Should my art be tolerated or celebrated!

A large part of my leadership Journey is focused on my art and encouraging people with disabilities to use their talents and passions to become more involve in the wider community. I believe in encouraging people with all disabilities to embrace their abilities what ever they maybe to begin to engage in mainstream community life.   

However as the fallout for National Cultural Policy continues I wonder what exactly I am offering to the people I will be mentoring, employing and offering services to through my ArtISability Professional Development Program. I do not want to offer ‘second best’ or tokenism approaches to artists with a disability. For far to long people with disabilities has been placed in the ‘special bracket’.

Professional Development Program for Artist with a Disabilty

That’s nice or aren’t they having fun.  It’s great they can do something they enjoy together! However far to often that’s where the appreciation of sporting achievements, artist ability, performance such as signing and acting go.  That’s not to bad for someone with a disability. Just as well no one mention that to Stevie Wonder. Stevie wonder, thank goodness is recognised first and foremost as have a uqunic vocal ability and his disability rarely rates a mention and that’s how I think it should be for all artist and sportsmen and women.  Personally I would love to see an end to the paraolympics  with social inclusion for athletics with a disability happening as one Olympics Games jointly occurring in the same sporting arenas at the same time.

The release of the National Cultural Policy  last month puts all that at risk.  The policy states that the artistic ability of artist with a disability should be ‘tolerated’.  Thrusting artists with a disability right back into the ‘that’s nice!’ with a condescending smile on able-body artist faces.  Why should my art be valued and less because I have a disability. If the same was suggested for the art of indigenous Australians there would be outrage and demonstrations. Despite the UN anti discrimination act for people with disabilities nations such as Australia continue to dish out policy than contain judgmental statements.

A statement by Artists with A Disability

As a published author and poet the fact I have a disability could very well go unnoticed except I largely choose to write about the subject I live and breath – living with my disabilities so why should my participation in the visual artist be any different.  Why is my artwork labelled ‘special’ and not my poetic ability. I wonder if under the new national cultural policy if my poetry, like my art will just be tolerated, rather than embraced and celebrated.We maybe years away for true social inclusion in this country, but surely we can make a better attempt in writing policies for people with disabilities than the poorly written National Cultural Policy.

Below are samples of my artwork I’ll leave you decided it you wish to ‘tolerated’ or celebrate.