I had an insightful week in Sydney, Australia, for The Arts Activated 2014 Conference, which showcased arts and cultural programmes, projects and research around the world on the trends as well as issues relating to inclusive arts practices.

It had been a great opportunity to be able to explore and reflect with like-minded delegates and presenters. Some of the notable keynote speakers during the conference are:
–Jo Verrent, Senior producer from Unlimited (UK)
–Marcus Dickey Horley, Curator of Special Projects at Tate Gallery (UK)
–Sunethra Bandaranaike, Chairperson of Sunera Foundation (Sri Lanka)
–Sawang Srisom, Composer and Former chairperson of the Network of Music and Arts of Persons with Disabilities (Thailand)
–Magdalena Moreno, Deputy Director of International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies

There were sharing sessions on audience development, international collaborations, community connections, creative practice and media matters.I had the privilege to hear guest speakers discuss experiences and differences in disability arts across the world, as well as some of the cultural challenges facing artists and practitioners in various countries, case studies demonstrating inclusive arts approach, research findings and international perspectives accessing on the ways that programming, touring models and exchange can be designed to ensure long-term relationships and legacies.

The Arts Activated 2014 Conference also showcased talents of artists with disabilities and was an access friendly event with live captioning, braille and audio description services.