The ongoing role of the Access Facilitator, held by Georgia Scott, is central to Backstage Music's commitment to accessibility. This involves providing continuous curatorial guidance to ensure programs are inherently inclusive, offering expert advice on best practices in disability access, and actively training staff while sharing crucial knowledge across the organisation. This role also entails direct, ongoing support for artists with disabilities, ensuring their individual access needs are met throughout every project, and overseeing the practical implementation of accessibility measures in Backstage Music's work.

Ria Andriani plays a key role at Backstage Music, combining artistic leadership with her deep expertise in accessibility, particularly for artists with disabilities. As both a curator and a performer, she has actively shaped Backstage's artistic vision with inclusion at its heart. Beyond programming, Ria is a vital advisor, drawing on her knowledge and advocacy in the disability arts sector to guide Backstage's accessibility practices.

Backstage Music has strategically sought industry expertise to strengthen its commitment to accessibility and inclusion. We have consulted with Morwenna Collett and Janelle Ryan, both recognised experts in the field. Furthermore, Backstage engaged in ongoing consultation with Accessible Arts, the peak arts and disability body in NSW, during the development of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan. These collaborations ensure Backstage Music's practices are informed by leading knowledge and best practices within the sector.

Backstage established foundational access practices, including paid curator/facilitator roles for artists with disability (SHIFT), accessible documentation, artist-led language protocols around identity, and initial access training. The challenges of last-minute venue changes highlighted the critical need for proactive accessibility planning.

The 2024 season saw further integration of access, with dedicated budgets and paid access roles (TRACE). Specific feedback processes were implemented, including accessible QR code forms linked to DIAP outcome measures. Artist communication preferences were prioritised, and ongoing consultation with Accessible Arts informed the DIAP. The Inclusion and Access Sub-Committee’s foundation was established, and audience feedback was actively sought. Learnings from access training were shared.

Backstage aims to embed disability leadership, continue paid access roles, and implement feedback to refine accessible/relaxed concerts. The Inclusion and Access Sub-Committee’s tasks will be developed, and outreach to disability organisations will be prioritised to increase audience reach. Aesthetic integration of access into artistic works will be further explored. 

A last-minute venue change necessitated a move to an older building with limited inherent accessibility features.

Solutions & Learnings

• Transparent Communication: Recognising the limitations, Backstage prioritised clear and proactive communication. Detailed access information was prominently displayed on the website in advance of the event and reiterated verbally at the concert's commencement. This transparency aimed to empower audience members to make informed decisions about their attendance and prepare for any potential access barriers.

• Technological Solutions for Communication: To enhance understanding for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees, live captioning was provided for the post-performance panel discussion, facilitating engagement with the artists' insights and experiences. For pieces incorporating lyrics, pre-recorded surtitle-style captions were displayed via PowerPoint, ensuring access to the textual elements of the music.

• Sensory Considerations for Neurodivergent Audiences: Recognising the potential for sensory overload, particularly in unfamiliar environments, Backstage implemented low-cost, practical adjustments. Opening windows allowed natural sunlight into the space, reducing the need for artificial lighting. A designated quiet space (the venue's kitchen) offered a retreat for individuals needing a break from the performance environment. Furthermore, doors were left open, granting audience members the freedom to move in and out of the performance space as needed, promoting a sense of control and comfort.

• Proactive Audience Education: To foster a more inclusive and understanding atmosphere, the audience was proactively informed about access provisions before the concert began. This included clearly outlining the location of accessible bathrooms, reiterating the open-door policy, and emphasising the permissibility of movement during the performance. This upfront communication aimed to reduce anxiety and empower audience members to navigate the space according to their needs.

• Centering Artist Experience: The inclusion of a Q&A panel featuring the artists was a deliberate choice to centre the discussion around their voices and lived experiences. This provided an opportunity for audience members to gain deeper insights into the creative process and the unique perspectives of artists with disability, fostering empathy and understanding.

Outcome

While the venue limitations presented a significant hurdle, the strategies implemented for "SHIFT" demonstrated Backstage Music's commitment to providing workarounds for access barriers and fostering an inclusive environment for both artists and audiences.. The clear communication, technological aids, sensory considerations, proactive education, and artist-centred engagement provided valuable lessons that informed subsequent access planning for the "TRACE" concert. These lessons also continue to shape Backstage Music's ongoing commitment to accessibility. The positive feedback received, despite the venue challenges, underscored the importance of these proactive and communicative approaches.

Sweet Boy Sonnet, who has unilateral hearing loss and identifies as having a disability, initially feared that any art she created for BackStage would have to be ‘disabled art’. She instead was relieved that the brief form BackStage was broader, allowing for a more nuanced approach. This helped her grow as an artist and in her understanding of herself and her practice. 

Sonnet found working with BackStage producer Damian Barbeler liberating. "He opened my eyes in trying to encourage me to create art that was just what I wanted to make, and it would just have a disabled lens." she said in an interview with the ABC. Human Fish, took inspiration from Sweet Boy Sonnet’s lived experience, drawing from her feeling of being "stuck between two worlds". "I'm not part of the deaf community and I'm not part of the able community," she says. "I kept coming back to this metaphor of being a mermaid or being amphibious." Sweet Boy Sonnet felt that Unbound gave her the unique opportunity to have free rein to explore what was important to her as an artist whilst under the mentorship of experienced artists in the field. For Sweet Boy Sonnet, it was clear BackStage provided a safe space for diverse artists to experiment with new ideas and grow. Speaking to the ABC about being part of the program, she said "It was so nice to just watch people be themselves and have this exciting dimension of their disabilities in it,". She enjoyed her experience performing at Unbound so much that she subsequently returned to perform at BackStage’s Children of the Resistors concert in 2026, mentored by Damian Barbeler.

Reflections

This case study highlights the importance of centering the artist in the creative process and giving them the freedom to create without assumptions. It reinforces that BackStage has been successful in helping some of the artists with disability involved in our programming to further grow and solidify their compositional voices. Alongside this, Sweet Boy Sonnet’s reflections highlight that working with BackStage helped her to have a deeper understanding of how to engage audiences with her unique lived experience without feeling pidgeonholed.

*Visual Story – a step-by-step written guide with still images showing: How to book; Venue photographs; Information about the concert (synopsis with pictures); What happens on arrival; Who will be there, and any performance timings.

*Sonic Story - a chronological breakdown of each piece detailing unexpected sounds, sudden changes in volume, instrumentation etc.

*Audio description - The auditory narration of visual representations such as television programs, films and live performances. During gaps in dialogue, audio description describes visual elements such as scenes, settings, actions and costumes.

*Companion Cards - Free tickets and seating for the support workers of people holding a companion card when attending the event with the person they support. 

*Access Rider -  A template provided to  all artists in which they outline their access requirements to ensure their access needs are met when working with BackStage.