Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "Commonwealth of Australia (2024) Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan"
  "Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan (the Plan) was released on 14 November 2024. The Plan is a four-year roadmap of activities to build the foundations for equity for artists, arts workers and audiences with disability across Australia, with an $8.1 million investment in actions to drive change."
• "Interview with Andy Jackson"
  Andy Jackson is a published poet focusing on disability and difference, has completed a PhD and is a lecturer of poetry and creative writing. INTERVIEW SUMMARY This is an oral history interview with poet Andy Jackson. Andy, who has Marfan syndrome, discusses how disability and visible difference have shaped his writing and poetry, explaining that he often writes about the meaning of the body within society. He emphasizes the importance of Disability Arts, noting a growing community of disabled writers and expressing the need for both disability-specific literary spaces and mainstream recognition. Andy also highlights the transformative role of online communities in creating networks for disabled individuals and the emergence of disability-focused literary journals, anticipating an anthology from a collaborative writing project he is involved with.
• "The Arts and Disability No Date #2"
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• "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."
• "The Arts and Disability 2017"
  This booklet/brochure provides images, descriptions of the work, and contact details and contact organisations for key organisations in South Australia including: Access2Arts; Company AT; Mindshare; No Strings Attached Theatre of Disability; Restless Dance Theatre; Sit Down, Shut Up and Watch Film and New Media Festival; Sisters of Invention, Tutti Arts; The Jame, The Mix, The Gig.
• "Interview with Patricia Wozniak"
  Patricia Wozniak is a neurodivergent visual arts coordinator at Tutti Arts and is a disability arts advocate and ally. Interview Summary Patricia Wozniak, a visual arts coordinator at Tutti Arts with 14-15 years of experience, initially volunteered while studying for her master's and found joy and liberation in making art with the organisation. Tutti Arts has grown from offering two days to five days of visual arts each week and supports artists to enjoy creating, access quality materials, and earn income. While faced with challenges like NDIS funding intricacies and the need for easy-to-understand contracts, Patricia emphasizes the importance of artist-driven practice and equal opportunities. She observes a shift toward digital art and commercial endeavours among artists and asserts the vitality of educating artists about their rights and the political aspect of disability art in cultivating change and expression of identity.
• "Interview with Julie Moralee"
  Julie Moralee is the Chief Executive Officer of Restless Dance Theatre, bringing a wealth of experience in marketing, business development, and festival organisation within the arts sector. Her leadership focuses on showcasing the talents of artists with disability and ensuring sustainable employment opportunities in the arts. Interview Summary Julie Moralee is the CEO of Restless Dance Theatre, where she has focused on promoting the talent and abilities of artists with disability. With a commitment to ensuring sustainable full-time employment in the arts for these artists, she emphasises the importance of audience impact and high-quality performances as measures of success. Julie is mindful of the challenges and perceptions within the disability arts sector and envisions a future where the label "disability art" becomes obsolete, as the quality of the work transcends its creators
• "Incite Arts Disability Engagement Policy and Action Plan 2020-25"
  InCite Arts Disability Engagement Policy & Action Plan, reads, in part "People with disability are a key focus of InCite Arts. When we say we work with people with disability, we mean anyone with sensory or physical impairments, hidden impairments, intellectual or neurological impairments or mental health issues. We welcome and value the participation of people with disability in all areas of our work, and we aim to make sure that people with disability have full access to our program, organisation and venues."
• "Katie Ellis, Tama Leaver, Mike Kent, M, eds. (2023). Gaming Disability: Disability Perspectives on Contemporary Video Games. London and New York: Routledge."
  This book explores the opportunities and challenges people with disabilities experience in the context of digital games from the perspective of three related areas: representation, access and inclusion, and community. Drawing on key concerns in disability media studies, the book brings together scholars from disability studies and game studies, alongside game developers, educators, and disability rights activists, to reflect upon the increasing visibility of disabled characters in digital games.
• "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."
• "Katie Ellis, Gerard Goggin (2015). Disability media participation: Opportunities, obstacles and politics. Media International Australia, 154 (1), pp. 78-88."
  This article discusses participatory media from a critical disability perspective. It discusses the relative absence of explicit discussion and research on disability in the literatures on community, citizen and alternative media. By contrast, disability has emerged as an important element of participatory cultures and digital technologies. To explore disability participatory cultures, the article offers analysis of case studies, including disability blogs, ABC's Ramp Up website and crowd-funding platforms (such as Kickstarter).
• Donna McDonald
• "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.
• Rawcus
• Lachlan MacDowall
• "Catherine Grant (2013). Participating in arts- and cultural-sector governance in Australia: Experiences and views of people with disability. Arts & Health, 6(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2013.826259"
  Reads, in part "This study sought the perceptions and experiences of people with disability relating to their potential or current involvement in the governance of arts and cultural organisations in Australia. Methods: A total of 32 people participated in an online survey, and results were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results: The findings revealed that those participants who had been involved in governance benefited from it in terms of self-esteem, participation in society and well-being." Contains tables with survey data.
• "Interview with Michele Saint-Yves"
  Michèle Saint-Yves is a playwright, filmmaker, poet, and director. Interview Summary Michèle Saint-Yves’ background includes a colonial upbringing in Pacific territories, a Scottish boarding school education, and a complex personal journey of confronting her own inherent racism and colonial legacy, particularly through her writing. Her work as an artist with disability is deeply informed by her sense of otherness and focuses on creating inclusive performance-based work that challenges mainstream audiences and systems, aiming for transformative experiences that impact disability justice and community. Michèle actively embraced the social model of disability, which shifted her understanding of herself and her art, and has received recognition for her pioneering work with the prize-winning show "Clock for No Time." However, recognising the social model’s limitations, her current creative endeavours are concerned with 'access intimacy' and evaluating the lasting impact of her performances, in collaboration with other artists and through research grants.
• Veronica Pardo
• Caroline Bowditch
• Petra Kuppers
• Incite Arts
• "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 Jeremy Smith"
  Jeremy Smith is a Senior Producer in Western Australia at Performing Lines, has a long career across community, experimental and performing arts, is a disability advocate and previously worked in Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) as Director – Community Arts and Experimental Arts. Interview Summary Jeremy Smith has vast experience in the arts including working as a director with Australia Council (Creative Australia). Jeremy is currently an arts worker in the performing arts sector. While Jeremy lives with Achondroplasia, he has not always identified as disabled however a transformative project for the 2016 Perth Festival led him to embrace his identity as a disabled person with pride recognising the complexities surrounding personal identification with disability. Jeremy talks about artists and organisations he finds inspirational who are leading change in the disability arts sector and his motivation to also advocate for inclusion and the evolution of public perception of disability arts work.
• "Australia Council for the Arts (2018) Arts and Disability a Priority as Australia Council Commits Significant New Funding. 24 September 2018."
  Reads, in part "The Australia Council has committed $750k over three years to support sustainable careers and to recognise the artistic excellence of artists with disability."
• "Bree Hadley (2017) Disability theatre in Australia: a survey and a sector ecology. Research in Drama Education, 22(3), pp. 305-324.”