Melbourne to host 10th anniversary of Meeting Place

Meeting Place is a disability-led forum designed for arts professionals and emerging artists. Its program offers a dynamic mix of professional workshops, panel discussions and networking experiences that showcase artists and arts leaders who are Deaf, disabled or Neurodivergent.

The forum is hosted by Arts Access Australia, the national peak body working to advance equity for artists, arts workers and arts audiences with disability. In 2022, Meeting Place will be presented in conjunction with Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Access Victoria.

Arts Access Australia’s CEO Matthew Hall said: “This year Meeting Place will shine a light on, and seek sustainable solutions to, issues facing artists and arts workers with disability, not only as creators, but as workers, and as humans.”

“With a new Federal government, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon Tony Burke MP, also holding the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, and the development of a new National Cultural Policy, there is no better time to explore and discuss new approaches to improving Australia’s arts and disability cultural landscape, with people with disability front and centre.”

2022 also marks the 30th anniversary of Arts Access Australia, and the 10^th anniversary of the first Meeting Place forum, which was held in Melbourne.

Hall said: “In recognition of these important anniversary milestones, this year’s program will also reflect on and celebrate the advances in the arts and disability sector at State and national levels.”

Early-bird registrations are now open, with 20% off the price of a three-day ticket. Members of Arts Access Australia will continue to receive their tickets for half price, in recognition of Australia’s 42% pay gap between disabled and non-disabled artists.

Contact

Yvette Tulloch

Communications and Marketing Manager, Arts Access Australia

Email: communications@artsaccessaustralia.org

About Meeting Place

Meeting Place is the signature event of Arts Access Australia, the national peak body for arts and disability in Australia.

Meeting Place is a national forum created in 2012 to build stronger linkages and collaboration between stakeholders. Meeting Place is held annually and brings Deaf, disabled and non-disabled artists with disability together with industry leaders in an accessible and supported space, to present, perform, discuss and debate the latest in arts and accessibility.

The first international Meeting Place was held in Germany in 2017, hosted by Kulturprojekte Berlin GMBH.

About Alter State Festival

Alter State is a major arts and disability event engaging artists and audiences across Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Co-presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Access Victoria, Alter State is a celebration of disability, creativity and culture.

Seeding something unique for arts and disability, the Alter State 2022 festival program invites audiences to gather, be curious, and connect with disabled artists across a range of in person and online events.

Alter State runs 12 September – 9 October 2022.

About Arts Access Australia

Arts Access Australia (AAA) is the national peak body for arts and disability in Australia. We work to increase national and international opportunities and access to the arts for people with disability as artists, arts-workers, participants and audiences.