AAV Flashbacks

We are sharing AAV memories this year. So join us in discovering our history. And how AAV fits into the wider arts and disability sector.

We will be updating this page throughout the year with new sections of history.

Please be aware: some language is outdated. We are not censoring these documents to show our history. Changes in language and concepts of Disability have changed throughout time. What we once thought of Disability is different today and will be different in the future.

A New Millennium (early- mid 2000s)

The new millenium brought a fresh focus on the future. AAV was in a new building and redesigned the website. This included an online artists’ register.

The Paralympics Arts Festival as part of Sydney 2000 provided many opportunities for local artists.

In 2001, Melbourne held a Centenary of Federation festival. AAV presented ArtAbility as part of the festival parade. Over 150 performers strutted their stuff through Melbourne’s CBD.
The Deaf Arts Network (DAN) started in 2001 with support from Arts Access Victoria.

Art Day West moved to Footscray Community Arts Centre, as part of Artlife.

Get Out! Studio was born from demand for new programs in the Frankston- Peninsula region. Way Out West (WOW) in St Albans also started.

A long running partnership with Breast Screen Victoria continued with wonderful results. A program with the Victorian Aboriginal Women’s Health Service created sculptural works and a poster. Community arts workshops promoting women’s wellbeing ran across Melbourne over these years.

Audio description was available for some local theatre performances since 1991. In 2001 Audio description reached a milestone with the first local TV production to be audio described. Channel 9’s Water Rats was broadcast on TV and audio described on RPH Radio.

The world came to us in 2002 with the 13th Inclusion International World Congress at Melbourne Convention Centre. Arts Access Victoria hosted 1500 delegates and showed the work of 200 Victorian artists.

The Sheep’s Back started in 2003. This regional arts project involved hundreds of Disabled artists and their networks. It ran for three years across Victoria.

The Other Film Festival (TOFF) launched to great acclaim. It held Australia’s first International Disability Film Festival at Melbourne Museum in December 2004. Oscar-winning filmmaker Adam Elliot was the festival patron.

In 2005, AAV received multi-year funding for the first time from Arts Victoria (now known as Creative Victoria). AAV was definitely here to stay!