Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "Bree Hadley, Janice Rieger (2021) Co-designing choice: objectivity, aesthetics and agency in audio-description. Museum Management and Curatorship, 36(2), pp. 189-203.”
  "The ‘Vis-ability’ exhibition, presented at the QUT Art Museum in 2019 was an exhibition curated with clear social inclusion goals from the outset. Through it, the museum sought to develop innovative, cost effective, and readily replicable techniques to allow blind and low vision visitors and artists to engage with the institution and its collections. The results affirm the benefits of offering blind and low vision visitors a spectrum of engagement choices, and also affirm that blind and low vision artists and visitors have capacity to make a critical contribution in co-designing that spectrum of choices. This exhibition and its use of multisensorial elements offers a useful prompt to museums to engage this community more fully in co-designing inclusion in the future."
• "Accessible Arts - ACE Arts Creativity Expression - Helen Connors - Article: Why Do All The Bad Guys Have A Disability - Iss17, 1997, Pg11-13"
  Accessible Arts - ACE Arts Creativity Expression - Helen Connors - Article: Why Do All The Bad Guys Have A Disability - Iss17, 1997, Pg11-13
• "Disability activist Geoff Bell leads significant advocacy”
  In the 1970s, Geoff Bell was a disability activist who, after a diving accident left him quadriplegic at age 21, was placed in a nursing home. Not accepting nursing homes as appropriate residences for young people, he wrote to the then Minister for Social Security Bill Hayden. The letter was presented to parliament. In April 1978, Geoff Bell led ten members of the Disabled People’s Action Forum as they blockaded the entrance to a Medibank claims office for an hour. The protest was held outside Medibank to raise awareness of the architectural barriers to conducting personal business when Medibank was supposed to be of service. Signs held by the members read “We don’t need a stairway to paradise, We want ramps to independence".
• “The Commonwealth Disability Services Act of 1986 replace the Handicapped Persons Assistance Act of 1974”
  In 1983, The Hawke Labour Government evaluated the initiatives created under the Handicapped Persons Assistance Act of 1974. The HPAA was replaced in 1986 by the Commonwealth Disability Services Act of 1986. Among other changes, this Act represents the shift in nomenclature from 'handicap' to ‘disability’.
• “Demonstrators protest inadequate funding for disability support in Adelaide, 1992”
  On the 13th March, 1992, 100 demonstrators gathered in Adelaide to protest inadequate funding for disability support. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services Brian Howe was “heckled” by the group outside an event at Jubilee Hall during a health care expo. Howe agreed later that year to “honour a federal government promise to expand the National Attendant Care Scheme,” that is, after another demonstration by 70 advocates outside Parliament House.
• “Australia signs the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability”
  In 2007, Australia signed the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disability. The CRPD seeks to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities”. The Convention came into effect in Australia on 16 August 2008.
• “The Australian Government launches a new national cultural policy, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place”
  The Australian Government launched a new national cultural policy, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. Revive comprises 5 pillars: First Nations First, A Place for Every Story, Centrality of the Artist, Strong Cultural Infrastructure, and Engaging the Audience. The policy allocates $5 million for an Arts and Disability Associated Plan, under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–31 “to enable people with disability to access and participate fully in the cultural and creative life of Australia.” This replaces the National Arts and Disability Strategy.
• "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.
• “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.
• "Arts Project Australia - Manifesto, captured 2022"
  Arts Project Australia - Manifesto - reads, in part "Fuelled by an unwavering belief in our artists, we’re buoyed by the creativity and authenticity that exists in our space and heartened by those who delight in sharing it. We believe that art is serious, but making it can be fun. The individual creativity triumphs over conformity and divergent voices make life much more interesting. That art is about revealing ourselves and creating meaningful connections – between artists, staff artists and art lovers. Our experience will always be shared, our knowledge passed on and our studio, bound by creativity, integrity and generosity in equal measure."
• “1993 welfare report includes people with disability as one of four foci”
  ‘Australia's Welfare 1993: Services and Assistance’ was the first biennial report to include information on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Statistics on people with disability was one of four main areas. https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/aa045df7-78e3-465e-b4b5-079b6ae6ace8/aw93.pdf?v=20230605150811&inline=true
• “Carriageworks ‘New Normal’ program plan to commission ten new works presents three performances - Lady Eats Apple (Back to Back Theatre, 2017), Off the Record (Force Majeure, Dance Integrated Australia, 2016), Simple Infinity (Urban Theatre Projects, 2016)"
  New Normal is Carriageworks “national strategy for the development of disability arts practice.” Carriageworks state an aim to “commission ten new major works across contemporary performance, music, dance and visual arts.” As part of the program, Back to Back Theatres’ Lady Eats Apple (2017), Force Majeure and Dance Integrated Australia’s Off the Record (2016), and Urban Theatre Projects’ Simple Infinity (2016) each presented at Carriageworks. Since then, there has been no update on Carriageworks’ goal, suggesting the program may have fallen short of its initial objectives.
• "Australia Council Arts and Disability Initiative 2022-24"
  Australia Council Arts and Disability Initiative 2022-24 - reads, in part "This program is for d/Deaf artists or arts workers, or artists or arts workers with disability, seeking to undertake a project or activity to advance their practice, skills or career."
• "Interview with CB Mako"
  CB Mako is a non-fiction, fiction and fanfiction writer and disability advocate. Interview Summary cubbie||CB Mako is a creative practitioner and disability advocate who emphasizes the importance of accessibility in the arts, advocating for digital inclusivity and the elimination of ableist practices. cubbie pushes for systemic change so that future generations, like their disabled child, don't have to fight for access to art and literature. Success for cubbie is defined by the progress made when institutions include disability in their funding, competitions, and programming. Using the pen name CB Mako and going by pronouns cubbie/they/them, urges non-disabled artists, particularly from communities of colour, to proactively incorporate access in their work.
• "The first known disability-led activism occurred in 1971 when John Roarty formed a committee among the residents of Weemala nursing home."
  John Roarty, who had cerebral palsy, was a resident of Weemala nursing home for 35 years. In what would become known as the first known disability-led activism, John formed a residents committee to fight against maltreatment and to fight for control and choice over their daily lives.
• “Larissa Macfarlane leads the installation of Australia’s first Disability Pride Mural”
  In 2017, Larissa Macfarlane led the installation of Australia’s first Disability Pride Mural. It was unfortunately removed by accident by council workers. It was re-installed in 2018 and was constructed of paper and fixed to the wall with wheat paste glue so that it was temporary. The aim was to raise awareness of Disability Pride in Australia.
• “Screen producer, editor, and accessibility consultant Stephanie Dower is interviewed for Screen Queensland On Air, in an episode called How They See Us: Disability in the Screen Industry”
  Stephanie Dower was interviewed in 2020 for Screen Queensland On Air, in an episode called How They See Us: Disability in the Screen Industry. Dower is an editor, producer, and writer for screen. She has also worked with Get Skilled Access and as an accessibility consultant for Queenslanders with Disability Network.
• “Australia Council - Artists with Disability Program 2014”
  The website reads “The Artists with Disability Program provides funding for Australian artists with disability (including Deaf artists) to create, develop, present, produce, exhibit and/or tour their work”
• ”Racheal Missingham, Bree Hadley (2022) Oppression and allyship in Australia's Deaf Arts. Australasian Drama Studies, 80, pp. 304-332.”
  "In this article, we investigate the history of Deaf theatre in Australia, through the lens of oppression and allyship. Through a review of the to date limited academic, industry, and media literature, in conjunction with survey and interview research with Deaf theatre practitioners, this research sheds light on Deaf theatre makers’ perceptions of the ways in which ally support can operate to create both social benefits and barriers, and how this has impacted on the non-linear development and recent decline in Deaf theatre companies in Australia. It finds that, in developing a framework to scaffold stronger allyship relationships with d/Deaf and hard of hearing artists, it is critical to consider the accessibility and cultural requirements not just in relation to theatre methodologies, but in relation to arts management practices, which support continuing company production, too."
• "Bree Hadley (2019) Advocacy, allies, and 'allies of convenience' in performance and performative protest. In Grehan, H (Ed.) The Routledge companion to theatre and politics (Routledge Theatre and Performance Companions). Routledge, United Kingdom, pp. 85-88.”
  "Though allies have always played a role in the production of political performance, analysis of the work of disabled artists, women artists, queer artists, and artists of colour has yet to be combined with analysis of the work of allies addressing the same issues. In this chapter, I consider the practice of allies in a specific context, social media performance, as a newly emerging platform for political activism. After tracing the way allies are typically involved in political performance about, with, and by marginalised people and communities, I point to complexities arising when activists, campaigners, entertainers, and pranksters use new online platforms in performance that purport to support the same cause.
• Film Australia
• "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.
• “An ABC video series explores the experiences of deaf and disabled musicians”
  A 2021 video series by ABC Classic featured interviews with four deaf and disabled musicians. The series, made in honour of International Day of People with Disability, explored the musicians’ experiences of the music industry.
• "Christopher Newall (1996). The Disability Rights Movement in Australia: A note from the trenches. Disability & Society, 11(3), 429–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599627705"
  Reads, in part “A recent visitor to Australia from the UK commented to me on their return ‘I looked in vain for the disability rights movement. Can you tell me where they are?’ In essence, the Australia disability rights movement is currently fragmented, predominantly organised around disease labels and seems to have lost ground, compared with the self-help initiatives fostered around the time of the International Year of the Disabled Persons in 1981.”
• “Australia Council - People with a disability - attendance at cultural events 2008"
  Australia Council - People with a disability - attendance at cultural events 2008 - reads, in part "A 2003 survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that over 40 per cent of people with a disability went to the cinema. According to the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, one in five people in Australia reported that they had a disability which restricted their everyday activities and which had lasted, or was expected to last, for at least six months."