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Newsletter :: February 2008
Image: Artist talk at AART.BOXX 07
This month’s newsletter provides anupdate on two of the many projects Accessible Arts will undertake in2008. It also highlights accessible theatre performance available inSydney for the coming year together with regional and internationalevents, film festivals and conferences.
Accessible Arts News
Accessible Arts to attend APAM
Accessible Arts will join Arts Access SA and Arts Access Victoria to represent the Arts and Disability sectors at the upcoming Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) on 24-29 February 2008 in Adelaide. Presented by the Australia Council for the Arts, APAM is a one-stop opportunity for the world's program-makers to experience the very best in new performing arts from the Australian region. It is the prime destination for promotion, networking and gaining an insight into Australia's performing arts. Accessible Arts will promote Arts and Disability Producers, Access Services and Communication and Awareness resources from NSW at the arts market.
To discuss the promotion of your production at APAM contact Jacqui O’Reilly, Administration Officer at Accessible Arts on info@aarts.net.au or 02 9251 6499.
Image: Studio Project Launch
Call Out - Visual Arts Studio Project
Accessible Arts in partnership with Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, is delighted to announce that applications are open for the Visual Artists Studio project. After a successful pilot project and with funding from the Sydney Myer Foundation, the program will begin in April and run for approximately 15 weeks. It will provide a professional environment for artists with a disability to expand their artistic discipline and technical skills. Accessible Arts is seeking interested individuals who wish to participate in the project. For application forms and info on how to submit a portfolio of recent work contact Sancha Donald, 02 9251 6499 ext 8 by Friday 7 March 2008. Read more about the Studio Project.
Image: AARTS Sound Circles Workshop 2007
Sound Circles in the Gong!
Sound Circles will be expanding to the Illawarra thanks to Wollongong based facilitator Andrea Hulmes, who completed the Sound Circles Facilitator Skills Development Program at Accessible Arts in early 2007. Sound Circles in the ‘Gong commences Saturday 16 Feb to 22 March, 10am-12pm at 58 Auburn St, Wollongong. The venue and toilets are wheelchair and limited mobility accessible. Total cost is $60. Please book before 9 February by calling Moises Espinoza on 0417 667 847 or emxmt@hotmail.com or Andrea Hulmes 0409 744 125 or akdhulmes@bigpond.com. For more info on Sound Circles go to www.accessarts.org.au/sound_circles_main.htm or contact Josie Cavallaro, Arts Development Officer on 9251 6499 ext 4 or jcavallaro@aarts.net.au.
Audience Development Tip of the Month
Sydney Opera House has developed an internal ‘Staff Access Guide’ that details a variety of access issues. This is a great way of increasing knowledge across an organisation about the availability of access services to audiences, arts practitioners and staff with a disability. An internal access guide can be inexpensive to produce, as it is not intended for public use. For tips on what to include in your staff or public access guide, please contact Alison McLaren on 02 9251 6499 ext 6 or amclaren@aarts.net.au.
Sector News
Image: Calm Night by Michael Kagan, mixed
media on board.
Michael Kagan exhibition launches new Gallery Space
Independent curator and artist Arthur Chan would like to congratulate artist Michael Kagan, a painter with a disability, for the success of his art launch in December 2007, hosted at Accessible Arts new gallery space. The one night event was well attended and provided Michael the opportunity not only to exhibit his current body of work, but also to broaden his networks within the arts sector. This low cost alternative exhibition has resulted in a new social/professional circle of people who are interested in Michael’s work. If you have comments or suggestions to help expand this project, contact Arthur at arthur_azure@hotmail.com or visit the online gallery.
To enquire about using the Accessible Arts gallery space contact Mukesh Bhardwaj on 02 9251 6499 or mbhardwaj@aarts.net.au.
Image: Claudio Silva, Apprenticeship Training
Program participant
Mental Health Advocate joins Apprenticeship Training Program
Claudio Silva is a participant of Accessible Arts’ Apprenticeship Training Program at Parramatta Riverside Theatre where he is studying lighting, sound and multi media operation. Prior to his arrival in Australia, Claudio suffered severe hardships in his homeland of Chile and became part of a resistance movement until he was captured and tortured. He was recently interviewed by Richard Fidler on the ‘Conversation Hour’ ABC 702, where he told his extraordinary story including how he has now become an advocate for people with mental health issues.
To find out more about the Accessible Arts’ Apprenticeship Training Program contact Alison Richardson on 02 9251-6499 ext 5 or arichardson@aarts.net.au.
Image: ‘The Vertical Hour’
Season 2008 at Sydney Theatre Company - Highly Accessible Performance
Captioned performances of Sydney Theatre Company’s production ‘The Vertical Hour’ will be presented on Wednesday 27 February at 1pm and Friday 29 February at 8pm. An audio described performance for people who are blind or vision impaired is showing on Saturday 8 March at 2pm followed by an Auslan interpreted performance for people who are Deaf on Thursday 13 March at 8pm. April and May performances of ‘Rock and Roll’ and ‘The Serpent’s Teeth’ will also be audio described, captioned and Auslan interpreted. To book tickets contact Sydney Theatre Company Box Office on 02 9250 1777.
Buzz Grants for Young Emerging Artists & Musicians
Buzz is a grant round offering flexible support for young musicians, sound artists and music-related arts workers through grants of up to $2,500. Individuals aged 12-26, or groups with a majority of people aged 12-26 involved in music or sound projects are invited to apply. This can be done with the support of an organisation. Deadline for applications is 3 March 2008. Buzz is a program devolved to The Foundation for Young Australians by the Music Board of the Australia Council. For more info go to www.youngaustralians.org or phone (03) 9670 5436.
Call Out for Performers - “In My Shoes: Concert for Tolerance”
Performers, musicians, dancers, artists and circus skill performers are wanted for a Sydney showcase concert that will highlight performing arts from minority community groups. The concert will be Auslan interpreted and each act will have a short audio-visual display of what life is actually like “in their shoes”. This non-profit event, on 14 March 2008, is being organised by GenerationQ and the GenQ Foundation. It aims to raise awareness and money to help fund Tolerance Education programs in schools. Stars such as Delta Goodrem, the Young DIVA’s and the Choir of Hard Knocks have also been invited to perform. For more information contact Andrew Stopps on 0421 470 770 or andrew@generationq.net.
Image: John Wood starring in ‘The Club’ by
David Williamson
Captioned Performances at Glen Street Theatre
Season 2008 at Glen Street Theatre will include captioned performances once a month on Wednesdays at 11am and 8pm. ‘The Club’ by David Williamson, starring 2006 Gold Logie Award winner John Wood will be showing on 20 February, followed by Gerald Sibleyra’s play ‘Heroes’ on Wednesday 12 March 2008. Glen Street Theatre is a 400 seat auditorium that presents a subscription season of professional theatre productions, quality children’s shows and community events throughout the year including school productions and dance concerts. For more info go to www.glenstreet.com.au. For a listing of all captioned performance throughout Season 2008 go to What's On - Performance & Other Events.
Image: ‘The Life of Anne Abbott’ podcast on
Facebook.
Access the Arts on Myspace and Facebook
Anne Abbott is a Canadian writer and painter with a disability. Her latest project is a podcast called “The Life of Anne Abbott” on Facebook. With the assistance of speech facilitators and/or a text-to-speech program, Anne is talking about her life, art and experience of living with a disability on the podcast. Anne is one of an increasing number of people with a disability who are using social networking sites to promote their art, build global networks, process blogging and have direct interaction with audiences. Arts and disability organisations are also using the networks. The BiPolar Bears, rock band and high profile advocates for mental health issues, are part of the City of Port Phillip’s Access Arts program. Their site on myspace demo’s their latest original music as well as advocates for arts participation opportunites for people living with a mental illness. Find out more about Anne Abbott on Facebook or Bipolar Bears on Myspace.
Regional News
Regional Arts NSW – Quick Response Grants Now Open
Quick response grants (‘Quicks’) offer urgent funding of up to $1,500 for local arts and cultural projects in regional and rural NSW. Applications for funding for the first quarter of 2008 are now open. Preference is given to projects from smaller and remote communities and applicants are required to contact the Funding Manager prior to submitting applications to discuss their proposal. Contact: Annette Eassie, Funding Manager Tel: 02 9270 2502 or Sam Chester, Grants Officer 02 9270 2501 or email: funding@regionalartsnsw.com.au.
Download the Guidelines and Application Form and find out about other funding opportunities at www.regionalartsnsw.com.au/grants/grants.html
Image: Tribal Island cast and crew
A Tribal Island in the Upper Hunter
Recently NIDA tutor Emma Palmer & Accessible Arts’ Alison Richardson were invited to Aberdeen by Hunter Integrated Care (HICI), to run a series of performance workshops over four days. The workshops comprised of 16 clients from HICI (the ‘All Stars’) and over 20 students from local high school St Josephs. Alison said, “The process of devising the show with the ‘All Stars’ and St Joseph’s students was a real two way learning street. Both groups learnt a lot from each other and highlighted that meeting people and building networks was an important aspect of performing in a production.” The show ‘Tribal Island’ was presented on the final day to an audience of over 150 enthusiastic community members.
Creative Writing Course for Carers in Orange
Anna Maria Dell’oso, well known journalist, author, creative writing teacher and carer, will facilitate a six week writing workshop commencing on Monday 11 February from 10am to 1pm in Orange, regional NSW. This free course aims to improve writing skills to enable carers to narrate the story of their individual caring journey. It is being offered by Carers NSW, the peak body for carers in New South Wales and the only statewide organisation that has carers as its primary focus. Contact Helen Clarke on 9280 4744 or helen@carersnsw.asn.au for more information or to register. For more info on Carers NSW go to www.carersnsw.asn.au.
International News
Image: Sound Circles Workshop at WAS in
Tokyo.
Sound Circles in Tokyo
Amelia Dowe, a Sound Circles facilitator who is living in Japan has presented Sound Circles to a performing arts group in Toyko. West Tokyo Actors' School (WAS) offers people with and without a disability, a one-year course of original and dynamic performance activities so that new possibilities of stage art can be realized. Sixty people attended the School last year and participated in the Sound Circles workshop in November, which delivered a global perspective to the collective creative expression that is Sound Circles. For more info on West Tokyo Actors' School go to http://fantasycap.org/aboutwasa.html. For more info on Sound Circles go to www.accessarts.org.au/sound_circles_main.htm or contact Josie Cavallaro, Arts Development Officer on 9251 6499 ext 4 or jcavallaro@aarts.net.au
Image: VSA arts of New Jersey artists with
Leslie Fanelli from New York City's Theatre
in Motion.
Sister City Celebrations in New Jersey USA
In celebration of International Day of People with a DisABILITY, VSA arts of New Jersey held its 14th Annual Joyce Indik New Jersey Wordsmith Competition-Winners Celebration. Performers from the Unlimited Potential Theatre Company (UPTCO) of VSA arts, read the winning poetry, essays, short stories, and plays. In addition, UPTCO read the first place plays from 2006 and 2007. Leslie Fanelli, Artistic Director of Theatre in Motion in New York City, conducted a workshop entitled, "Create your Own Monologue." The day's events featured sign language interpretation and Real Time captioning for Deaf and hearing impaired members of the audience. All events were a successful tribute to International Day of People with a DisABILITY.
Momentum’09 - International Disability Arts Symposium in New Zealand
Due to take place in Auckland, New Zealand during the Summer of 2009, Momentum ‘09 will deliver a four day Symposium in the world-wide calendar of Disability Arts festivals. It will be a melting pot of innovation, inspiration, aspiration and the very best in performance and visual arts by disabled artists and performers from around the world. Major partners in Momentum’09 include the International Guild of Disabled Artists and Performers (IGODAP) and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA). For more info go to www.diversityworks.co.nz/projects/momentum09
Call for Entries - International Documentary and Disability Festival
The “EMOTION PICTURES” Documentary and Disability: 2nd International Festival – Athens 2008” will take place in June 2008 in Athens, at the same time as the 3rd International Conference “People with Disabilities and Mass Media”. The Festival’s aim is to promote the further awareness, acceptance and integration of people with a disability and to encourage film-makers, disabled or not, to take an active interest in this area and address the widest possible public. The Festival features two sections - In Competition and Out of Competition. Participation deadline is 30 March 2008. For application forms and more info go to www.ameamedia.gr/en/fest-08/participation