Danielle MICICH Force Majeure in partnership with Dance
learning how to work with a new group
Integrated Australia.
of people that have different skills, needs
Commissioned by Carriageworks for
and abilities.
New Normal National Arts and Disability Strategy, August 2016.
What I learned that day were lessons I have kept with me ever since; I can never
One of my first professional engagements
be prepared enough, I should never assume
as a graduate was to lead a movement
anything, that I never have enough time
workshop for people with disability. Not
and that it’s good to leave my ego at the
something I had any experience with at the
door. These were more lessons for life
time, I recall how nervous I was preparing
perhaps, but they have translated well
and not feeling confident that I had the
into my work ethics.
skills to deliver. I was finding it difficult to plan as I had not been informed about
Twenty years on and now as Co-Director
room dynamics, the etiquette or what the
of ‘Off The Record’ with Philip Channells1,
needs might be. So, I went in with some
I found myself reflecting again on the
loose concepts for generating movement
process of making a work with artists
and kept an open mind, knowing it might
with disability. As resident company of
be a disaster, which to my own surprise
Carriageworks, ‘Off The Record’ was
it wasn’t. It was a beautiful exchange,
commission by them as a part of their
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