As the year draws to a close, Accessible Arts is delighted to continue to promote the following news and opportunities to the arts and disability sector.

This month we say goodbye to Sarah Houbolt as Strategic Projects Manager at Accessible Arts. We thank Sarah for her many valuable contributions to arts and disability during her time with Accessible Arts, and look forward to continuing to work with her as an access and training consultant.

The Arts Activated 2016 conference transcripts are now available at the Arts Activated website. Images from the event have also been posted in an online public gallery at the conference website. 

A recent article in The Guardian newspaper examines Australia’s progress in encouraging, enabling and presenting disability-led performance. Reporter Steve Dowe attended the recent Arts Activated conference in Sydney, where he got comment from a number of performers and speakers. Read 'Disability and the 'new normal': why Australia needs to ramp up access to stage and screen' full article online here.

Sofya Gollan, our Deaf Arts Manager, has had her short film 'GIMPSEY' selected to screen in the Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival on 9 November. The entire voting process is done through audience score cards, so we would love to support Sofya by getting together a great crowd to help her film win. It should be a great night at the cinema! You can find out more information online at the Lift Off Film festival website.

The Artist with Disability Fellowship is offered by the State Government through Arts NSW, in collaboration with Accessible Arts, to enable a professional NSW artist with disability to undertake a self-directed program of professional development.

The Fellowship is open to artists working in any artform including dance, music, theatre, visual arts, writing, hybrid/interdisciplinary arts and screen content.

The information on this page is a guide only. Before you apply, please read the 2017 Artist with Disability Fellowship Guidelines for more comprehensive information, including special eligibility requirements and assessment criteria for this funding category. The Guidelines are available for download as PDF or Word on the Arts NSW website.

Applications open: 20 September 2016

Applications close: 19 December 2016 (5pm, AEST – Sydney time)

To be eligible to apply you must identify as a mid-career/established professional artist with disability; be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident; and be a NSW resident (which is defined as residing in NSW for at least 12 months prior to making your application).

Funding is available for activities commencing after May 2017, and the Fellowship recipient will be awarded $30,000.

Celebrate with leading not-for-profit Ability Options, the launch of Front Up, the first ever disability-led Arts and Cultural Hub opening in Seven Hills in Western Sydney.

Front Up will offer participants access to a multi-layered professional arts and cultural education, as well as linking with existing NSW Government education programs and services.

A series of three collaborative programs entitled Explore, Discover, and Emerge will be offered by Front Up, aiming to promote artistic vibrancy and social inclusion through inspiring interest in the arts and culture sector, and developing creative skill sets.

To celebrate the launch of this project, a special exhibition ‘I’m Still Here’ showcases the works from artists involved in the Emerge pilot program.

The 12-week creative process for the project first began with participants visiting three prominent exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW, and soaking inspiration from these works, including Manifesto by Julian Rosefeldt, Lot Lost by Eko Nugroho and the Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera Exhibition.

Led by Kay Armstrong, Artistic Director of the Emerge pilot program, ‘I’m Still Here’ has been a highly collaborative project.

“We found extraordinary resonances with each of the selected artists and the manifold social issues that their work embraces,” she commented.

I’m Still Here’ embraces three main themes; identity, visibility, and validation, which are all explored through interactive installations, sculptures, video, performance, live poetic narrative, and paintings.

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Those of you who knew and worked with Helen Connors, former Executive Officer of Accessible Arts, will be saddened by the news that she passed away recently.

During her time with Accessible Arts, she made her greatest professional contribution taking the organisation from its offices in Marrickville to new premises, and a new mainstream profile at the Wharf. She secured Peter Ross the former presenter of a very popular Sunday arts program on the ABC as patron of the organisation. It was this vision that Helen had for the arts and disability sector, which established the foundations of the philosophies, values and strategies embedded into contemporary arts and disability practice.

Helen initiated ways to engage with the Arts Sector including The Cigar Box exhibition, House Gang (a SBS television series) and collaborations with the Japanese National broadcaster NHK. She made a significant contribution to the Sydney 2000 Para Olympics arts program and made lasting links with other arts and disability organisations across Australia. Her work established the reputation of Accessible Arts as part of a national platform of arts and disability.

Don't miss two exciting access opportunities in regional Australia. Until 30 October you can visit Unfinished Business by Belinda Mason Photography at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. 30 stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability are made accessible by Conexu's app. 

Download your required access: Auslan video, audio with captions or audio description if you are blind or partially sighted. 

See 'The Archies' on tour! From 2 December Australia's most important portraiture prize The Archibald Prize exhibition from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, will be showing at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. 

See all 50 finalists and access the stories behind them from your smartphone or tablet; with Auslan video or audio with captions. This is a unique opportunity to access 'The Archies' and truly enjoy the social experience of an art tour with family and friends. Simply download OpenAccess Tours from the app store and select your access to view on your own device. Visit the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery online news for further information.

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