The Meeting Place Journey

I was privileged to receive a travel grant to attend Meeting Place 2019.  This is where those engaged in the arts and disabilities sector, gather to talk on the land of The First Australians.  During the gathering of 'our mob' we focused on disability leadership, identity and pride. 

Leadership is not dependent on being in a leadership position and is usually identified by others in your community.  We explored the qualities of a leader and endeavoured to identify them. 

• Passion
• Respect
• Good Community involvement
• Collaboration skills
• Effective listening

And others were identified.  We looked at disability leadership and why it is vital to shaping our future in the arts.  We recognised there was much we could learn from 'The First Australians' and their leadership models.  How to build leaders who identify as disabled or leaders with disability was an important discussion had during the Meeting Place.

Meeting Place travel grant recipients 

 vow to continue the conversation.

Our leadership development in the disability and arts was closely linked to identifying as having a disability, being disabled or deaf. Again in the arts and disability culture there is a change in the language being used.  The terms around the 'disabled' and 'deaf' vary from state to state.  A shift in language is vital as we come to terms with both our individual and collective identity.  In the same way Our First Peoples have evolved their identity and pride.

To shake the negativity, shame and dis-empowerment of being disabled, we need to claim it as our identity to grow strong leadership.  To see a shift in perspectives and equality we need an identification that shouts pride and strength, ensuring we are paid equal pay and are given the recognition we deserve.  We have moved from passive participation to activism, just as Our First Australians have done.

Stella Young (comedian) was identified as a leader on whom we can draw from.  Stella often referred to 'disability pawn'.  Being patted on the back for living a life identical to our peers.  She would argue that getting out of bed to go to work each day makes us leaders not inspirational.  Taking to the stage or gallery floor should make us equals.  We are growing tired of demanding a real presence, in the art world.  

Just as identity is crucial to leadership, so is pride in our identity of being disabled vital to claiming our collective identity.  Individual artists still struggle with whether or not to identity as having a disability. As someone living with a very visible disability I often feel I don't have a choice not to identify.  My leadership is about pride and working in the mainstream arts community.

 I am proud to shine as an artist living with disability, but I do not want the label of disabled artist. 

My pride is in presenting my best work at all times and producing competitive projects and artwork.  I am proud to sell my art in the same galleries as other artists. I still struggle with my own identity and this for me is reflective in the urgent need to not only empower disabled and deaf artists but all people with disabilities.

I still witness visual artists with disabilities not being paid for their work under the banner of 'participation in the community' or 'art for well being'.  It is time to recognise the 'work' of many 'participants' accessing respite and day activity centers.  All work belongs to the creator.  Art supplies are paid for by grants, fundraising or fees paid to the service providers. The excuse about artwork being sold to buy new art supplies, is exploitative.

Few visual artists in Queensland are encouraged to exhibit in mainstream galleries and competitions.  This is the way we artists earn an income and gain recognition in the industry. To actively  defend the right to protect disabled artists from failure is a denial of choice and a chance to succeed.  These decisions are often made by non artists, who know little of the value of the artwork produced in their studios.

Even I as an independent artist have been question about my choice to make in roads into the Brisbane market. My choices are made to further my career, increase my audience and potential income. Generally speaking currently my work sells better in Brisbane. I am not going to let the values of those who choose to disable themselves create barriers for my own work.  My personal growth as an artist and leadership opportunities are dependent on working outside the 'box' that society has determined.  My pride tells me I can be so much more than the limits of 'these boxes'.

The conversation in Queensland is very different to the dialogue occurring at national and international levels.  We are still debating the value of art produced by disabled artists and whether to allow them to take a risk of being rejected and failing.  Australian artist and curator Dan Savage brought an international exhibition called F.L.U.X to coincide with the Meeting Place.  All international artists in the exhibition identify as being disabled or deaf. This language is reflective of the inclusive nature of the UK arts sector and is vital for artists with disability in Australia to claim our identity.

My own agenda for attending the Meeting Place was to experience best practise in making my art practise inclusive of all Ipswich residents and to lead by example. Dan Savage lead a conversation around using technology to increase both artistic value and access to exhibitions. I was privileged to share the floor with Dan and other emerging artists on a panel to discuss the journeys of our art practises. I am keen to use Dan as a reference point as I work on my 2020 exhibition.

In my own art practise I too lag behind the national conversation, and this is often reflected in regional arts. In attending the Meeting Place I have found, 'my mob' and made key links to artists with a Brisbane based practise.  So I will be making even more trips to Brisbane in 2020.  I have never been one to limit my opportunities and failure is just part of life and an opportunity to learn from my mistakes.

"Exhibiting outside Ipswich is an important leadership move . . ."
The current exhibition 'Art goes Pop!'
 Hosted by Arts From The Margins was partly inspired
 by my own work.  Pop art isn't an easy style to master but printmaking lends itself to pop art so well."
The exhibition runs to January 17 2020.

To assist with the development of leaders in the disability arts sector the Australian Council for the Arts hosted the first Disability Arts Awards and Access Arts Australia announced its first leadership awards.  These are the leaders and emerging leaders in the disability lead arts sector.

Our conversation over the next 12 months will focus on how to nurture our future leaders and what language will enable us to proudly claim our identity as artists who are deaf or living with disability.  

Note: The deaf community identifies as its own community alongside a community identifying with disabilities.  The development of their own culture and language stands them apart from others found in 'our mob'.

I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and elders past, present and emerging and I look forward to learning more from your culture in building my own disability pride.  

Thank you to the Ipswich City Council through your partnership with Arts Queensland for investing in my leadership development, through meeting my access costs to attend the Meeting Place.. 

The Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the Ipswich City Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.