SARAH-VYNE VASSALLO I write this introduction as a Sydney based
in Australia, it is an ‘emerging’ area of
NSW Australian artist and I want to pay
practice. Whilst there have been many
homage to the many non-conventional
artists cultivating, developing and leading
artists and thinkers that have gone before
in this field for over a decade, it has
us. Particularly in the historical dance
only recently become recognised more
lineage to the likes of the expressionists,
publicly within the contemporary arts and
the avant-garde artists, the modernists
cultural community.
and post-modernists. Whilst there are too many names to mention, I fully understand
In 2010, I began working part-time for
that the ‘claiming of space’ is not a new
Accessible Arts as an Arts Development
concept and, in fact, has been the systemic
Manager in performing arts. With my area
ingredient for the evolution of the arts for
of practice being dance and theatre, I was
hundreds of years. ‘The Critical Dialogues:
given a long leash by the CEO, Sancha
Claiming Space’ e-journal has been inspired
Donald, to explore what opportunities
and curated with this in mind.
were available to people with disability to engage with contemporary dance in a
Over the last 25 years, the professional
professional environment. I spent my first
practice of integrated contemporary
12 months conducting field work, research
dance has been building momentum in the
and interviews. Sadly, at this time there
United Kingdom and America. Currently
were no current opportunities or pathways
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