Training Services
Accessible Arts is a leading disability, access and inclusion training provider for the Arts and Culture sector.
Our specialised workshops are designed for arts and cultural organisations, festivals, venues, not-for-profit organisations and government agencies. Each year we train up to 1000 people, from large organisations and venues to local government teams and small independent operators, to connect with and support the 1 in 5 Australians who identify as living with disability or who are d/Deaf. Our training is:
- Arts Specific: We’re experts in arts, culture and disability with over 35 years experience in helping organisations improve their accessibility, so we understand the challenges and opportunities arts organisations encounter.
- Disability-Led: Our trainers have lived experience of disability. It makes a world of difference.
- Cost Effective: We understand the budget constraints under which many arts organisations operate and ensure our prices are the most competitive in the market.
Disability Confidence Training
Designed for arts, culture and events workers, this introductory workshop is all about helping you and your team improve how you connect with and support people with disability or who are d/Deaf. Discover practical solutions for making your organisation disability confident with this disability-led training course delivered by arts experts.
Upcoming session:
Thursday 13th February 1 – 2.30pm 2025
NEW – Creative Access
Designed for creative practitioners and commissioning arts organisations, this training explores embedding access and inclusion into new creative work through traditional and technological access solutions, providing examples of successful national and international works. This exciting new course is designed to help think beyond traditional models where access is added-on to existing work and consider how to creatively engage diverse audiences in a meaningful way.
Upcoming sessions:
Thursday 21st November 1 – 3pm 2024
Thursday 5th June 1 – 3pm 2025
NEW – Access Riders for Organisations
Working with people with disability requires understanding of varying access requirements and knowledge on how to implement reasonable adjustments. This training session will cover legislation, access riders, reasonable adjustments, funding, access responsibilities and recruitment processes. Through practical examples, tips and tricks, we’ll help your organisation to confidently identify and remove access barriers in order to create an inclusive workplace which benefits everyone.
Upcoming session:
Thursday 8th May 1 – 2.30pm 2025
NEW – Access Rider Workshop for Artists and Arts Workers
Access Riders are a useful document for communicating access requirements to employers and contracting organisations. This workshop provides a practical overview of how to write one, what to ask for and the kind of language to use. Delivered by creative industry professionals and advocacy experts with disability, the session covers understanding disability models, the rights of people with disability or who are d/Deaf, Self-Advocacy, Access Rider examples and reasonable workplace adjustments.
To book a private training session for your organisation, email Michelle Teear at training@aarts.net.au
Accessible Festivals and Events
Designed for Festival and Event Organisers, this course outlines achievable and effective ways to help ensure your team is prepared and confident to cater for everyone. Covering everything from planning and programming to ticketing and inclusive recruitment, this workshop has been designed by arts experts and festival-goers with lived experience of disability.
Upcoming session:
Monday 5th May 2 – 4pm 2025
Accessible Exhibition Design
There’s so much to consider when planning, curating and delivering an exhibition, and with 1 in 5 Australians identifying as a person with disability, accessibility is a key component. In this expert workshop, we’ll cover everything from budgeting and consultation to programming and experimentation. Accessible exhibition design is not only achievable – it’s essential!
Upcoming session:
Thursday 10th April 1 – 3pm 2025
Updated – Accessible Marketing Workshop
This new online workshop – delivered by media accessibility trainer Bec Hogan – has been developed to specially address the needs of marketing and communications workers in the arts, culture and events sectors so they can improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of their relevant digital communications.
Upcoming sessions:
Monday 17th March 12.30 – 2pm 2025
How to be a Good Ally
Disability confidence starts with awareness. As disability education and advocacy experts, we have designed this new workshop to support businesses and organisations to be a good ally to the 1 in 5 Australians with disability or who are d/Deaf. Covering topics from unconscious bias and ableism to the top issues facing disabled artists, this insightful workshop will improve your understanding of disability and provide a comfortable space to ask questions.
To book a private training session for your organisation, email Michelle Teear at training@aarts.net.au
Cost: Public Workshops
Access
Online Workshops
All our workshops are currently being delivered online using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Zoom is an easy to use, reliable and free cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops and telephones. After signing up for our workshop, you’ll receive an email from us inviting you to a Zoom meeting on the date of the workshop. On the day of the workshop, all you have to do is click on the relevant link in the invitation, follow the prompts and you’ll be part of the workshop.
Screen view of 20 participants during an online training session.
Private Sessions
We can design, create and deliver private in-house training for your organisation at any time. The workshop can be conducted online, at a venue of your choice in Sydney or regionally, or at our offices at The Rocks in Sydney. Get in touch and we’ll get you sorted!
Sydney Film festival staff at a training session at our office in The Rocks
Testimonials
“The training was highly engaging and very informative. The trainers created a relaxed, safe space (and they were) clearly knowledgeable about the creative arts sector and how to build disability confidence and knowledge amongst diverse teams. We appreciated their very practical suggestions for challenging and improving common barriers across physical sites information formatting communication delivery of services and programming.”
“I love that the training is done by people with disability. The first-person perspective is invaluable.”
“Sydney Festival has utilised the services of Accessible Arts for annual staff Disability Awareness Training since 2011. Sydney Festival has a large audience, many of whom have accessibility requirements, and we have prioritised training for our staff across all departments so that everyone is provided with a greater awareness of what disability is, and given skills and tools to be able to confidently use the right language and understand the value of inclusivity. Accessible Arts have always ensured that someone with lived experience has run the training sessions, which we value highly. Their courses are developed and run by arts experts, geared towards the industry, all of whom have been happy to chat through any questions our staff may have. Sydney Festival staff have always come out of the training with creative solutions to problems they previously didn’t know existed!”
“The training was engaging and helped our company learn more ways to improve and expand accessibility, both within our team and with what our festival offers to the community.”
“A fabulous session which has made being disability confident much more achievable! Thank you so much – really appreciate your expertise.”
“Thank you for providing this session. I am determined now to make some important changes within my organisation.”
“The training really opened our eyes to how we can improve in areas we didn’t even realise needed improving. Thank you!”
More Info
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at info@aarts.net.au or call 02 9251 6499.
Accessible Arts is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
ENDS
Image Description: A group of 20 people standing and smiling at the camera at Bundanon on-site staff training.
