On the 17th and 18th September 2011, twenty eight arts and disability studio providers from across the United States and Canada, Arts Project Australia from Melbourne and Project Ability were invited by Amy Taub, Director of the renowned arts studio Creativity Explored to attend this two day conference. Over two intense and stimulating days the delegates, all Executive Directors or senior managers of their organisations shared their practice, discussed a huge range of topics including curriculum development, exhibiting work in contemporary spaces, income generation, selling and licensing art work and programme evaluation and realised there was enough common ground and shared experience to form ourselves into a professional network. This emerging organisation will seek to generate discussion and debate on issues related to disability art provision and the creative practice of people with learning and development disabilities.
It was a great privilege to attend this conference and to share the wealth of experience and collective knowledge that Project Ability – the board, staff, tutors, artists, friends and supporters – has gained in its twenty seven years of supporting artists with disabilities and mental health issues to develop their practice and delivery of our workshop and exhibition programme.
