Sabina Knox | Arts Access Victoria

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Create characters, build sculptures, design your own cards and learn new ways to perform! We will be running 4 workshops at the end of May for young Deaf and Disabled people. All workshops are free. This is a safe space for making art, socialising and creating community with your peers.

Maker Space is open to young Deaf and Disabled people aged 18 – 25 no matter your skill level. So if you have been making art all your life or want to give it a go these workshops are for you! This is a safe space for making art, socialising and creating community with your peers.

Booking

You can book your spot online, or by contacting us.

Click here to book your spot online.

When

Shape It Up: Sculpt with Paperpulp

Wednesday 21 May, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Characters Come to Life: Get a +5 bonus to character creation

Wednesday 28 May, 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Lucky Fortunes: Draw your own card

Saturday 31 May, 10 am – 12 pm

Move Like Me: Play with Performance

Saturday 31 May, 12:30 pm – 2 pm

Where

Meeting room 1, St Albans Community Centre, 33 Princess Street, St Albans Brimbank.

Learn more about each workshop

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like to book your spot via the phone or email, please contact Arty Owens (Coordinator/ Creative Producer)

Direct Phone: 03 8640 6016 (voice only)

Email: Aowens@artsaccess.com.au

AAV Reception: 03 9699 8299 (voice only)/ 0401 224 864 (text or voice)

If you would like to know more about our other arts programs, please email artsservices@artsaccess.com.au or call reception.

Maker Space – Brimbank is proudly supported by Brimbank City Council

Brimbank City Council logo

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Join us at the St Kilda Film Festival for the 6th annual Into the Limelight screening.

The screening will be followed up by a Q & A with our actors, who mostly live in supported accommodation for those with Schizophrenia at the Haven South Yarra. There will be a free after party with refreshment and food on the rooftop after the screening.

Joke: I just finished reading a book about the history of glue but I couldn’t put it down.

Where: JMC Music Academy, 208 Park Street, South Melbourne.

When: Saturday 7 June 2025.

Screening event: The Big Picture Filmmaker Development Day – Into the Limelight/ Place for Every Story in Short Films

Into the Limelight has been screened at the prestigious St Kilda Film Festival since 2017. Pasts screenings have been comedy shorts featuring Deaf and Disabled people with actors dressed in clown costumes, gorilla suits, and as Melbourne Supreme court magistrates, curly wigs and all. In 2023 Into the Limelight screened their documentary short called Schizophrenia Calling, about the creativity of people diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

Many past Into the Limlight actors started with no acting or film experience. They have enjoyed being able to take part in and learning about the film making process alongside industry professionals, such as film crews, make-up artists and costume designers.

Into the Limelight 20 Jokes (for mental health) Proudly supported by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund and Auspiced by Arts Access Victoria.

Proudly supported by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund.

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NDIS participants can continue to access music and art therapy through their current arrangements during the review process. No changes have been made to Art and Music Therapy pricing so far.

Learn more on the NDIS website.

Everyone has a right to cultural participation under two important documents, check out our Plan for Art | Arts Access Victoria.

At AAV our vision is for cultural equity for Deaf and disabled people. We support artists, artsworkers and audiences to fully participate in arts and culture. AAV does not work in the art and music therapy space, but we value the evidence based work of those who do and advocate for further consideration into this important aspect of the NDIS. Please check out Kate Dempsey, CEO of the Aust, NZ and Asia Arts Therapy Association Press release.

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Saint Ergo has received the 2024 Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award! The award is part of the Music Victoria Awards held every year to celebrate Victorian musicians.

The nominees for this year’s award included Among the Restless, Magdalia, Naavikaran, R.em.edy and Saint Ergo.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

This is the fourth year of the Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award. The award runs in partnership with Music Victoria.

Check out Saint Ergo Website for links to her music, social media and more.

Saint Ergo is a cinematic modern-contemporary music project led by Joanna, blending R&B with baroque pop. The self-composed and produced music explores themes of gender, sexuality, power imbalance, and human emotion. Saint Ergo’s songs embody deep lyricism and emotional depth, creating a unique and impactful sonic experience.

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Do you want to help create a better future for Deaf and Disabled people? Then you should sign up for Transmit Futures!

What is Transmit Futures?

Transmit Futures is weekly performing arts workshops from 12 April to 7 June. They will run on Fridays, 1 – 4 pm at Temperance Hall. The workshops are an artistic development that will lead to a public performance on 14 June 2024. Multi-award-winning performer, Andi Snelling will facilitate all workshops.

The workshop will focus on the themes of:

Climate Change and its impact on Deaf and Disable people.
What we can do to make the future better and more equitable place.

Transmit Futures is open to emerging Deaf and Disabled artists. There are 8 spots available.

One of the aims of the workshop is to form an ensemble that can present the project in the future, including Alter State 2024.

Expression of Interest workshop

We are running an open-to-all Expression of Interest (EOI) workshop, 27 March. During the day, you will work with each other and try out different performance activities. We will then invite eight artists to be a part of the workshop series.

When: Wednesday 27 March, 10am-1pm

Where: Temperance Hall, 199 Napier Street, South Melbourne

Access: Temperance Hall is fully accessible with accessible bathroom. We will work with you to make sure your access needs are covered.

Applications have now closed.

This project is supported by the City of Port Phillip.

Proudly supported by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund.

Transmit Warehouse Residency, 2023. Photo by Kate Disher-Quill

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To celebrate we will be going back in time through our archives! Join us throughout the year as we highlight major events and projects from our past. We will be sharing everything on our website, social media and eNews. We will be sharing past outcomes, artworks, photos, promo material, publications, newspaper clippings and so much more.

Here is a sneak peek of what we will be sharing over the year.

Our very first Pamphlet! (the image is a cleaned-up scan of the front and back cover)

Arts Acces Victiras first-ever pamphlet. two hands are entering the paper. with text: Arts Access Society and address

We can’t wait to discover and share our history with you! And how AAV fits into the wider arts and disability sector.

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.

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“It’s been a thrilling six years at AAV. As CEO I have had the honour and privilege to represent and advocate for Deaf and Disabled artists and arts workers. I’ve taken people’s stories and wisdom with me wherever I’ve been. This has led to new conversations, incredible opportunities and major achievements for AAV. “ – Caroline Bowditch, CEO and Artistic Director or Arts Access Victoria.

“AAV, celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2024, has matured, expanded, and exploded over the past six years under Caroline’s leadership. We are excited to build the next generation of disability leadership. We are eager to welcome a successor to keep advocating for industry change and championing all Deaf and Disabled artists. It’s a daring and ambitious program to realise, supported by an exceptional team of industry leaders. We look forward to meeting you!” – Nic Vogelpoel, Chair of Arts Access Victoria.

Are you a Deaf and/or Disabled leader? Do you believe in Cultural Equity for all Deaf and disabled people? Are you interested in leading Victoria’s peak body for Arts and Disability?

If you answered yes, AAV would love you to apply to be their next CEO.

Fantastic opportunity leading Victoria’s leading disability arts not-for-profit
Flexible working conditions, great terms and wonderful organisational culture
Remuneration for the position is $120,000- $130,000 (1.0 EFT) per annum plus generous salary packaging, and superannuation and.

To apply Download the Recruitment Package [PDF 2 MB]

Applications close Monday 4 March 2024 at 5 pm.

Visit the Chief Executive Officer Recruitment page

For more info contact Nic Vogelpoel, (Chair, Arts Access Victoria)

Email: Board@artsaccess.com.au

Phone: 0452 216 451 (text or voice)

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Katie Dey has received the 2023 Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award!

The award is part of the Music Victoria Awards held every year to celebrate Victorian musicians.

The nominees for this year’s award included Artemis Muñoz, BATTS, Jimmy from Thornbury, Katie Dey and Mathilde Anne.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

This is the third year of the Arts Access Victoria Amplify Award. The award runs in partnership with Music Victoria.

Check out Katie Dey’s linktr.ee for links to her mucis, social media and more.

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Sophie Smyth received her award at this year’s TOFF Red Carpet. Sophie told us

“I’m honoured to join a long, distinguished line of disability leaders and it’s a responsibility I do not take lightly. I heard recently that being an artist is about being in conversation with all the artists who came before you, and I think that’s even more true about being a disabled artist, and advocate, and human. I am only here because others made space for me. I stand on their shoulders and hope to do them proud in our continued fight through my art and advocacy.”

Sophie Smyth creates mostly autobiographical work. Her work balances precariously on the knife-edge of comedy and tragedy, where light and dark are codependent. She welds that knife to challenge assumptions and confront ableism, and is not afraid to. She is passionate about disability access and inclusion, authentic representation, and making you laugh.

Sophie’s current work includes:

Screenwriting Unloveable: a half-hour comedy-drama for television about her experiences dating while autistic. Unloveable is developed with funding from Screen Australia.
Musical theatre work currently untitled: a musical about a young artist’s confusing quest to find her own narrative. the musical is developed with funding from Creative Victoria.

Sophie’s past works and awards include:

Awards: Green Room Award for Best Writing in a Cabaret (for The Aspie Hour); Australian Writer’s Guild’s Monte Miller Award runner-up, CineStory’s TV Retreat & Fellowship Contest second runner-up and Sartor Underrepresented Voices TV Scholarship winner, Austin Film Festival Second Rounder (for Unloveable); Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission finalist.
Theatre highlights: Robot Song (Arena Theatre Company, national tours).
Notable labs/associations: Australians in Film Untapped development lab; Arts Access Victoria TRANSMIT residency; Antipodes Theatre Company’s Winter Lab as Lead Artist.

We can’t wait to continue following Sophie’s career!