The BIPoC Creative Access Collective presents:

The Artistic Intelligence Symposium

Sunday 13 October 2024
12:00PM - 2:00PM
Bargoonga Nganjin Fitzroy North Library

Cost: by public donation.

Participants are subject to selection via an Expression of Interest process.

Image Description:
A graphic with a blue background and an orange border features four different white line designs to represent each facilitator. From left to right, they are: a simple A graphic with a blue background and an orange border features four different white line designs to represent each facilitator. 

About:

The BIPoC Creative Access Collective presents: The Artistic Intelligence Symposium, supported by Arts Centre Melbourne, City of Yarra and Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV).  This event is featured as part of the Alter State 2024 program.

D/deaf and D/disabled BIPoC creatives are invited to co-design Creative Access, an emerging ecology that melds creativity, accessibility, personal authenticity and wellness approaches. 

Participants will have the opportunity to share their skills and harness symbolic moments, independently or in shared alliance with other BIPoC D/deaf and D/disabled artists.  

Creative Access is an evolving artistic disciplinary concept that exhibits no bounds, creating textural integrative mediums for D/deaf, D/disabled and/or Neurodiverse BIPoC individual and collective agency and advocacy.  

The BiPOC Creative Access Collective will be there to guide and venture with participants into The Artistic Intelligence ether. Tools such as D/deaf dance live screen projections, embodied sound expression, audio description and associative word stim and tactile play, will help navigate stories associated with the provocation: My place, my secret reality.

Thank you to our friends at Deaf Connect for producing this video.

Venue Capacity and Accessibility:

There are 35 spaces available for participants.

Companion Card, Wheelchair Accessible, Auslan Interpreted, Audio Description, Captioning, Hearing Loop, Tactile Guides , Relaxed Event, Quiet Space, Disabled Toilet and Gender Neutral Toilets, Braille venue amenity signage.

About the Facilitators:

The BIPoC Creative Access Collective is led by Pearl Blackk, who is known for designing Creative Access through collective, accessible, interactive, live, digital developments  and creative presentations with her Deaf and or Disabled peers.  

Composed of the following creatives and facilitators, the collective invites great imaginings and unfoldings of sense, self, wellness, community and location. 

  • Creative Access Design Lead and Co-Facilitator 

    As founder of Creative Access Approach, Pearl is deepening her practice. The BIPOC Creative Access- Artistic Intelligence Symposium is her latest shared inauguration demonstrating the experimental approach withher-peer Deaf and Disabled BIPOC artistic community.

    Pearl has a commitment to advocacy through authentic agency and demonstrated six years of practice. She has contributed to arts, education and health advisory groups.

    Pearl's collective work and concepts have been supported by community groups, local, state, federal government initiatives, festivals including The Village Festival, Midsumma, Melbourne Fringe, MPAVILLION, private, state government and private commissions.

    Pearl’s ten years of practical skills training has been undertaken with one on one and group mentorships such Theatre Networks Australia’s VIPI Program and Midsumma Pathways Program.

    Her experience in the Disability arts community has been enriched by the willful guidance and support Marjetka McMahone, Krizanic Roarhouse Melbourne, Nilgun Guven Vitae Veritas, Trudy Radburn The Moving Room, Janice Florence Weave Movement and UK Acclaimed Creative Director, dramaturge and Disability activist Julie McNamara and is currently working with Kim Sargent Wishart of Body Mind Centering in a somatic dance development

    See Pearl's website here.

Photo Credit: Gaby Bruning 
Image Description: Pearl, smiling at the camera. She is a woman of colour,  her afro is styled in a half-ponytail. She is wearing a grey textured jacket over a yellow top with a black scarf. The background consists of large, dark green leaves.

  • Deaf Dance Creative Access Co-Facilitator

    Hailing proudly from Cebu in the Philippines, Lorraine Sorono lost her hearing as a 6-month old baby due to the effects of rubella.

    Moving to Melbourne in 1987, Loz attended the Victorian School for the Deaf to learn English sign language, then AUSLAN sign language. Inspired to dance from watching MC Hammer, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson, Loz learned how to break dance with her brother Carlo and Australian Breakdance Champions, Wickid Force Breakers. 

    Loz began competing as a breaker in Melbourne and Brisbane, with credits including So You Think You Can Dance, Phunktional (Fringe Festival), The Sound of Silence Deaf Dance Theatre, Fresh Off the Block and more.

    Loz also taught and choreographed for the Victorian School for the Deaf performances, and recently in TAKEBACK! A Darebin FUSE and MAV production, directed by Candy Bowers.

    See Loz's work here.

Photo credit: Supplied by creative
Image Description: Lorraine, a woman with short, straight grey hair smiling at the camera. She is wearing a navy blue Adidas jacket with white stripes and a New York Yankees logo over a light pink shirt. The background is a plain, light-coloured wall.

  • Embodied Sound Expression Lead

    Previously awarded the 30 Under 30 LGBTIQ+ Leaders in Australia, Goddess Naavikaran is a Naarm based change maker and storyteller, futurist Pop musician and DJ, stage and production manager, and theatre producer.

    Naavikaran’s debut EP, CHIQ DISCOTHEQ is now out on all streaming platforms and is an ode to trans joy.

Photo credit: Megan van De
Image Description: Naavikaran, a transwoman with a neatly wrapped headscarf and a gold nose ring connected to a chain looking to the side, partially obscured by green foliage. The background is a plain, light-coloured wall.

  • Bicultural Wellbeing Support

    Natasha sees her life as a prayer - infusing the sacred with the mundane, she practices Ayurveda— the ‘Yoga of life’ by ardently embracing our innate human need to connect deeply to ourselves, each other and with Nature.

    Natasha’s wish is that by sharing her passion she offers hope—inviting us all to become "spiritual activists" by reclaiming rest, embodiment and ritual self-care for optimal wellness through a heart-felt, holistic framework of love, compassion and self-awareness.

    See Natasha's work here.

Photo credit: Photo supplied by collaborator
Image Description: Natasha with long black hair and a nose ring is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a bright pink turtleneck sweater and has her hand resting on her cheek, showcasing her bright pink nail polish. The background is a plain light-coloured wall.

Queen Acknowledgements, Natarsha Bamblett will be opening the space with a Ceremonial Acknowledgement to Country. The  Creative Access production staff will include catering and care packs from Sparsha Ayurveda, captioning services by Red Bee Media, audio description, tactile guides by Vitae Veritas, projection work by two35 Productions, and independent bicultural Auslan interpreters and Disability support in space. 

Expression of Interest:

The EOI Process is open from Tuesday 16 July 2024, and closes on Monday 23 September 2024, at 3PM Australian Eastern Standard Time. 

To submit your expression of interest, please click the button below:

Alternative forms of submission are available. You are welcome to send your answers contained in the form via a WhatsApp Text Message or Voice Note to MAV on +61 493 736 225, or email Pearl on pearlblackkarts@gmail.com

  • All submissions will receive a confirmation of receipt within 1 business days. 

  • All applicants will be notified by 23 September 2024. 

  • Due to venue limitations, we may not be able to accommodate everybody this time. 

Selection Panel:

Applications will be received and assessed by facilitator Pearl Blackk, and supported by MAV team members Theresa Angela and Josephine Bassilios. 

For any queries or support needs, please email Pearl at pearlblackkarts@gmail.com

Pearl will respond on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 12:30PM.

Getting There:

Bargoonga Nganjin Fitzroy North Library is located at 182 - 186 St. Georges Road, North Fitzroy 3086.

  • Tram 11 stops nearby at Scotchmer/St. Georges, but is not a wheelchair accessible stop.

  • Limited street parking

  • Taxi

Project partners:

The Artistic Intelligence Symposium is part of Alter State 2024 and supported by Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV), Arts Centre Melbourne and the City of Yarra.

Alter State is Arts Centre Melbourne’s Disability- Led Arts initiative engaging artists and audiences from Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand). For the full program, visit here.