potential as an inclusive environmental
point in their career, to engage with so
awareness practice, for many years to come.
many diverse participants, to the degree Catalyst Dance enabled, due to a lack of
Working truly inclusively as a director,
resources. I wonder what the future holds
teacher and choreographer warrants that
for on-going deeper inquiry into inclusive
one must be continually versatile and very
arts practice?
swift in adapting processes that suit each individual’s needs. I love the challenge
There is so much that the wider arts
being this inclusive presents. To enforce
community need to know about being
a single discipline, for instance, a purely
inclusive and the benefits it brings to
choreographic one based only on how
practice and process. In lieu of there
my body’s abilities function, would be
being no formal tertiary course catering
imposing and ethically unsound. This off-
specifically for artists living with dis-
the-cuff adaption process takes time to
ability, platforms like Catalyst Dance are
develop and a lot of patience and trial and
essential. When the independent artist
error. It also has beneficial properties in
also lives with disability, one’s resources
terms of developing versatility skills, and
are often stretched to near breaking point.
thus, more democratic leadership skills. It
Until we acknowledge the pressures the
can teach us to curate people’s needs as
groundswell independent arts sector is
opposed to only enforcing an unchallenged
under, we will not truly supersede the
set of choreographic principles. To this
restrictions placed on us as otherwise
end, the Catalyst Dance series has helped
prolific, exceptionally inventive individuals.
me formulate a much more versatile, fair
Platforms like Catalyst Dance are a vital
and mature inclusive performance making
human exchange system. We need more
and movement research process.
of them, now more than ever. I hope we can find another platform as incredibly
Inclusive skills development opportunities
valuable and beneficial for both leading
are very rare. Indeed, it is very sad to
practitioners and emerging artists alike,
hear that Catalyst has come to an end,
living with or without disability, that also
especially in a climate that is becoming
embrace and respect the wisdom of mature
increasingly more difficult to function as a
practice in the way Catalyst Dance has.
mature practitioner without infrastructural support and the decrease in Federal funding for the small to medium sector. It is difficult for independent artists, at any
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