Somersault - Tony Doyle

Somersault

WHO
Tony Doyle

With more than 20 years of experience in the disability and arts sectors, Tony Doyle is recognised as an advocate of the arts-based disability culture movement.

Influenced by living his life as visually impaired, Tony has focused his professional career on disability inclusive arts practice. During his twelve years as director of Arts in Action, Tony initiated: Club Contagious, The High Beam Festival (multi-arts festival based in Adelaide) and Step Into Space, a theatre production involving several sight impaired people, as well as many other exciting projects that enabled people with disabilities to participate in the arts.

Founded in 2002, Tony Doyle Visions (TDV) grew from work carried out as part of an Australia Council fellowship and a Churchill fellowship to research and develops models of disability inclusive arts practice. This model is based on disability integration from a position of community strength and support.

TDV provides several areas of work and services with a main focus on disability and the arts. This is achieved through engaging people with disabilities in arts workshops,performances and public celebratory events, many of which provide an opportunity for disability and mainstream communities and events to integrate, share and celebrate cultural diversity. TDV also offers project development, event and production management. TDV initiates and runs many events throughout the year. Current projects include the Somersault Project, The Music Works and the Rainbow Sessions.

WHAT
Doyle’s 2009 Creative Producer program consists of delivering a total of ten music and performance workshops, twenty visual arts workshops and four disability inclusive cultural events in metropolitan and regional South Australia.

Somersault events feature the creative Village installation and a performance program that consists of a broad cross section of mainstream and disability performers.

WHERE
South Australia, Australia

WHEN
2009

WHY
Doyle aims to provide an opportunity for people with disabilities, community artists and audiences in regional areas to participate in a community cultural development project, as well as:
- Create new links between metropolitan and regional disability organisations and communities
- Promote and showcase the creativity of people with disabilities as well as highlighting the value of leadership in disability arts
- Contribute to the Port Festival further establishing itself at the cutting edge of disability culture and inclusion in South Australia
- Increase disability inclusiveness and diversity in Australia’s cultural life

HOW
Doyle draws over twenty years of experience and achievements in disability arts and as a result the project will utilise the skills of highly experienced artists, composers and musicians.

The project’s administration and event production teams are also highly skilled professionals having worked together for several years resourcing and delivering a diverse range of events and activities.

Doyle also utilises a highly developed network of agency partners to collaborate on the project.

This Case Study was originally produced by the Australia Council's Community Partnership Section as documentation of its Creative Producer grants.
The Australia Council for the Arts is the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body.
It supports and promotes excellence in the arts and community engagement with them. www.australiacouncil.gov.au

Download the PDF of this Case Study here.