Performing Arts
Arts Access Australia works with major performing arts stakeholders including the Australian Performing Arts Centres Association (APACA), Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG), Live Performance Australia (LPA) and Touring Agencies to improve access to the performing arts by Australians with a disability in line with the objectives of the National Arts and Disability Strategy.Statistics
Statistics available through the Cultural Ministers Council (CMC) 2007 report Cultural Participation by Persons with a Disability and Older Persons indicate that both groups have significantly lower rates of cultural participation than the overall population. The report found that 25% of people with disabilities and 28% of older people attended theatres or concerts, compared with 32% of all Australians aged 15 or over. The CMC report also provides state and territory break down with specific figures for theatre and concert attendance.
Australia Council Research in 2010 (More than bums on seats: Australian participation in the arts) found that people with a serious illness or disability reported much lower levels of arts participation.
There is no Australian literature on the perceptions of people with disabilities who attend performing arts events.
In 1995 the Australia Council published an Arts and Disability report by Des Walsh and Juliet London that identified barriers to attendance at arts events including ticketing costs, transport and lack of information about access.
Australian Research
In response to the lack of baseline research into the Performing Arts sector and access the Australia Council for the Arts provided $50,000 in support for Arts Access Australia to initiate research and conduct a survey. The full research report and survey results can be found here:Access and Audience Development in Australia: Performing Arts Research Report (PDF)
Access and Audience Development in Australia: Performing Arts Research Report (Word document)
Key Findings
Responses to Arts Access Australia research were received from 134 organisations, including 25 of 28 (90%) Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG) members and 77 of 112 (70%) Australian Performing Arts Centres Association (APACA) members.
Key findings include:
* The vast majority of organisations are attracting some people with disabilities as audience members and have some access services available.
* The vast majority of organisations do not promote productions to people with disabilities or monitor their attendance.
* While organisations generally have a very low usage of existing access resources and organisations, this is combined with a very high desire to find out more about access.
* People with disabilities have a low level of employment in surveyed organisations, and even lower participation on Boards and management committees.
* Regional and smaller organisations are often better at including people with disabilities than their metropolitan counterparts.
Case Studies
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House has produced a well-designed Access Guide and dedicated web page including Access News, which clearly outlines access information to all venues and facilities for visitors. It also demonstrates the venue’s commitment to access using the international access symbols consistently.
For the Sydney Opera House, developing a strategic approach to disability has taken several years. Emphasis on policy, and increased consultation and market research with the disability sector, has produced tangible and successful outcomes. The Sydney Opera House demonstrates that there is much that can be done to improve access services while also working towards improving access to the building itself.
Click here to read more about the Sydney Opera House's accessibility.
Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra Theatre Centre provides a subscription series and provides work and entertainment to the people of Canberra and surrounding regions. Its accessible programs are provided for a wide range of age groups in the community, such as families, children and under-27s. Special information is also offered to social groups and schools, and the Centre works closely with the local community.
The Centre is also recognised by other theatre venues, peak disability services and companies nationally for its access initiatives. It has been successful in attracting sponsorship for its access services, and clearly promotes its access services on the website—along with international access symbols. Specific performances are also outlined, with details of the type of access service that is available, and when it is offered.
By providing these cultural facilities, the Centre provides an example of how an organisation can undertake programming that contributes to community building, working with cultural assets within the region and advancing community engagement.
The Centre’s subscription season has attracted corporate sponsorship from The Home Loan Centre to provide access initiatives including live captioning, audio description and priority seating. These, and other services offered, allow people who have not previously visited the Centre to enjoy its performances.
As David Whitney, former Canberra Theatre Centre manager and now Director of Arts ACT, commented: ‘The potential to reach audiences who before have been inaccessible is a very exciting prospect. We want to get the word out to those who have not been able to attend the theatre before: Canberra Theatre Centre is accessible’.
Click here to read more about the Canberra Theatre Centre's accessibility.
EASE Ticket Service, Victoria
The EASE ticket service, initially named Entertainment Access Service, was established by Arts Access in Victoria in 1987. At this time the major ticket agencies were becoming more automated and corporatised. Venue marketing rarely provides information about access or used alternate formats for information about programs, ticket prices and booking arrangements. These continuing problems will only be addressed when mainstream ticketing services take up the EASE model and when the presenters, producers and major ticket agencies take on their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. This has always been EASE’s long-term goal—to reach the point when there is no longer a need for a separate ticket service.
Click here for more about EASE.
Related work supported by Arts Access Australia includes:
Betty Siegel 2008 tour and LEAD conference
Arts Access Australia was a partner in the 2008 speaking tour of Australia by Betty Siegel, Director of Accessibility at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. Betty also coordinates the annual Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) conference for audience development specialists. For more information: click here.
NSW Accessing the Arts Group
Based on the LEAD model Accessible Arts NSW coordinates a group of arts professionals dedicated to improving access. For more information: click here.
NSW Access and Heritage
Accessible Arts NSW is leading a team investigating the relationship between access (disability discrimination) and heritage through both legal and practical research. For more information: click here.
Resources
Click here for audience development resource links.
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