MATT SHILCOCK
Access and Innovation, MC
Matt Shilcock, a South Australian contemporary dance theatre artist, has defied the challenges of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a condition commonly known as 'brittle bone disorder.' Despite spending much of his youth in a wheelchair, he learned to walk at the age of fifteen. Since 2009, Matt has showcased his talent as a performer and has collaborated as a choreographer, dancer, and actor with numerous local and national performing arts companies. These include Murmuration Dance Theatre (Aus), No Strings Attached Theatre for Disability (Aus), Restless Dance Theatre (Aus), Kaldor Public Arts (Aus), and internationally with Kaaos Company (Finland), Wilman Dance Company (Finland), Mass Box (China), Touch Compass (NZ), Full Radius (USA), Candoco (UK), Independence (UK), FreeWill Theatre (HK), and the Van L Dance Company (UK). As an associate artist with The Australian Dance Theatre from July 2019 to December 2020, Matt focused on developing his unique choreographic methodology and movement language called Osteogenuine. This approach combines his passion for dance and choreography with his interests in Alchemy, esotericism, and holistic and alternative healing. Matt's work, Alchemia Exteriores, delves into the exploration and application of choreographic scoring systems to create original dance pieces.
Access and Innovation, MC
Liz is a nationally and internationally recognised dance artist, choreographer and producer. Over three decades she has toured she work internationally and been commissioned in India, UK, Australia, Europe, South Africa, Singapore, USA and Kuwait. She was the 2017 ACT Artist of the Year, received a 2017 Australian Dance Award and was shortlisted for a 2019 Australian Dance Award. She directs three Festivals - DANscienCE where dance and science meet, BOLD, celebrating the legacy of dance across all identities and I Dance. Liz was Artistic Director of Canberra Dance Theatre (2010-16), worked for Ausdance ACT (2016-2019) becoming Creative Director and a 2019 Asialink Resident with Singapore’s Maya Dance Theatre and their Diverse Abilities Dance Collective. In 2022 she was the IGNITE Disability Programs Officer for Belco Arts. Her company works include 120 Birds, Inflight, No Regrets and The Point. She has toured her one woman show RED nationally and internationally. Liz offers Audio Description services and works with Accessible Arts as an Access Advisor and am represented by Karen Gallagher and Associates, UK. Liz directs The Stellar Company, a non-for-profit arts organisation, founder of the Chamaeleon Collective, Canberra’s first inclusive dance company.
The River/Foucault’s Pendulum
Hanna Cormick is a Finnish-Australian artist. Hanna creates across fields of performance art, theatre, dance, curation and crip activism, with a creative ethos that prioritises anti-extractivism, climate justice and access rights. Hanna co-creates with both human and more-than-human collaborators, utilising processes of deep listening, through an animistic lens that is informed by a lived experience of disability, neurodivergence, sensory sensitivity and synaesthesia. Hanna's recent artworks have been performed live (The Mermaid, Sydney Festival 2020), by proxy (Canary, Climate Change Theatre Action 2019), and by community (Dream/Remember, CCTA 2021). Hanna has also recently been a facilitator for Arts House's Makeshift Publics (2021-23), and a keynote speaker for Our Dance Democracy (2023). Hanna is a graduate of Charles Sturt University (Wiradjuri country) and Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Paris), and has apprenticed as a Mask artist in France (apprenticing under Stefano Perocco di Meduna) and Indonesia (mentored by Ida Bagus Anom).
JUSTIN RAY
Documentaries and Dance; Key Note Speaker
Born Justin Phillip Ray to Marie and Geoffrey Ray in Broken Hill NSW on the 20/09/1973 at Broken Hill Based Hospital. Had an interest in filming from an early age but didn’t do any thing about it until 2006. Had a wish to make films about People With Disability and push that agenda in future times. Is also interested in aspects of filming craft, industry, and community outside of the disability community. Did do dark room developing at Photo Access earlier than CIT. And wishes to get back to that soon. Is a member of the Australian Cinematographers Society and wishes to attach firmly within that group other than being just an associate member. All members are very dedicated to filmic endeavours from a professional scale and Justin is an active member from within the executive branch of the Canberra chapter and has been an active member for the past four to five years. I see film as work and that it teaches me every day whilst working with teams or just by myself with my client based projects.
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TAMZIN NUGENT
Documentaries and Dance Moderator
Tamzin is a seasoned Creative Producer and Director who has dedicated the last decade to navigating diverse roles across the creative, educational, and entrepreneurial sectors. With a profound passion for storytelling, Tamzin has left an indelible mark in the field through her work in film, theatre, and the creation of innovative multidisciplinary events. Throughout her career, Tamzin has honed her skills as a visionary leader, bringing together the worlds of art, technology, and entertainment. Her versatile expertise allows her to seamlessly collaborate with diverse teams to craft captivating narratives that resonate with audiences on a profound level.
DEAF BUTTERFLYS
Performance: Singing in the Rain
Singing In the Rain is a dance piece that is part of a bigger choreography called Travelling Seasons consisting of four pieces. This piece represents winter. Using the theme of the four seasons was a way for the group to be able to visualise and bring to life images and embody into movement that everyone had experienced.
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The Deaf Butterfly group proudly supported by DeafACT come together to dance every Friday afternoons at the Belconnen art centre, where Gretel and Debora teach them dance techniques, improvisation, choreography and have fun in welcoming and supportive environment. This group works together with the additional support of an Auslan interpreter so that they can be given opportunities to showcase their work throughout the community. The group is led by Gretel Burgess and Debora di Centa.
PAUL NUNNARI
Subpac innovation
Paul is the Director of Inclusive Infrastructure, Placemaking and Experience within the Department of Regional NSW. Paul’s role is to increase accessibility and inclusion considerations across both building infrastructure, place and events that goes beyond current day compliance standards. Paul’s work has included consultation on making the Sydney Harbour Bridge wheelchair accessible, accessibility upgrades to the Australian Museum and accessibility lead for major events like the Sydney Invictus Games, New Years Eve and Vivid Sydney. Paul adopts the key principles of universal design, design for dignity and the social model of disability to benchmark best practice.
Look The Part film creation with Bus Stop Films
Claire Fletcher is an editor with over 20 years' experience across documentary, drama and music clips. Her credits include the award-winning feature film Mad Bastards, as well as standout documentaries for the ABC such as Cast from the Storm and Psychics in the Suburbs. Over her years in the industry, Claire has mentored many young directors, teaching master classes at the Singapore Media Academy, Sydney Film School and Western Sydney University. Claire has co-produced many short documentaries and some features including Antunez House, recently screened at both Sheffield Doc/Fest and Antenna Documentary Film Festival in Sydney.
Bus Stop Films
Tracey is a proud hard of hearing woman with a passion for film, advocacy and inclusion. As CEO of Bus Stop Films she is advocating for greater representation of people with disability in the screen industry. Her 25-year career has crossed social housing, women’s domestic violence services, including 6 years as the State Manager of Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program and the film and television industry, working with a number of industry services including Screen NSW, Event Cinemas and Women in Film and TV (WIFT) NSW.
Her advocacy work in the screen industry has seen her lead on strategies including “Screenability” and “She Shoots” at Screen NSW and WIFT’s Raising Films Australia and growing the work of Bus Stop Films on a global scale. Tracey is an Includeability Ambassador on disability employment to the Australian Human Rights Commission and a Director of Deaf Sports Australia and Northcott (Disability Services). She is also a member of the Screen Producer’s Australia Respectful Workplaces Reference Group and TAFE NSW Creative Industries Taskforce. Tracey was a member of the Australian delegation of disability advocates to the United Nation’s 15th Conference of State Parties to The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Tracey is Executive Producer of Bus Stop’s slate and co-produced films including Groundhog Night and Valiant. Tracey holds a Bachelor of Arts, Welfare Studies (WSU) and a Diploma of Business, Frontline Management (UTS).
STEVEN FORREST
Access systems at the National Film and Sound Archive
Steven moved to Canberra from the UK in 2016 shortly after completing an HND in Audio Production. He took on his current role as Technical Coordinator for Arc Cinema at the NFSA in 2021, combining a love of film with over 5 years' experience as a production technician in the Audio/Visual industry.
ANDREA LLORENS
Auslan interpreter
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Steven is an Australian Citizen working in Canberra. He earned his undergraduate honours degree in Design Futures from Edinburgh Napier University and most recently completed an HND in Sound Production from Glasgow Stow/Kelvin College. Steven is Technical CoordinatorTechnical Coordinator at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
BRETT OLZEN
Auslan Interpreter
Brett is a Child of Deaf Adults and the only native-speaking Auslan interpreter in Canberra. During the last 20 years Brett Olzen has worked as an interpreter with Territory and Federal Government, with Prime Ministers and the Dalai Lama, and at the ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards. Brett worked with Canberra Institute of Technology for over ten years and advocated for inclusion and access for Deaf students and has frequently volunteered to interpret for fundraising events, community events, sports clubs and church groups, and worked outside regular business hours including emergency call outs. Some of the events and programs that Brett has made more accessible and inclusive include Rebus Theatre performances, The BOLD Festival, a dance program at Belconnen Arts Centre, computer access programs, and guided tours at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra are just some of his work. Brett Olzen was a finalist for the Life Time Achievement in Supporting People with Disability award at the 2019 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards.