• "Audrey - IMDB"
  Audrey' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "Self-appointed Mother of the Year, Ronnie has given her daughter Audrey everything, so when Audrey selfishly falls into a coma, Ronnie has no choice but to keep their dreams alive by assuming her identity."
• "Alicia - IMDB"
  reads, in part "Seven years earlier, an 18 year ALICIA was seriously injured in a car accident. It was her brain rather than her body which suffered. This tells the story of her long journey of recovery. Not content with just regaining a 'normal life', Alicia pursues her original dream of becoming an actress."
• "It's Fine, I'm Fine - IMDB"
  It's Fine, I'm Fine' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "A suburban psychologist and her patients explore love, loss, obsession, anxiety, and an uncertain future, while grappling with how to persist and find magic in the world."
• "Quentin: World at My Wheels - IMDB"
  Reads, in part "A documentary on Quentin Kenihan, An Adelaide man born with Osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder in which bones break easily."
• "Latecomers - IMDB"
  Latecomers' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "Frank and Sarah two strangers with cerebral palsy become entrenched in each other's dysfunctional lives after witnessing their able bodied friends in an awkward situation at a bar."
• "We Are Sexual Beings - IMDB"
  We Are Sexual Beings' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "Over the course of 24-hours, three young Australians with disabilities will pull back the covers on their intimate lives. Oli, an aspiring tennis champ; Maya, an earnest sweetheart; and Christina, a wild-child motor head."
• "Jodee Mundy Collaborations - Imagined Touch - IMBD"
  Reads, in part, "When two Deafblind women asked a theatre director to help them make a show about being deaf and blind, never in their wildest dreams did they imagine it would become an award-winning show."
• "This is Going to Be Big - IMDB"
  This is going to be big' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "A humorous and heart-warming coming of age story unfolds when a cast of neurodiverse teenagers confront their own challenges, dreams and desires as they prepare for their first high school musical."
• "Austin - IMBD"
  Austin' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "When author Julian's offensive post goes viral, his career seems over until his neuro divergent son Austin suddenly arrives. Embracing Austin may be Julian's path to redemption if he and wife Ingrid can move past his mistakes."
• "Headliners - IMBD"
  Headliners' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - reads, in part "Musician and fervent campaigner for inclusion, access and equality, Elly-May Barnes leads the quest to create two bands made up entirely of musicians living with disability."
• "Filming Our Future: Our Choice, Our Voice, Our Way - IMDB"
  "Filming Our Future: Our Choice, Our Voice, Our Way' Internet Movie Database (IMDB entry - reads in part "Mark lost his leg in a motorbike accident in between tours with the Navy. Now he works to change how people think about living with physical challenges by running the paracanoe sessions at Ascot Kayak Club."
• "Hardball - IMDB"
  Hardball' Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry - Hardball follows fish out of water Mikey and his two misfit mates, Salwa and Jerry. Their goal - Make Mikey the sweetest-bestest-acest handball champ Western Sydney's ever seen."
• “Arts Access Victoria – Art Everywhere (2010-2015)"
  Between 2010 and 2015, Arts Access Victoria (AAV) received $2.5 million to support audio description and captioning in film as part of its worth with The Other Film Festival, launched Write-ability with Writers Victoria, the mobile, accessible arts space Nebula in Melbourne’s Federation Square in 2012, and collaborated in research such as the ‘Beyond Access’ project with University of Melbourne and Dance Haptics with Deakin University.
• "Writers Victoria profile postcards of Write-ability Fellows - Sarah Widdup"
• "Interview with Emiko Artemis"
  Dr Emiko Artemis is a visual artist with a PhD and a history of both solo and group exhibitions. Interview Summary Emiko Artemis identifies as a non-binary queer disabled visual artist. Emiko acknowledges their work essentially reflects their personal experiences with disability and comments on society. Despite interpersonal challenges due to disabilities, Emiko cherishes occasional collaborations, facilitated by clear structures or supportive relationships. Their artwork, often seen as "weird" to the public, aims to be thought-provoking rather than being particularly political. Emiko values the growing visibility of disability in the arts and the increase in acceptance of diversity in society. They proudly embrace their own identity as an integral aspect of their creative practice
• "Interview with Asphyxia"
  Asphyxia is an artist, author, activist and performer who has founded Amplio, a music app for Deaf and hard of hearing people. She also provides free online Auslan lessons and online art courses. Interview Summary Asphyxia is a Deaf artist whose journey into the arts started with a deep love for ballet, but after facing discrimination due to her Deafness, she pivoted to a successful career in circus performance and later puppetry, which embraced her Deafness and signing skills. Her work in performance art led her to write and illustrate the Awards-winning art-journal book, Future Girl, which explores Deaf identity and environmental issues. She has now moved into music, creating an app that makes music accessible and writing music designed with Deaf and hard of hearing audiences in mind. Although not sure about the major milestones in disability arts history in Australia, she considers her art to be both political and personal, often tackling issues related to her identity as a Deaf person and the aesthetics of disability equipment. While Asphyxia identifies as a Deaf artist, above all, she sees herself as an artist whose work appeals to the mainstream while celebrating Deafness and diversity.
• "Interview with Alison Bennett"
  Dr Alison Bennett is a senior lecturer in photography at RMIT School of Art specialising in expanded photography, webXR, queer and feminist creative practices. Interview Summary Alison Bennett, an artist and academic, spoke about her work in expanded photography, their experiences with autism, and the intersection of disability discourse with queer activism in their life and work. Their current project, vegetal/digital, arose from their experiences during the pandemic and connects audiences with plant sentience through interactive digital art. Alison also discussed the political nature of their work, aiming to shift ontological frameworks and exploring new modes of engagement through art. They reflected on the significant cultural changes regarding neurodiversity in the last few decades, highlighting the growing self-advocacy among autistic artists and their increasing impact in the arts.
• "Interview with Joanne Braddy"
  Joanne Braddy is a disability Advocate with lived experience and creates honest and insightful work about her experiences of anxiety and depression, as a way of breaking down stigmas that stand in the way of healing through painting, drawing, and ceramics to create emotive self-portraits. Interview Summary Joanne is an Australian visual artist with a 15-year career. She began creating art as an outlet for her mental health struggles and her work, which encompasses drawings, paintings, sculptures, and poetry, helps others by bringing awareness to mental health issues. Joanne finds a lack of accessibility with literacy and industry understanding but she remains motivated to exhibit her work and reduce mental health stigma, expressing the need for a supportive gallery to represent her. Despite these challenges, she aspires to have her substantial body of work seen more broadly and possibly go on tour, with the help of a mentor to guide her through the complexity of the art industry.
• "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.
• "Interview with Darcy Carpenter"
  Darcy Carpenter is a professional dancer and has performed with Restless Dance Theatre since 2014. Interview Summary: Darcy is a professional dancer with a family history in dance, who works with Restless Dance Theatre and has worked with the Riverland Youth Theatre. Darcy expressed her passion for dance and acting, mentioning her desire to share emotional experiences with her audience and her personal growth as an artist through the support of Restless Dance Theatre organisation. Throughout the interview, Darcy’s pride as a third-generation dancer shone through, along with her aspirations to continue developing her artistry.
• "Interview with Jess Cochran"
  Jess Cochran (they/them) is an actor, model, writer and disability advocate. Interview Summary: Jess Cochran is a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent, performing artist, advocate, writer, and consumer consultant with a background in both physical and psychosocial disabilities. Their journey into the performing arts began accidentally with a role in the Awards winning Melbourne Fringe Festival production, Qualia, which opened doors to more local and international Awards-winning work in film and stage. Jess identifies proudly with their disabilities and considers their art both a personal expression and a political act aimed at highlighting the issues faced by the disability community. Jess’s work spans across writing, modelling, and various performance arts, and they wish to see an increase of disability arts representation in mainstream media with authentic casting, opportunities and improved accessibility for disabled performers. Jess is also passionate about highlighting intersectionality in disability arts.