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Welcome to our April 2016 newsletter.

In this month's news we are delighted to announce the release of our 2015 Annual Report to the sector. 2015 incorporated many highlights as our organisation continues to grow in stature and impact, as we continue to respond to the dynamic arts and disability landscapes.

The NSW Government this month unveiled its 2016/17 Arts and Cultural Program. Artists and arts and cultural organisations across NSW are invited to apply for a wide array of funding opportunities under the 2016/17 Arts and Cultural Development Program [ACDP]. Accessible Arts is impressed to see that arts and disability is a priority under the ACDP program. Download the PDF version of the program here.

'Pathways to Practice', Arts Activated 2016

Accessible Arts has now officially closed its call for papers, presentations or workshops to present at the 2016 Arts Activated conference, ‘Pathways to Practice’, 20 and 21 September at Carriageworks, Sydney Australia. If you missed this opportunity and feel you have a proposal that should be considered, please contact Sarah Houbolt, Conference Convenor, shoubolt@aarts.net.au to talk about possible options.

The conference will be seeking sponsorship, volunteers and facilitators in the coming months. Sponsorship is a great opportunity to advertise and promote your services and upcoming opportunities to the sector and to a new audience. The sponsorship prospectus will be released shortly.

Watch this space for the soon-to-be-released Early Bird ticket sales via Eventbrite! Early Bird tickets will be released by the end of April and will close on 1 July.

Welcome to Wagga Wagga’s first Supported Studio, The Art Factory

This year marks a big achievement for the Riverina creative community, in the establishment of Wagga Wagga’s first supported studio. There is a strong supported studio movement both nationally and internationally, and the creation of the Art Factory links our regional location to a bigger international conversation around arts and disability.

A supported studio is a sustained creative environment that fosters and supports the individual practice of visual artists with disability.

Every Tuesday during 2016, The Art Factory will run from Riverina Community College, a training facility specialising in providing quality education, training and community programs. The studio marks a new direction for the college, led by passionate arts and disability supporter and Program Co-ordinator, Leanne Dyer.

The studio features the artists Scott Lea, Kellie Hulm, Wayne Emerson, Layla Bayaco, Steven O’Hara, Dani Flory and Jacko Meyers from Wagga Wagga, Narrandera, Junee and Temora. In the studio, the artists are supported by local professional artists, Sarah McEwan, as the Artistic Manager and James Farley, as the Studio Supervisor.

The studio will offer a number of great opportunities for the artists during 2016, such as gallery visits, studio open days, an exhibition at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and an exhibition that will be presented at the Regional Arts Australia Conference, Artlands in Dubbo.

Follow the journey of the Art Factory artists on Facebook and Instagram, where each Tuesday they post about what is happening in the studio.

International placement opportunity with Unlimited in the UK

Unlimited, in partnership with the British Council, is offering a placement for a disabled person who is based outside of the UK and who is working or beginning to work as an arts producer, arts curator or arts administrator.

Unlimited is a programme which supports high quality, extraordinary art by disabled artists, delivered by Shape and Artsadmin, based in the United Kingdom.

The placement is for 10 weeks, approximately 6 weeks of which will be spent in the UK, including September 2016 at the Unlimited Festivals at Southbank Centre, London and Tramway, Glasgow.

This is a paid opportunity, with travel expenses, living expenses and costs for access covered.

Applicants must be able to communicate effectively in written and spoken English. Unlimited will support applicants with any access needs, please ask us any questions.

Deadline for applications is Monday 23^rd May 2016 deadline 12 noon GMT.

Interviews will take place via Skype on Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th June 2016.

Download the information pack here.

Download an application form here.

Donate to Accessible Arts

Roomies Arts Forum

‘My Art, My Way’ Forum: Practice, Promotion and Self-advocacy

This free one-day professional development forum for artists with disability, arts workers and representatives from relevant sector agencies presents an opportunity for artists and arts workers to meet other practicing artists with disability, learn how to promote your work, and share ideas about how to develop as an artist.

It aims to explore, discuss and develop recommendations to assist artists with disability to create networks and lead their own art making careers.

When: Tuesday 24 May 2016 – 9am to 4.30pm.

Where: Hazelhurst Gallery, 782 Kingsway, Gymea.

Access available as required and bookings essential.

For more information and registration, please visit the Roomies website.

Maitland Community Forum

Following on from the success of a similar forum in Port Stephens in April, Octapod is presenting a free forum on 9 May that will bring together the arts and disability communities of Maitland to discuss access and inclusion in the arts within the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The day aims to inspire individuals with and without disability and organisations from the arts and disability communities to support inclusive and accessible arts in Maitland.

This is an Auslan interpreted event.

When: Monday 9 May 2016.

Time: 10am-1pm (including light lunch). Registration from 9.30am.

Where: Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 230 High St Maitland.

Book online here

Featured Artist

Accessible Arts would like to acknowledge the life of Sydney artist John Demos and his recent passing.

A prolific worker, Demos chose surfaces such as paper, ceramics, wood and found materials, mapping these spaces with patterns, shapes and text.

His recurring motifs (such as shields and badges) and repetitive use of words create a strong rhythmic composition in his graphic works.

John exhibited extensively over several decades, with exhibitions held at The Cross Art Projects, Macquarie University Art Gallery, SCA Gallery University of Sydney, and Big Fag Press.

More about John and his work can be viewed online at this website.

Whether you are new to dance and theatre or a professional artist, our weekly workshops are a great way to explore arts practice.

Led by industry professionals, you will develop skills in devised dance and theatre methods, activate new forms of artistic expression. The weekly workshops are open to the community to explore improvised movement, develop dance skills, activate individual creativity and learn theatre exercises.

Who: Age 13+ to Adults | Beginners to Advanced

When: Tuesday nights | 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Where: Gumbramorra Hall, Addison Road Community Centre

Series One: 3 May – 21 June, 8 Workshops. Book online here.

Featured arts + disability videos

A video of the late John Demos during his Big Fag Press residency in 2013 as part of his Amplify your art grant. John Demos undertook professional development in offset print making processes, unique to the machines at Big Fag Press. Amplify your Art was an Arts NSW devolved funding stream administered by Accessible Arts in 2013 and 2014.

Screenshot of a woman's hand holding wet clay on a potters wheel

Alison Winchester was an Accessible Arts 2015 Small Grant Recipient. Alison’s project includes a concentrated period of artistic training, professional development and mentoring to fully explore the possibilities of her art at the Hazlehurst Regional Art Gallery. The project will be a legacy for future participants with an acquired brain injury.

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Accessible Arts is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW and Family and Community Services.