Arts Activated Transcript: Track 8 - 21st September 2016

Valuing The Audience Experience

EVA SIFIS: Hello, everybody. Welcome back after lunch. I hope you are well satiated and everything in preparation for this presentation, in which we are going to speak about Valuing the Audience Experience. Now I'm going to throw across to our panellists and they will introduce themselves and their subjects. Thank you. 

NICHOLE CONOLLY: My name is Nichole, and I work for TheatrePeople. I am also a circus performer and teacher. My topic is Valuing the Audience Experience: ASD and Attending the Theatre. 

WENDY O'NEILL: I'm Wendy O'Neill. I'm the manager of community engagement and access at Arts Centre Melbourne. Mine is a new role. It really signals that Arts Centre Melbourne is wanting to build on accessibility and look at new and creative ways to engage with different audiences and provide everyone a wonderful artistic experience. 

My session is titled Pay More Than Lip Service to Creative Equality. 

CAROL SMAIL: My name is Carol Smail. I am the CEO of ACL Disability Services and Gig Buddies Sydney, which is the program we are going to talk about today. 

MATTHEW COLLINS: My name is Matthew Collins. I'm the Social Media Coordinator for ACL Disability Services and Gig Buddies Sydney. 

EVA SIFIS: I'll hand across to Wendy and she can begin? No? Nichole, sorry. Alright. Have you got...? Sorry. (Laughs) 

NICHOLE CONOLLY: Hey, everyone. My name is Nichole. And I work in the arts as a writer for TheatrePeople, which is an online publication to inform the Australian community of

what is happening in the arts. 

My main job is writing a weekly column of what is going on in the musical theatre community. I am also a disabled artist, who performs and teachers circus skills. 

My presentation stems from an incident earlier this year, at a Sydney theatre, in which a patron... due to lack of staff knowledge, was ejected from a theatre performance. And through this, there was a lot of angry letters and abuse on their page. 

But I thought I would take the opposite road and I would try to work with them and other theatres and artists in Australia, to make invisible disabilities more well-known. And how to help people with those invisible disabilities enjoy the arts just like everyone else. 

I have a bit of an icebreaker to do. It's a bit of a fun activity. So if you want, you can stand up. You might need a bit of room. This is actually given to me by my circus children. It's an activity that stemmed out of our warm-ups. And they love challenging every visitor to try and do this because it greatly amuses them. 

So... I want you to move one arm forward like this. And then... I want you, while doing that, I want you to move the other one backwards at the exact same time. 

(Laughter) 

NICHOLE CONOLLY: You can sit down now. 

In the education system and the broader community, they expect everyone to learn the same way, do things the same way and retain information the same way. 

In a famous Albert Einstein quote, he says, "Everybody is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." 

Some people are visual learners. Some are auditory learners. Some may need hands-on or audience participation. And some, to get the full experience, may need all of the above. 

So if everyone learns and absorbs information differently, that would mean our experiences of live entertainment such as theatre would be different. If we expect everyone to absorb information or experience theatre the same way, then we are doing a disservice to the people who often need our services the most. 

I want you to watch a video. This video shows what goes on in the mind of someone with autism, as they experience the world around them. Just a warning – it includes flashing lights and a few jerky movements, hence why I have my sunnies on top of

my head. So... 

(Video plays) 

CHILD: I'm not naughty. I'm autistic and I just get too much information. 

NICHOLE CONOLLY: For me, a person with Autism, the best way to describe how I experience life is that in my mind, it feels as though it is a kaleidoscope. And through it, there are constant swirls of colours and patterns. The environment around me turns at a very fast pace. And sometimes there are quick, jerky movements. 

When it all becomes too much for me, my emotions flood out. I become hypersensitive and can't control my thoughts. This can result for me in a verbal lashing out, lots of tears and the feeling of helplessness. 

Over the years, there has been much stigma attached to Autism. People who do not understand what is going on are often the first to pass judgement with comments such as, "What is wrong with you?" Or my personal favourite, which I get all the time, "You don't look autistic." 

Old-fashioned attitudes and stigma to note that those who are different should be institutionalised, or at the least, kept away from public view. Do we, those with Autism, not deserve to experience the world around them like everyone else? 

I believe the performing arts community is the perfect place to begin the revolution in change in attitudes towards those deemed different. The community of different people. We should teach the wider world to be more friendly and accepting. But how do we do this? 

I have recently had the opportunity to speak at Her Majesty's in Melbourne to the staff on how to make shows and theatre more accessible and friendly to those on the Autism Spectrum. I applaud theatres who take the time to make their workplace and our place of leisure truly a place for all. 

One of the key point is that arose from my speech was, what would you do if someone with Autism went into a meltdown in the foyer of the theatre? This is always first and foremost in my mind, as I am scared not only of the reaction of strangers but friends also. 

Despite having every strategy and preventative measure in place, sometimes meltdowns will happen simply because as much as we can try we cannot predict or control everything in our environment and can't control the people around us. 

Meltdowns can be very confronting to witness. I asked a few of my friends, who have

witnessed a meltdown, how they felt when witnessing their first meltdown. And they responded with answers such as, "I was confused because it seemed so illogical and without warning. 

I felt like an outsider for the first time. I was afraid of what this meant. Was it going to happen daily? It's a mash up of every negative emotion – shock, fear, frustration, scary and confusing. I was worried and concerned. I wanted to help, but I didn't want to make it worse." 

My first emotion when witnessing an adult in full ASD meltdown was one of shock and embarrassment for that person. The people around them didn't seem to have any comprehension that by getting closer and shouting at them they were just making it worse. And seeing a normal looking child totally losing it was very confronting. 

It was a challenge to get my head around the fact their kid with no external signs of special needs could be in such distress with a parent looking totally helpless. 

So how can we make it easier and less daunting for someone who is on the spectrum to attend the theatre? What would you do if you are confronted by a situation such as that described above? 

Here are some ideas I came up with: 

Preshow – smile at people when they enter the theatre. Greet people. Let them know where things are located, such as bathrooms or any exits. Always be ready to help if you think a patron needs help. It will be remembered. 

If someone is wearing headphones or sunglasses, don't make negative comments to a staff member or another patron. And don't try to remove them. You do not know the reason why, so you should not be passing judgement. 

Do not talk down to the patron, such as speaking slower. We are quite capable of asking you to repeat yourself if needed. 

If the ASD patron has a carer, do not use the carer to ask questions directed at the person themselves. It is a horrible feeling when people think you can't answer for yourself. 

If there is a quiet area, tell the patron about it just in case. 

During the show – despite pre-knowledge of flashing lights and loud sounds, sometimes it is impossible to completely prepare yourself. If a patron becomes visibly distressed, if you can, approach them quietly and if needed ask them if they wish to go out. 

Allow a patron to go out. Sometimes an escape option is all they need to calm down and then re-enter the show. Give them the option of watching on a screen until they are ready to re-enter the theatre. And do not make a big scene of it. It is often embarrassing enough for the person having an attack or meltdown. The less people that know, the better. 

Post show – check upon the person after the show and give them the option to provide feedback on their experience. Allow them to cool down and exit on their own time. 

Explain the incident to your supervisor. Do not gossip about the situation to fellow staff for patrons. And do not make negative comments on social media, even if they are private. And never know who will see. Seeing staff and performers mocking those with special needs of social media is very upsetting and can affect business. 

As needed, debrief with an ASD specialist senior supervisor. Being here today is the first step towards a more inclusive environment and I thank you for participating in listening to what I've had to say. 

(Applause) 

CAROL SMAIL: OK, hi, everybody. The project started with a simple premise. How could we facilitate and include people with a learning disability and Autism to enable real social inclusion and the music, arts and social scene varsity? We were aware there will were many social groups and outings and functions with people with a disability. Often, they tend to be disability specific, include family members and paid staff and not the broader social community. Many people with disabilities have very small social networks. 

It is estimated that in our lifetime, we will have meaningful relationships of up to 550 people. Often for a person with a disability, specifically a learning disability, that number can be as small as five or 10. Basically, family and paid support staff. 

While in the UK, and 2014, I was fortunate to meet Paul Richards, who is the founder of stay up late and Gig Buddies UK. We informally discussed the idea of Gig Buddies Sydney. To quote Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, "From little things, big things grow." There were big things to come. I came back to Australia, applied for a received a grant from the City of Sydney through the Live Music Matters Project to get us underway. 

We formed a legal agreement with the guys in the UK and over a year ago, we held a launch party. We invited the team out from the UK who joined us to train us and all aspects of the program. And away we went. 

A bit about our background, Gig Buddies Sydney has been around since 2015 and

we are a project of assisted community living, we are based in Chatswood and we specialise in adults with mild to moderate levels of Autism and we specialise in working and our strengths. 

MATTHEW COLLINS: Thank you, Carol, from our research, for people with disabilities particularly, they have struggled to build meaningful relationships they can build upon. This feeds into loneliness. The majority of Gig Buddies have told us they had very few friends. We see the programme is an opportunity for Gig Buddies to build social circles as well is provide an opportunity to partake in activities that passionate about. 

We forever hear from Gig Buddies who in order to go to music gigs are forced to go with mum and dad. Nobody wants to go to a concert with their parents. (Laughs) 

We heard from many Gig Buddies who go to concerts with Mum and Dad, they tried to get into the moment but feel uncomfortable with their folks looking on. That is not fun. 

Aside from not wanting to hang out with Pops and Mum, community safety, a lack of awareness of what is going on, holds them back from partaking in their passions. However, once a Gig Buddies paired up with a volunteer, these obstacles overcome. 

Something else. We regularly hear, people the disability do not just want to socialise of people the disability. We are not about putting on disability events, we about inclusion integration. This includes exposing people to the arts and new experiences. 

In PCLs version, we have Gig Buddies from all parts of the culture in Sydney. From pensioners, we have received applicants from the LGTBQI community as well as charter documents, students, mechanics, and tree operators. 

Our coverage is the equivalent area from New York to Philadelphia, or from Birmingham to London. We frequently tell people that we are not a support service. Many people who apply have never had much exposure to people with a disability. The exposure to the disability is secondary, it's about two people going out together, taking in events that they are passionate about. 

We are not a service about (inaudible). We are about long-term service. Since our inception in 2015, we've witnessed a growing Gig Buddies community. In addition to seeing our blogs updating Facebook pages with news, we like to engage Gig Buddies and volunteers by taking a party to them. Every two or three months, we organise Gig Buddies social events where we reserve a few tables in a pub, it has live music and we throw the invitations open. These are a new way of increasing the social circle of Gig Buddies. 

Before we continue telling you more about the project, we want to show your video that shows some of our success stories. 

(Video plays) 

(Music plays) 

MATTHEW COLLINS: So, how does it all work? First stage, recruitment. Application forms are available from our website: www.gigbuddiessydney.org 

Once we receive one from our Gig Buddies, we invite them into our Chatswood office, or should they be unable to travel to northern Sydney, we would chat to them via Skype. This is an opportunity for the Gig Buddies to get to know us, we get to know them and flesh out the application form with the intention of finding the perfect volunteer. 

As for volunteers, once we receive an application, we give them a call. Explain the concept and answer questions they might have. Here we also inform volunteers that they're required to commit for one year. As previously mentioned, we do not provide volunteers for one-off gigs, so to build lasting friendships, we stipulate to volunteers that they commit for the required amount of time. 

Once in the system, there are numerous factors taken into consideration with pairing. Gender, interests, are many of the things we take into consideration. In the Chatswood office, buddies are given an introduction to the disability sector, and we include training about what we do in certain situation. Training is conducted in a small-group setting, which we find conducive as volunteers bounce off each other. 

With training complex while we meet at a location decided by the Gig Buddies takes place. There we go through a risk assessment and determine how things work, such as how will the Gig Buddies and volunteer communicate, how they will get to gigs etc. This is a point to establish as every pairing is different.

We suggest that the volunteer Gig Buddies catch up for about 10 hours a month and that might include going to a gig, but that they might also catch for a coffee in between or do something else to know that they have other areas of interest. 

In addition to a day's training, volunteers do a police check and two personal references. Having spent so much time in the company are both Gig Buddies and volunteer, we often the third wheel. However, we are there for support if required. 

CAROL SMAIL: Currently, we have with 250 volunteers lined up. We have 150 people on the database and about 50 currently going out and participating in the social and cultural life of the city. In my submission to the city of Sydney, I said about 15 to 20 in the first year, so we are punching above our weight at the moment. People often say,

"Are you only about music?" 

We say we are not. But that's where the program started. Obviously, the Gig Buddies and volunteers select the type of event. They might go to, if there is no music event, they may go out for a coffee, the movies, a meal, whatever.

As the friendship develops, they tend to do what it is they share a passion with. We have had Gig Buddies have an interest in many things, they certainly discovered music genres. We never had before. 

We have a high number of Gig Buddies who have a strong passion for the arts and theatre. And so, that is something we obviously get everybody to put in their application. So you obviously are not just interested in music, but other things. So put that down because often a commonality is that people that are interested in one thing, would be interested in and the other for things as well. 

Gig Buddies is a simple project. Maybe that's why it works, based around befriending scheme that is cost effective, and it is an opportunity to engage and form relationships, to be and feel truly included and the social life and cultural life of our city. 

MATTHEW COLLINS: We're more than happy to answer your questions about a project at the end of the next session. I am social media coordinator for the project, if you want to know more about our project, check out website gigbuddiessydney.org which has more information about our program. Thank you. 

(Applause) 

WENDY O'NEILL: I had to click it harder. Cheers. Just before I start, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land, the Gadigal people and their Elders and all Elders past, present and future. 

One of the key aspirations for the arts is that they are inclusive of everyone. But how do arts organisations make this real in a way that pays more than lip service to this well-meaning aspiration? 

My presentation is going to introduce you to Arts Centre Melbourne's journey. A journey that is shifting the access conversation from wheelchair ramps and providing services like audio description to a conversation that is also inclusive of programming and leadership. 

I have chosen to tell our story primarily through film, the children's Opera 'Hansel and Gretel'. So it's not so much about me talking as the experiences of the people caption on the film that you will see and hear. 

Our community is filled with people having rich cultural experiences, that for the most part happen within their family, within the community and often in informal settings. Less common are arts and cultural experiences that involve stages, producers and purpose-built venues. 

And rarely does this rich mix of cultural expression find its way into the theatres, foyers and back stages of venues – especially one like Arts Centre Melbourne. For many people it is intimidating, daunting to enter and surrounded by an etiquette, a code of behaviour, it can be really intimidating. 

This is a challenge for us. We have an iconic building of theatres, red carpet, significant artwork, brass, a formality. It's a building that is more than 30 years old, created in a time when even when access did meet standards still assumed that people with disability would be audience members. 

That they would be assisted throughout their visit. They would rarely go backstage and certainly we would not see them on our stages. 

Unsurprisingly, people with disability have persistently lower rates of participation than the general community as audience, artists and employees. And at Arts Centre Melbourne, that is no exception. 

Bricks and mortar aside, in recent times, we have significantly strengthened our focus on access and inclusion. We have a clear commitment, and indeed, an obligation to bring people together for remarkable experiences. And that means everyone. 

It was hard to find one thing that sort of showcased how access is on our radar. I chose the film you will see today because, in a nutshell, that is what it does. It tells that story from many perspectives. It shows that when we embrace access, we change and continue to change as an organisation. 

Generally, change is incremental. It is always small steps. Then there is something that catapults you to a different place. For us, the relaxed performance 'Hansel and Gretel' three years ago was that thing. 

After we have seen the film, I will describe the ripple effect of relaxed performances on us as a performance venue. 

We have heard today, it is often really hard to take a young person with disability to the theatre. They may be overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment and many families worry about the reaction of others in the audience. 

For someone who has experienced trauma as a refugee, going into an enclosed, dark space can feel uncomfortable. If your partner has dementia or chronic illness, it can be quite a challenge to maintain your shared passion for the arts, when enjoying

something like the ballet requires sitting still for long periods of time. 

Generally speaking, a theatre experience is a one size fits all. But in contrast, our community is anything but. We know that nearly one in five people identify with having a disability. And in Victoria, nearly 30% of Victorians were born overseas, from more than 200 countries. And when we add in the parents who were born overseas, that is nearly half of all Victorians. 

So acknowledging this diversity, Arts Centre Melbourne set out to create an experience that is universally welcoming and known as a relaxed performance, where neither audience reaction, theatre etiquette or the stage performance is one size fits all. 

The film describes the kind of changes we make, so I won't go into that. Suffice to say that we create an environment that allows everyone to enjoy the performance in their own way, backed up by preshow preparation and confident, knowledgeable front of house staff. 

'Hansel and Gretel' was Arts Centre Melbourne, in fact, Victoria's first relaxed performance that we did in partnership with VO and with the support of Arts Access Victoria. It generated a momentum for us as an organisation for doing things differently because it questioned the status quo. 

It challenged what a theatre experience could look like and feel like. 

(Video plays) 

(Music plays) 

SPEAKER: So a relaxed performance is a presentation of a theatre show that has been adapted or amended to make it more accessible and welcoming for audiences that might have disability, Autism, learning disorders. It's there to help anybody who is experiencing anxiety about coming to the theatre. 

SPEAKER: A nationally we did this for children with anxiety and expanding that into kids with autism is something that has been really exciting for us. 

SPEAKER: This is part of the broader program we are running at Arts Centre Melbourne around disability access. We were fortunate to get generous gifts from patrons which has allowed us to do a number of initiatives over the next year around how we look at programming more inclusively here. 

The first thing I did was approached Arts Access Victoria. We needed to talk to

people who work in this space. We put together a focus group. We watched a rehearsal so we could understand the work and then sat around and talked about how we would need to adapt it, what to do with the venue to be more accessible. 

It was a great discussion and it was apparent everyone had a different perspective. But we were all there for a common goal and we were very excited that it was happening. 

SPEAKER: So we asked, what can we do in the time we have and what could we take on board from those suggestions? Some suggestions were to create the action that may happen, to have narration coming through, to have the house lights up. 

So we have softened the performance as well. 

SPEAKER: Sequentially, the performance runs as it is. When we got to anything we felt might be intimidating, we stop the action and the music, get the performers on stage to demonstrate the activity and say that it will happen at some point and then go over to the next segment. 

SPEAKER: For example, the witch is pushed into the oven. There are flashing lights. So we show that part, the actor comes out and ways to say that they are OK and then we can get on with the scene. 

SPEAKER: We provide a breakout space for people who are overwhelmed. We needed to prepare resource materials in advance for a visual story, which provides images of the venue, characters in the show, a bit about what to expect – just some tools to help people prepare if they are anxious about what they are coming to. 

SPEAKER: It's really lovely on the back of today, reactions, conversations with that, we will have parents and students coming in and we will be to look at what we are doing in the future and the able to adapt our performances. 

SPEAKER: It's really exciting to be the first company in Melbourne doing this, particularly in conjunction with the Arts Centre. We are really proud of it. 

SPEAKER: It's hard to find places where you can take your child that you can enjoy as a family. Something like this is actually perfect. 

SPEAKER: 

A lot of our kids would never have the opportunity to come to something like this. I would say most of them. 

SPEAKER: As a parent, I've always been reluctant to take them to productions but this has been a fantastic launching pad for us it was now I know he can cope. 

SPEAKER: I really enjoyed having the materials in advance. We could make a visual map of what they were going to do and it makes it much less anxiety provoking for them. 

SPEAKER: I felt really proud that they could engage and when it finished, he said, "Bravo!" I didn't even know he knew that word. 

SPEAKER: If we could do this once a term, love it. Really nice. 

SPEAKER: I feel pretty good, I have got to say. It went really well. 

SPEAKER: Fantastic. I think we feel pretty pleased with this morning's performance. The audience loved it. 

SPEAKER: This morning, walking into the for your and down into the theatre, it was one of those days where I was reminded that this is why I'm doing this work. 

SPEAKER: It was fantastic to see... 

WENDY O'NEILL: OK, well, that was nearly the end of it. I think you got the gist of what that meant both for the audience but also... Oh, no visuals at all. OK. Well, then I will just talk. It's all me. 

In terms of change we are made journey that is incremental. But the impact of that first relaxed performance cannot be overstated. 'Hansel and Gretel' was an experience where the children could be themselves and they loved it. Our staff saw that. 

We reached an audience who rarely if ever came to Arts Centre Melbourne and who would never otherwise go to theatre. 

More importantly, the inclusive programming gave parents confidence to take their

children to mainstream performances later on. So our evaluation shows that an inclusive experience the one you just saw is a really important foundation, a really important first step to the arts. 

Families who attend our relaxed performances go on to attend access friendly and just general families programming. 

And also for us, the relaxed performance has given us a new way to invite our community into our venue. 

In conclusion, inclusive programming is becoming a game changer for us at Arts Centre Melbourne. It is altering what is on our stages, broadening the audience we connect with, creating new entry points for children and families to experience theatre and we are building new relationships with different partners. 

Not that we have arrived, at all. Looking at us as an organisation internally, the impact is dynamic. Relaxed performances are now business as usual in our schools and families program. 

We are developing a shared language around access and disability. And we are really proud internally of the impacts that we are having and that staff across the organisation are feeling that shared sense of pride. 

Our front of house staff site relaxed performance as a work highlight and they ask to be rostered on. And we are building expertise around this that we share, we can share with our peers. And this year, we supported another company Circus Oz with its first relaxed performance. 

I'll just go through these. Our producers are starting conversations with companies about their shows being access friendly. Whether they would consider and think about, as part of their programming, having a relaxed performance, and access friendly performance or an audio described performance, for example. 

And access is being added into some of our existing processes. And it's in the conversation right at the start, when shows are being considered by programmers for programming. 

So for us, paying more than lip service means firstly never are arriving. Cultural change is a slow burn. The bar is always being raised. There is always new knowledge that we are getting, learning all the time. 

And that knowledge means further reinvention, further refinement, further exploration for us. We continue to forge new relationships with our community and what has become really obvious is that access is everybody's business and we all play a part. 

When something is disability friendly, everyone benefits. The supports we have

designed around relaxed performances like the film spoke about benefit everyone and have this universal application. 

(inaudible) the supports the universally friendly, and is designed to enhance the experience that we create. This is our moment, thank you. 

(Applause) 

EVA SIFIS: Well, I am sure everybody will agree how exciting the times are coming that disability is becoming more and more visible. And I would like to throw it to the audience for any questions. Does anybody have any questions for our panellists? Yay! 

QUESTION FROM FLOOR: Hey, my name is Will. I was wondering, each of you has the experience of being a champion for change and accessibility within organisations or just within going to the theatre. Within the gig environment, I was just wondering what the biggest challenges are that you face and overcame that the context. 

CAROL SMAIL: For Gig Buddies, I'm often just thinking of particularly some of the Gig Buddies who are signed up, they are so excited because they talk about the program and it's OK, and those that happen Saturday. I mean, a lot of people don't like me saying this but matching a volunteer and Buddy is a bit like working in the dating agency without the yucky bits because you really are matching people based on their interest. 

That takes time and in order to do it properly, you have to be really gentle with the process and you can't rush it. I know sometimes we get people saying, "When is this going to happen? When I going out?" But we cannot just match people for the sake of matching them. It's really, really important to get it right. 

Go slowly, but do it properly. All it would take would be one bad thing to happen though were kind of wreck the whole program. That is something that we had to learn ourselves because we really were excited and anxious to get it done because it's a good look. They are people out there, these guys are selling it for us now. 

There was a lot of work that went into it. People asking if we had full-time jobs, and some people say "Don't worry, it will only be half a day a week." I was wrong.

NICHOLE CONOLLY: For me, after the incident at the Sydney Lyric, I took upon myself to contact every theatre in Australia and they would ask me what I want and I would say that I want accessibility and people, when they meet you, I always get, "You don't look autistic," or, "You function so well." I know they mean it as a compliment, but it's taken a lot of effort and hard work. 

Like you mentioned Wendy, I actually do a lot of social story on my own terms when

I go out. And actually, I will show you my iPad. We actually created one for our circus school because we got bored one night and we took photos and decided to create it. 

I have an app on my phone that allows me to have this at the front and I was running around taking photos, so you can see this is what the acting looked like. There were too many photos or technical parts in it. My contact is on it. 

So we spent a bit of time making that and also when I travel, it's very complicated when I travel because I don't get around so well and I need signposting. But visually, in Sydney, this is what it looks like and it's colour-coordinated, hour by hour. (Inaudible) And so, it takes a lot of work to get to the final product. 

WENDY O'NEILL: For me being part of a large organisation as people only know what they know. It is not about people's attention aspiration, people want to do this. For me, it's finding ways that I can let people know that this is what they need to do to be accessible and this is how they can do it. And just everyday conversations and everyday ways and always starting with a marketing person, the finance person, the programmer, whoever it is, is at. 

And creating experiences, making sure their experiences are producing the first relaxed performance as a positive one. Because then I have seen it happen. The next one, they want to be doing it to a talking to companies asking them if we can do relaxed performance and they become the internal champions. 

It is not appetite, but it's just about getting them to see what it means for them. 

EVA SIFIS: Thank you. 

QUESTION FROM FLOOR: My name is Marina (unknown term) from the Blacktown Arts Centre. Wendy, I have a question for you, what are your strategies and working with refugees communities? 

WENDY O'NEILL: It's something in terms of the broader community engagement role where we are really starting to develop that. We have something called a First Call Fund, and we connected with a range of refugee organisations and we partner with them. They become our community partners. We support those organisations to bring their community into Arts Centre Melbourne and provide a whole series of ways for them to do that, so that could be coming to see particular show where the tickets are provided. Because for those, the transportation is in it for them. 

That is all funded through donors, as I said it's called the First Call Fund. It is also letting them know about our performances and shows. It is about greeting them when they come, so when they do make the visit to Arts Centre Melbourne, that

there is someone there, right at the front door welcoming them and walk in and through the organisation. 

Sometimes, in fact, that means a couple of visits. That can mean organising a tour were first and coming to see a show. At the moment, that is one of the key ways we are doing. We, in fact, have just had a series of consultations and we have invited those organisations to come in at, as well as other community organisations to say that we've got this fund and we really want to deepen engagement and relationship we have with you, how do you want to see it working? 

QUESTION FROM FLOOR: Hi, my name is Fleur, I'm from Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. We have a lot of relaxed performances as part of our children's schools programs. Nichole, you touched on this with respect to social stories. I was wondering what you, Nichole and Wendy, what the way forward was for relaxed performances in the future? 

NICHOLE CONOLLY: I think definitely a start would be networking with, like, when do you see organisations that you want to work with or focus on and getting their side of the story and what they would like to see, like with the autistic community. They recently did a 'Lion King' relaxed performance in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. They work with Disney and Autism Australia and the theatre. 

Yes, it's definitely about networking and finding those mutual goals and objectives. 

WENDY O'NEILL: I agree with Nichole. It's very much a runner networking partnerships we develop, particularly with peak bodies or disability service organisations. And to have them as part of a focus group that might, for example, a rehearsal progress and to get feedback, and debrief on a performance, so you have that circuit, if you like, all of ways to improve it. 

In terms of finessing, front of house people play a key part in relaxed performances. Staff that are trained, confident and really comfortable is vital. Absolutely, and that, you know, the development of the visual story and getting that up there is key to a great relaxed performance. 

One of the things that we've done, you might have noticed one of the slides had a relaxed performance, and a smiley face. We also have what we call access friendly performances where we have the same thing, it's a relaxed performance, and doors to the theatre, they may open house lights which are up, staff can assist, a quiet chill out space and visual stories are provided. 

But we don't reduce the capacity and it does not involve changes to the actual production. So that is as it is. But we prepare people through the visual story. And what that means as we are able to provide a stepping stone, so a lot of families will

go from a relaxed performance to an access friendly performance and then to a GP show. 

Broadens the offering that we have, so for example in a week's performance, we might have a relaxed performance as well as an access friendly performance as well is the GP performances that anyone comes to. 

MATTHEW COLLINS: Can I just say something about friendly theatres? Something we are keen to explore, we've heard horror stories from Gig Buddies going to be news and I personally have had to deal with one establishment in Sydney after a bouncer accused one of a Gig Buddies who had CP of being intoxicated, totally demeaning, degrading, and the volunteer at the time spoke to the bouncer and said that this is the situation. Again, no one should have to go for the conversation but they did. They got on to the establishment, the dancefloor, sat down and a bouncer again, approach the Gig Buddies and asked him to leave on the accusation that he was drunk. He does not drink. 

We had a horror story of that, we contacted the establishment, and we will not name them because I'm noticing with, because they improved their training, but this is something we need about education around nightclub bouncers, which is prevalent to Gig Buddies Sydney. 

EVA SIFIS: Yes, I can attest to that sort of treatment. In the early days of my head injury, I was accused of being intoxicated so many times. And unfortunately, with head injury you kind of lack control. And so those bouncers got a good talking to, put it that way. 

(Laughter) 

EVA SIFIS: But anyway. I would like to thank Carol and Matthew, and Nichole and Wendy. Thank you for coming and listening. And yeah, here's to more audience-friendly performances. Thank you very much. 

(Applause) 

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