Arts Access Australia mourns the loss of Chair Dr Paul Collier who died, aged 46, in Adelaide on Tuesday night 9 March 2010 following a brain haemorrhage at his home last weekend. Paul became Chair of Arts Access Australia in 2007 following a Board restructure to ensure the national arts and disability organisation was disability led and highly skilled. Paul fitted the bill on both counts, with his Oxford Phd and previous advisory roles for the ABC and federal Minister for Disability, and made an immediate and positive impact managing the transition from the old to the new structure. Paul was returned as Chair twice and unanimously by his fellow Board members. Under Paul's leadership Arts Access Australia had a significant impact on public policy with the October 2009 release of a National Arts and Disability Strategy by the Cultural Ministers Council setting the vision and direction for arts and disability over the next three years and beyond. Arts Access Australia supported Paul's entry into the South Australian Governor's Leadership Program and knew he had a great many things left to achieve at the time of his death. Paul will be remembered for his passionate advocacy, expertise and good humour. He will be missed and our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.
Spotlight
The magic of marionettes
Developed by Deaf circus performer turned puppeteer Asphyxia, The Grimstones is a gothic fairytale featuring intricate old-world marionettes, giant books and sign language. The show is set to enchant audiences at the Adelaide Fringe Festival (19 February - 14 March, 2010).
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Steven goes solo
In his first solo show, Steven Azjenberg's exhibition of work inspired by Picasso is being held at Arts Project Australia (4 February-13 March, 2010) in Melbourne. Steven also won acclaim for his short animation at Picture This..,a disability film festival held in Calgary, Cananda.
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New show: Trickster's Cabinet of Wonders
At the age of 28, Brad Nunn experienced a brain haemorrhage which left him physically and neurologically ‘damaged'. As a sculptor, his work explores how the prostheses is used to empower the disabled body. His latest exhibition at the University of Southern Queensland is The Trickster's Cabinet of Wonders. (22 Feb - 17 Mar, 2010)
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David Forbes selected for VSA Exhibition
Born in San Francisco, sculptor David Forbes is the only Australian based artist selected to participate in VSA Art's Revealing Culture, an international juried exhibition featuring artists with a disability held in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Gallery (June 2010). Here David delves into his preoccupation with light and how is artistic process has evolved since the being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease a decade ago.
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Mixing it up for the masses
Spinning discs and mixing wicked beats is what Australia's leading DJ with a disability is known for. DJ Vinnie, who hails from Geelong and has cerebal palsy, has been a regular on the dance scene for over 15 years, gigging to sell out crowds across the country.
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Highlights
Australia's first audio described outdoor spectacular!
The 2010 Adelaide Festival hosts the first Australian outdoor spectacular to be audio described.
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Newcastle exhibition showcase
Throughout 2009, over 100 people with disability participated in art workshops at Newcastle Community Art Centre through a program called Art from the Heart. The result is an exhibition at the Newcastle Art Centre, 24 February - 14 March, 2010.
Protesters take to the cinemas
Protesters of all ages gave a full show of support for Action on Cinema Access' campaign with demonstrations outside cinema's across Australia on Saturday morning, February 13. The protests are in response to Village Roadshow, Greater Union, Hoyts and Reading cinemas recent application for exemption from the Disability Discrimination Act for two and a half years.
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Food Court plays Adelaide Festival
The Adelaide Festival presents Australia's leading disability theatre company, Back to Back and its production of Food Court (March 3-6, 2010)
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Access to the Arts for Tasmanians with disability
Arts Access Australia congratulates the Tasmanian Government on the allocation of $250,000 in funding for arts and disability as a long overdue first step towards achieving social inclusion in the arts for Tasmanians with a disability. Arts Access Australia also congratulates those companies named as receiving funds and looks forward to supporting their work.
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Opportunities
Sculpture Studio offers scholarships to artists with disability
Accessible Arts, Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School and Pine Street Creative Arts Centre are developing scholarship positions for artists with disability. Based in Sydney, Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School is the oldest and largest independent sculpture school in Australia.
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Synapse call for aplications
The Australian Network for Art & Technology (ANAT) is calling for applications from creative practitioners and science and research organisations for the 2010 Synapse Residency program.
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Arts Activated draws closer!
Registrations are still open for Accessible Arts' Arts-Activated Conference at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney over 25-26 March 2010. A range of national and international speakers from the arts and disability sectors will come together to explore the themes of Arts - Access - Excellence through a series of workshops, panels and performances. Hurry!
Registrations close March 15.
Mad Pride exhibition and talent show
Mad Pride celebrates the creative potential of young people and break down the stigmas associated with mental health experiences. This year's theme is Mad as Art and has already attracted over 50 entries into the Visual Art component, a swagger of films and an extraordinarily diverse group of performers for the Talent Contest. The event will be held at Fraser Studios in Chippendale, February 12th.
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Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust: Applications open
The Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust (RLADT) fund is a partnership between Arts SA and the Department for Families and Communities. It was established to support projects and initiatives that develop and celebrate the creative and artistic aspirations of people with disabilities in South Australia. Applications are open until March 31, 2010.
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