About the Speakers

Uncle Paul Calcott – Artist

Uncle Paul Calcott is proud Wiradjuri man recognized as a Community Elder with Murri Court on the Sunshine Coast with 40 years experience in working in disabilities, who also sits on a number of advisory boards and is a renowned Australian artist. Uncle Paul has lived with a degenerative disability after he contracted polio when he was 18 months old. A long-time advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, and a member of the LGBTI community Uncle Paul is passionate about supporting Australia’s First Peoples living with disability who are LGBTI. He advocates for more culturally appropriate programs for people with disability and facilitates a local art group of First Peoples artists living with disability using traditional art and storytelling to raise awareness around issues such as health, social isolation, economic participation and resilience building.

Eliza Hull – Musician, Writer & Disability Advocate

Having established herself as one of Australia’s most striking songwriters of recent years, Eliza Hull has proven the longevity of her music, and continued evolution with the release of her recent EP ‘Here They Come’ which sees Hull work with ARIA Award-winning producer Pip Norman (Baker Boy, Missy Higgins) and feature co-writes with artists Gordi and Odette.

The first single ‘Running Underwater’ was first performed by Hull during a powerful appearance on ABC’s Q&A. It’s the first song Hull has written about having a disability. The music video features dancer roya the destroya and sparked conversations about the lack of representation of disability in the music industry. The song was featured in Double J’s Best New Music. As a musician and advocate, she’s spoken at SXSW Sydney, and performed on BIGSOUND, The Women in Music Awards, the BBC (U.K.) and the ABC.

An award-winning artist (Music Victoria Awards, AWME Women in Music Award), Eliza has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Ability Fest, NYE On the Hill, Hamer Hall, BIGSOUND, Malthouse Theatre, and the Melbourne Recital Centre. She recently supported artists Maple Glider, Dan Sultan, Jen Cloher, Clare Bowditch and Sarah Blasko. She is currently writing music for a UK Feature film, and has reimagined Silverchair’s ‘Tomorrow’ for TV show ‘Playing Gracie Darling’.

Sarah-Mace Dennis – National Director, Arts and Disability Network Australia (ADNA)

Arts and Disability Network Australia (ADNA) is Australia’s national gateway for arts and disability culture. Combining the knowledge of seven arts and disability organisations from across the nation, the consortium is one of the delivery partners leading initiatives and improving access and inclusion across creative industries and workplaces, as part of the Australian Government’s Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan.

Sarah-Mace Dennis is National Director of ADNA. An interdisciplinary creative leader, she brings two decades of experience working internationally across the arts, education, screen and community engagement sectors. Her leadership approach is informed by her lived experience of traumatic brain injury, and her ongoing creative research into the relationship between perception, language, and identity. As National Director, Sarah is working collaboratively with ADNA to listen to and respond to d/Deaf and disabled artists and arts workers depth of experience, creative knowledge and interests. Together, they will draw on their communities’ insights to inform the development of disability-led, allied and inclusive culture across the country.

Liz Martin (MC) – CEO, Accessible Arts

With over 25 years of experience in the arts and disability sectors, Liz is a leading expert in disability-related access and inclusion, an award-winning musician, and a passionate advocate for authentically representative, diverse, and accessible arts and cultural sectors.

Currently, Liz serves as CEO of Accessible Arts NSW and sits on the Create NSW Community and Cultural Development Board and the Sydney Festival Access Committee. She has previously held leadership roles, including Deputy Chair of Arts Access Australia and member of Create NSW’s Contemporary Music Board.

In addition to her advocacy work, Liz is an accomplished musician, having released six albums, collaborated widely, and performed at prestigious venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Hall, and various major festivals.

Accessible Arts is proudly supported by Create NSW and this Hybrid Event has been made possible with support from the City of Sydney, Sydney Opera House and Livecrowd.

ENDS

Image description: A photo taken from the back of a room, featuring an audience watching an Auslan interpreted and captioned panel discussion. On stage (left to right): MC Liz Martin, panelists Eliza Hull, Sarah-Mace Dennis and Uncle Paul Calcott, and an Auslan interpreter. Photo by Rob Studdert.