A new production initiative for artists and filmmakers with disability is aiming to create compelling new artworks which will screen next year at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

ArtScreen 2021 was launched online today by NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin and City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully and precedes tomorrow’s 2020 International Day Of People With Disability.

ArtScreen 2021 is a visual art project aimed at enabling professional artists with disability in NSW to develop their creativity and careers by producing work in the increasingly popular format of video art. Three (3) applicants will be selected to participate in the initiative which will provide each artist with over $21,500 in production funding for their projects. The successful applicants will be mentored by experienced video artists Dr Zanny Begg, Amala Groom and New-York based Australian duo Soda_Jerk.

The three artworks will have a world premiere season at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in December 2021 to mark next year’s International Day Of People With Disability. Video art streaming service Prototype will have an option to screen the artworks. The production budget includes $7000 in equipment and facilities hire from Western Sydney community creative hub I.C.E. as well as the support of students from Bus Stop Films, Accessible Film Studies Program. The project is being co-funded by the City of Sydney and the NSW Government through Create NSW.

ArtScreen 2021 follows ArtScreen 2020, a City of Sydney-funded pilot program which this year produced a new video artwork by Sydney artist Debra Keenahan called Little Things Matter, a provocative social critique of the dehumanisation of people with dwarfism. Little Things Matter had its world premiere during today’s online launch event and will now be included in a larger video art project by Debra being commissioned by the Australia Council for the Arts.

Accessible Arts CEO Kerry Comerford: “Our ArtScreen program is about levelling the creative playing field for artists with disability because they don’t always get to develop their creativity and careers in the same way as artists without disability due to negative attitudes and other barriers. ArtScreen addresses this by providing a valuable opportunity for artists with disability to explore the creative potential of video art and to advance their careers by having their work screened professionally at the MCA and on Prototype.
“Many thanks to our ArtScreen 2020 partners for their collaboration this year and congratulations to Debra on today’s premiere of Little Things Matter and its inclusion in her new Australia Council commission. We’re now looking forward to working with all our ArtScreen 2021 partners to deliver more exciting opportunities for artists with disability in NSW.”
Applicants for ArtScreen 2021 must identify as being d/Deaf and/or a person with disability, must be emerging or mid-career visual artists or filmmakers and must reside in NSW. Applicants do not require prior experience working with video as a creative format. Applicants must supply a creative concept and project budget.