Accessible Arts is committed to advancing opportunities for people with disability or who are d/Deaf to develop and sustain professional careers in the arts.

Arts practitioners with disability or who are d/Deaf are encouraged to apply for the below positions and opportunities. The organisations listed have demonstrated a commitment to provide access where possible.

National Arts and Disability Awards Nominations – Creative Australia

The Creative Australia National Arts and Disability Awards celebrate the work and achievements of d/Deaf artists and artists with disability. The Awards acknowledge the contribution these artists have made to the creative arts and cultural life of the nation.

• The National Arts and Disability Award (Established) celebrates the achievements of an established Australian artist whose outstanding and sustained contribution to their chosen field of arts practice over many years has been recognised nationally or internationally. The recipient of this award will receive $50,000.
• The National Arts and Disability Award (Early Career) recognises an Australian artist early in their practice who has made an outstanding contribution to their chosen field of practice. The recipients of this award will receive $20,000.

Nominations close Tuesday 8 July 2025.

Arts and Disability Initiative – Creative Australia

Artists with disability or who are d/Deaf can apply for funding to develop a new work, or to build your practice, skills and networks. The amount you can apply for is fixed at $30,000. You can also apply for up to $3,000 additional funding to support your access costs.

Only individuals may apply to this initiative. If you are part of an unincorporated group, an individual can apply on behalf of the group. Applications will be assessed by peers from the arts sector.  Most of the assessors will identify as d/Deaf or disabled.

Applications close Tuesday 8 July 2025.

ABC is looking for storytellers for International Day of People with Disability

A series of factual stories and content will be commissioned by the ABC to be published and broadcast across ABC platforms in December 2025. They are calling on content makers with disability to produce stories covering a range of important topics, for example, from the intersection of disability and religion to how people in regional Australia are advocating for change within the disability sector.

While ABC highly value stories that highlight lived experience, they encourage content makers to also explore a diverse range of topics that reflect your interests. ABC are particularly interested in hearing from First Nations, regionally based, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTQ+ content creators. All content makers involved in the program will be paid for their work.

Applications close Tuesday 1 July. Click here for details and to apply.

National Young Writers’ Festival – Regional Advisory Group

The National Young Writers’ Festival are seeking six artists and writers from regional NSW to form an advisory group.

The purpose of the group is to ensure voices from regional NSW are heard and reflected in festival decisions and are seeking to foster lasting relationships between the festival and regional literary communities. By bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, the NYWF Regional Advisory Group will help shape inclusive programming, deepen regional connections, and build a more representative and accessible future for the National Young Writers’ Festival.

Advisory roles will be paid a contribution fee. People with disability are encouraged to apply. Expressions of interest close Monday 30 June 2025.

d/Deaf Director / Dramaturg Opportunity (Profit Share Venture)

Playwright Anna Notley is seeking EOIs from d/Deaf creatives keen to join their team as a Director / Dramaturg for a production of The Humming of My Blood, a unique theatrical retelling of the birth of Nicaraguan Sign Language. Join producer Melissa Jones, movement director Fernando de Miguel Fuertes and playwright Anna Notley to help shape our applications this year to the Griffin Lookout program and the Old Fitz New Works Festival and grant funding bodies, with a view to staging a full production in Sydney in 2026 on a profit-share basis.

Please contact notleynotes@gmail.com if you are interested in this opportunity. EOIs close 15 August.