Members of Multicap’s self-advocacy group Have a Voice and Educate Network (HAVEN) and Centre of the Creative Arts (COCA) recently had an important opportunity to influence a niche part of the community to make access to the arts more equitable for those living with disability.
They welcomed members of Brisbane’s arts community and media to a sensory tour and Disability Access Forum hosted on 18 October at Vacant Assembly, West End as part of COCA’s A Cup of the Curious exhibition.
The Forum featured a panel led by the 2020 recipient of the Access Arts Achievement Award, Alexandra Ellen, and shared diverse perspectives of life with disability and how our community can improve their understanding and provision of accessibility.
Joining Alexandra on the panel was HAVEN member, Jasmin, COCA Arts Facilitator, Jack, and performance artist, Sev.
The sensory tour, which preluded the Forum, saw guests blindfolded and encouraged to use their other senses such as touch, smell and sound to experience the exhibition.
The tour concluded with a group discussion led by Jack (who is blind) where participants exchanged their sightless encounter with the exhibition.
Participants described the sensory tour as a surprising experience that gave depth and perspective to the Forum that followed.
A Cup of the Curious featured visual art installations, film, live performance, interactive workshops and live forums created by more than 75 artists across 14 Multicap Community Hubs in Queensland.
A Cup of the Curious exhibition was made possible thanks to a grant from Arts Queensland through the Queensland Arts Showcase Program (QASP), which supports vibrant and accessible arts and cultural experiences for Queensland by individuals, organisations or collectives.
For more information about COCA, please visit our website.