Disability Arts History Australia

Items

• "High Beam Festival 1998 Poster"
  High Beam Festival Poster 1998 reads "High Beam Festival PRESENTED BY: SPARC DISABILITY FOUNDATION in association with ARTS IN ACTION INC"
• "High Beam Festival 1998 Poster"
  High Beam Festival Poster 1998 reads "High Beam Festival PRESENTED BY: SPARC DISABILITY FOUNDATION in association with ARTS IN ACTION INC"
• "High Beam Festival 1998 Flyer"
  High Beam Festival Flyer 1998 reads "This is the first High Beam disability inclusive festival in Australia. It is happening in South Australia and its your opportunity to be involved so don't miss out. … HIGH BEAM FESTIVAL INCLUDES: • A spectacular opening night of celebration. • A lively Cabaret/Porty featuring some of Australia's top entertainers. • Two days of stimulating seminars with topics covering arts, disability and healthy communities. • A week-long program of disability inclusive events at The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. • A promotional campaign that will attract people from around Australia. • Multi-media promotional opportunities including free entry in the official festival program."
• "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 Peter Vance"
  Peter Vance is a singer, songwriter, musician, performer, facilitator and disability arts advocate. Interview Summary: Peter Vance is a songwriter, performer, musician and singer. Peter suggested disability arts in the last 20 years has become more visible and popular reflecting a positive shift in how society views disability as part of the rich tapestry of human experience. This is reflected in how the arts now tell the stories of individuals with disabilities, not simply as artists with a disability, but as whole people whose varied experiences - visible and invisible - inform and enrich their creative expression. However, there are still challenges with funding and accessibility and ongoing struggles for recognition and support of disability art. Changes in how organisations operate to suit new funding such as the NDIS have potentially limited the spontaneity and personal touch that smaller, community-driven organizations once offered. Peter said it is essential to continue to push for better understanding, support, and visibility for people with all kinds of disabilities in every aspect of life, including the arts, to truly embrace inclusivity.
• "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.
• "Interview with Tim McCallum"
  Tim McCallum is a singer, performer and speaker and disability advocate. Interview Summary Tim McCallum is a performer who specializes in singing and acting, with singing being his foremost talent. Having sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in quadriplegia before beginning his studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Tim's childhood passion for the performing arts has continued to motivate his career. Through his experiences, both positive and negative, regarding inclusion and discrimination in the arts, Tim has become determined to challenge preconceived notions and make disability a visible and celebrated aspect of performance. He is a strong advocate for the representation of artists with disabilities in leadership roles within arts governance, stressing the importance of lived expertise over tokenism for lasting change in the industry.
• "Interview with Jeremy Hawkes"
  Jeremy Hawkes is a multidisciplinary artist working in sculpture, drawing, painting and photography as well as being a writer, educator and disability arts leader. Interview Summary Jeremy Hawkes, a visual artist, opened up about his life and identity during his interview. After a debilitating workplace accident, he had to reimagine his sculptural practice due to his acquired disability and ventured into drawing, which helped him cope with multiple operations and diagnoses. Jeremy's art explores themes of identity and the interconnectedness between the macro and the micro, drawing inspiration from neurobiology and medical imagery. Despite his struggles, Jeremy commits to his studio daily, aims for success without fear, and advocates for greater visibility and opportunities for artists with disabilities.
• "Interview with Morwenna Collett"
  Morwenna is a leader, consultant and facilitator in the arts, government, not-for-profit and university sectors and is passionate about helping arts and cultural organisations to include everyone in their work. Interview Summary Morwenna Collett is a consultant in diversity, access and inclusion and during the interview discusses her vast experience in the disability arts sector including time in the Australia Council where she played a key role in creating the first targeted funding program for artists with disabilities. Morwenna notes that while disability arts is gaining some awareness with mainstream audiences, there are still issues regarding how people think about the quality of art created by artists with disabilities. Morwenna highlights the NDIS as a significant milestone for disability arts in Australia, though she believes that there is much more potential for arts organizations to engage with it. Morwenna also emphasizes that the decision for artists to identify with their disability is a personal choice and it is becoming increasingly safe to disclose this identity, demonstrating progress toward inclusion in the arts.
• "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.
• "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.
• "The No Bang Theory - Presenter Pack"
  Presenter Pack for Indelability Arts show by Oliver Hetherington Page, The No Bang Theory - reads, in part, "Autistic performer/playwright Oliver Hetherington-Page is fed up with people thinking Sheldon Cooper somehow represents all people on the spectrum. He’s using Arts Queensland funding, show tunes and anecdotes to set the record straight. The No Bang Theory is a musical journey from dating disasters to diagnosis through #actuallyautistic eyes." The No Bang Theory was independently created by Oliver Hetherington-Page.
• "Chameleon - Presenter Pack"
  Presenter Pack for Indelability Arts show by Karen Lee Roberts, Chameleon - reads, in part, "Chameleon brilliantly portrays a new point of view of the norms of mental illness through heartfelt stories of a woman’s journey to mental wellness. With original music from the world of the blues, jazz, folk and rock, Chameleon packs a healthy dose of funny for the mind, body and soul."
• "Santa Claus Is Autistic"
  Reads, in part "Santa Claus is Autistic He makes a list and checks it twice Featuring the Spectrum Singers." Santa Claus is Autistic was independently created by Oliver Hetherington-Page.
• "Interview with Gayle Kennedy"
• "High Beam Festival Program 2006"
  High Beam Festival Program 2006 reads "High Beam is a 10 day integrated arts festival showcasing work inspired by or influenced by experiences of disability. Presenting both professional and recreational artists, audiences will see many of the world's most exciting and innovative achievements in arts and disability."
• "Accessible Arts - Annual Report 1992"
  Accessible Arts - Annual Report 1992 - Staff, Management Committee, and contents including BACKGROUND INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESSIBLE ARTS, ACCESSIBLE ARTS' AIMS, CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT, SECRETARY'S REPORT, CO-ORDINATOR'S REPORT, TREASURER'S REPORT & AUDITOR’S REPORT, A.C.E. MAGAZINE, establishment of a national body - DISABILITY IN THE ARTS, DISADVANTAGED IN THE ARTS, AUSTRALIA (DADAA)
• “Arts Access Victoria – Arts Access Society Annual Report 1986”
• "DADAA Annual Report 2019-2020"
  DADAA Annual Report 2019-2020 – Chair’s and Executive Director’s Reports, People, Partners, Art Services, New Gallery, Projects including ‘No Fixed Address’, NDIS, Covid19 and digital transitions, Financials
• "DADAA Annual Report 2020-2021"
  DADAA Annual Report 2020-2021– Chair’s and Executive Director’s Reports, People, Partners, Arts and Client Services, Projects including The Other Film Festival WA, Digital Capacity Building, Financials
• "DADAA Annual Report 2021-2022"
  DADAA Annual Report 2021-2022 – Chair’s and Executive Director’s Reports, People, Partners, Arts and Client Services, Projects including The Other Film Festival WA, Creative Development 4:48 Psychosis Creative Development, Digital Project, Exhibitions, Financials
• "DADAA Annual Report 2022-2023"
  DADAA Annual Report 2022-2023 – Chair’s and Executive Director’s Reports, People, Partners, Arts and Client Services, Projects including 4:48 Psychosis, Digital Art for Life, Exhibitions, Financials
• "Tutti Arts - Annual Report 2015"
  Tutti Arts Annual Report 2015 – Vision, Mission and Values, President’s, Artistic Director’s, Disability & Quality Manager’s, and Arts Managers Reports, Programs, Productions and Exhibitions, including Sisters of Invention, Company @, and Sit Down, Shutup & Watch Film Festival, ‘The Day of the Song,’ ‘The Six Swans,’ and ‘Shedding Light’ Exhibition, Board, Staff, and Artists, Financials
• "Tutti Arts - Annual Report 2017"
  Tutti Arts Annual Report 2017 – President’s, Artistic Directors, Disability & Quality Manager's, Arts Manager Reports, information on Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film and New Media and Choral and Kids & Youth Programs, Projects, and Exhibitions, including information on Impersonal Space, Frozen Girl, Sit Down Shutup and Watch Film Festival, The Sisters of Invention, Company AT, Financials, Staff and Board Members, Supporters