This week on The I Can't Stand Podcast, Peta chats with the inspiring team behind Sprung Dance Theatre. Discover how this unique organisation supports disabled and deaf artists in Northern NSW, providing them with the tools and opportunities to thrive as professionals.
With insights from Artistic Director Daniele Constance, Ensemble Artist Manager Katie Cooper-Wares, and performer Tara Coughlan, this episode shines a light on the power of creativity and community in the disability arts sector.
Connect with Sprung:
Website: https://www.sprung.org.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9g84TLN74Z/?img_index=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sprungdance/
Email: info@sprung.org.au
Connect with Peta:
Instagram: @petahooke
Website: www.icantstandpodcast.com
Email: icantstandpodcast@gmail.com
Episode Transcript: https://www.icantstandpodcast.com/post/
Hello, and welcome to the Icon't Stand Podcast. The podcast answering your questions and what life is like when you have a disability. My name is Peter, I have several palsy and I'm your host. Have you ever wondered if there's a pathway for disabled people to become professional artists. Well, there's one amazing ensemble company up in northern New South Wales here in Australia doing just that. Sprung Ensemble is an amazing example of what disability led arts can be. I have three amazing individuals coming to speak to me today. I have Tara who is part of the ensemble. I have Danielle who is the artistic director, and I have Katie who is the ensemble artist manager. Each person speaks beautifully on why this sort of group is so important and the impact it has in the arts industry here in Australia. So, without any further ado, let's get into it.
So my name is taw Luis Klockman. I am the artist ensemble from Sprung.
Hi, I'm Danielle Constance and I'm the artistic director at Sprung Dance Theater.
And I'm Katie Cooper WIRs. I'm the Sprung Ensemble Artist manager.
Thank you so much for being here, Danielle. I might start with you what is Sprung Ensemble or Sprung Dance Theater.
Sprung Dance Theater is a disability and arts organization based on Bungelung Country in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Sprung caters and provides a whole range of different programs and opportunities for deaf and or disabled artists from across the region in the Northern Rivers to come together and experience arts and culture and have opportunities to develop skills, experiences and make work, make creative works. As part of Sprung, we also have an ensemble of which Tara is one of the members of. And Sprung Ensemble is yeah, a collective of artists of ten deaf and or disabled artists who have worked together for almost a decade and Yeah, we train weekly and make new contemporary performance and dance works.
As a disabled person myself, I'm always so thrilled to see disabled culture explored and illustrated in this way. And that's why, in particular, I'm so excited to speak to you, Tara, to talk about how Sprung has impacted your life because I know you've been a part of it since the very start.
Wrong is like my family as because it's been like ten years i've Sprung. So my mother h Robin Margot Bay was a person who started Sprong, so we created Sprong and two rather than twelve twelve.
And I think your mum started Sprong because she realized there wasn't many opportunities for you to be out there as a dancer and an artist making work.
Yeah.
Have you always liked to dance and perform?
Tara? Yeah, I have been dancing since I was four, so like let's say fourteen years.
And how do you feel when you perform?
I feel a bit emotional because maybe loved me performing. I think it's one of the best spin one of the pop stars and that's one one of the stars.
Yeah, I can see that star quality in Utara, so that doesn't surprise me at all. What are your favorite dance styles?
Well, mine is a modern I also do zimba. I also do ballet, tap, probably broad wing, musical and also Irish dancing.
Awesome, Katie. I want to speak to you about the disability led approach that you have at Sprung. What does that look like in practice?
Hmmm.
It looks a lot like knowing when to make offers and knowing when to lead listening so deeply and then really knowing when to get out of the way.
It's a line that we walk where we want.
To support our artists to grow and to be the best artists that they can be with our own networks and our own skills and knowledge, but also recognizing that they are artists in themselves and that they're teaching us all the time. It's a very honest, open process in which it works both ways. And sometimes you know, we don't get things right all the time, and I think that's part of it. It's part of us going okay, no, let's try it this different way.
And and there's a real conversation like a dance. It's an exchange, it's reflexive. It's like you're saying, it's deep listening. And while like particularly within the ensemble, we all identify as disabled and in quite diverse ways. And even though Katie and I are in leadership positions within the ensemble, I guess it's for us it's not enough like disability LED. Could it could be because we identify its disability LED. However, that's not it's not enough for us, or that's not I guess it's we're quite collaborative in our own practices, arts practices and how we work. The ensemble artists expressed very clearly that they were wanting to make decisions, wanting to be a part of decision made king. So we have a thing called Very Serious Business Club.
So Very Business Club is like someone's going to talk to us about any opportunities and other things that we go on tours and go into other places. Yeah, so we can get money.
And yeah, and you get to you get to then give us feedback on that, like we share the updates and things that come through Sprung and all of the artists get to say, yeah, that sounds interesting or like not sure about that?
Can you go back and ask these questions?
Yeah, yeah, And that builds a real sense of ownership as well, so that we're all making decisions together.
Yeah, there's not this like we have voices. We all have voices to share. So if I get an opportunity to have say and have a voice, really yeah.
Yeah, And that's as much in the creative, the creative parts of our work as well as I yes, the kind of producing of the work as well, you know too, so like where does the work go and who else do we want to work with?
Then do we want to go on tour.
It's really great to hear that within your strategy there are steps towards to ensure that artists do have a professional future in this sort of career if they choose to. Because just from my own anecdotal experience, in the past, when I was younger, these sort of groups were often seen as a method to fill in time, and yes, you know, foster creativity, but certainly as far as fostering the idea of a career and fostering talent, I don't think that was really thought of in the past, let alone of actually paying artists for their talents and expertise.
Yeah, I think there's been some really incredible and necessary progress in that space.
I guess.
Yeah, we're really benefiting from all of that incredibly rich and I imagine challenging advocacy that's happened before us as well. Yeah, and we really want to keep pushing that and keep driving that and I think yeah.
And it's also resisting in a changing arts culture and society where people want to hear these stories that they haven't heard before. Yeah, there's a desire, there's a desire to hear it now, which is a really real opportunity for artists.
Yeah.
Yeah, And Katie, I might direct this question to you first, how do you think the disability lens in this circumstance impacts creativity.
It's almost like it's a fuel. It can be a fuel for creativity.
Lots of different people and artists who come and yeah, engage in programs that sprung and also within the ensemble. And like Katie was saying before, we communicate differently.
That's probably one of the.
Key things for us, but we do it. We all move differently. We have different needs, different access needs, but different needs as artists in the room. So I think something that I really love about working in this space is that it is about difference. And it's like trying to remain curious and I don't get it right all the time, but that curiosity is so key at like being curious and being open to all of the incredible creative offers that were given all the time.
In this space.
It requires you to because you to be more creative.
Like I hate using the word innovation when we start talking about arts, but you know, I really think that within the disability in art space, like often the work is incredibly new and innovative, and it is because of those diverse experiences and lenses and perspectives and like ways of being in the world that we all bring.
Yeah, it's it replies things differently, so we have to flip the norm what has always been done in particular ways. We want to see stories that reflect our experiences.
Yeah, we have like different stories, like we're old dazzes that create different stories, and we move our bodies to different types of body work nicely.
Now, Danielle, as someone who isn't always in this space, and I'm speaking for myself, I've only come across something called an access writer very recently, so I'd love for you to explain it to me and help the audience understand if they've not heard it before as well, because as we know, access is so important for disabled and deaf people and in artist spaces, there are specific considerations that need to be considered as well, aren't there.
Access writers are awesome, they are still relatively new. We're still working through creating access writers for everyone.
These novels. This is it's sort of like that it's a bit different.
Yeah, an access writer is like where we put down on paper usually what our access needs are, what we need.
So for me that this job.
When I took this job, it was the first time that I actually I wrote an access writer for myself and I provided it with the employer. And I was really nervous about doing that because I even though I'd signed the contract, I was like, I don't know, is it too much? You know, like I had all of those fears of yeah, the contract being taken away from me because I needed things that maybe maybe the organization couldn't support or would or would get worried about supporting. So I'm really privileged to be able and grateful to be able to say that that was for the first time met with a lot of openness and in saying that, yeah, well we'll we'll, we'll do our best to meet those needs. So an access writer is like we put down on paper the things that we need to be able to do to be able to.
Turn up and do our jobs. So like as artists, yea, what do we need in the in the room.
But then we also think about an access writer as a group because when we work as an ensemble, we.
Have needing access needs. Yeah, so we kind of have to.
So that's definitely where we need to brainstorm all of those things, and like how we work together.
And Katie as the ensemble artist manager and possibly Danielle as the artistic director, what is it like to foster and manage disabled artists while also trying to balance their access needs, particularly when those access needs are so varied for each different person and you're dealing with different people, different talent levels and also different disabilities and requirements. What is that like?
Honestly, it's it's quite exhausting.
It's it's complex, it is it's a challenge. It's a challenge often a challenge.
It is.
I think time is a thing that and we're still learning that.
Yes, we always need more time. Crip time is such a thing. It's so real, and yeah, that's right. We keep learning. We keep giving ourselves more time and we hope that was great, but it's still.
Maybe not enough enough.
So yeah, yeah, and that's us unlearning what we yes, what is in us?
You know?
Yeah, yeah that makes sense? And ti are what have you learned from your fellow disabled and death artists around you? The ensemble?
What I learned from them is that we share we share HRS company, and we share our friendships. And it's great that our dancers we have tenre ensemble and they're from two people from Brisbane and all of them around here. And so I think what I've been learning from them is just being connected by them and because I've been with them for like, you know, ten years, and it's one of the best parts of our connection.
And what about for Katie, I.
Think I've learned not to assume things even though I've been working alongside these artists for nearly seven years now, I think, and I guess it's like what I said before, knowing when to lead and when to get out of the way. Yeah, not assuming that that I know everything.
She doesn't because I don't know what about you, Daniel, Yeah, I mean I echo both of the things Tara and Katie have shared. I think, Yeah, the connections are really strong. There's so much trust being able to be a director in a lot of these projects and in my role, it's a real privilege to be able to be in that position and it comes with a lot of responsibility, but it comes from trust, like you know, and I really feel that it means a lot to us, but it does so.
For anyone who's listening and thinking, gosh, this really sounds like something that I would want to do. How do I get in touch? What's the audition process? Like? Tell me all about that.
So we do lots of different programs at the moment. Most of them happen in the northern rivers in New South Wales, so you've got to come to us, but we do run things online. So, Tulula, what are your ensemble artists? An incredible artist, deaf artist is running Osland Choir at the moment, so she's facilitating that.
She's an amazing.
Singer, signwright, signer, yeah, line singer, and so she interprets.
Songs, particularly pop songs. Swift.
Yeah, she's a Taylor Swift fan and teaches Osland Choir online. And now we're up to about fifty people from all around the country on Tuesday evenings.
And you don't need.
To know any Osland at all. Your complete beginners can come and lot of fun.
We run regular programs, but we do programs that usually fall within the New South Wales school holidays, so not that they're not necessarily like it's not a school holiday program, but we run intensive so usually with guest artists in a particular dial or kind of theme.
So we have one.
Coming up in a few weeks that's a collaboration between a contemporary dance artist and an electronic sound artists a band. That's some Sprung artists who are a part of So with the ensembles, it's more of a commitment. The ensemble artists trained twice a week, we do intensives when we make work together, so that's definitely it's for artists who are more serious and committed and really wanting to build a career. Yeah and yeah, and our programs, the ensemble program is the only one that where there's you know, a bit more of a process involved where you do need to apply and come an audition with us, because it's yeah, it's a professional program and it's got to be a good fit. But all of our other programs are open, so anyone can like call email, text sender.
Out there listening to this podcast, you're dancing in your bedroom secretly call us.
And for those of us who maybe aren't talented in this way but still want to support Sprung, how do you suggest that we do that?
Yes, absolutely, we need audiences for our work always, probably the best is to follow us on social media at the moment. You can sign up to our newsletter, so we share a lot about our upcoming programs and upcoming performances and exhibitions.
They do a big productions as well with the shows.
Basically, yeah, we we have some coming up this year, so.
On October one, September.
Yeah, so we're still waiting on the final date, but we'll have a big work showing in Liz Moore later this year. So I would say jump on and jump on our socials and.
Newsletter and you'll find out more.
Can we be at Sprung Dance on install and on Facebook?
Well, before my last question, I just want to say thank you for the three of you for creating a space that allows for disabled people to explore creativity in any capacity that they feel comfortable. I think it's really important and I really value your work, and I think it's fantastic that you also have a professional method for people to explore this into their career. I think is really valuable. But keeping all that in mind, what do you hope for the future of.
Sprung Well, I think I'll turn ensemble. I think it'll be odd age, but we go to a different paths, like one of us might go to Brisbane or some of us might go somewhere else. Yeah, so for on some of I think we'll do things that are different in the future.
But when I think about the future for all our artists, I get really really excited.
I get a little bit like tingly excited.
Actually, it's been a hard few years.
For all of us here at Sprung with COVID, and we've had a big flood up here and the future and.
The opportunity for artists with disability, and I think that it just looks really good.
The future is bright.
Future is so bright.
Yeah, i'd love to see I'd love to see more growth. I think we're in the right path with what we're doing it Sprung. I'd love to see more support of what we're doing financially, but also support in like more connections and networks across the country. Being regional can feel a little isolating sometimes, and I mean we have an like there's an incredible community here in the Northern Rivers. But yeah, I think it would be really great love in the future just to have more visibility and not just for Sprung, but also like Tara, like you're saying, like for all of the artists within SPRUNG, but also like artists with disability and all who are deaf outside of Sprung, just greater visibility and recognition of the incredible contribution that we make, like I guess in the arts because that's where we work, but also beyond that, just you know, as human beings in the world, and to see things shape, see the shape of things change, you know, as more diverse perspectives and liptics experience, I actually get to shape them.
Thank you for listening to this week's episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget you can always scroll back in the feed and listen to Annie. She is a human rights lawyer specializing in disability rights, and she herself has a disability. She was really open and honest and spoke about important topics, including sexual assault when you have a disability. If that's not quite right for you, there's over one hundred and sixty episodes to choose from, so go have a listen. If you'd like to get in contact with me, you can always send me an email via I Can't Stand Podcast at gmail dot com, or you can follow me over on Instagram, my handle is at Peter Hook spelt p e t a h o K. I'd love to see over the Well. That's it for another week. Have a good one everyone. Until next time bye. I would like to respectfully acknowledge they were wondery and bun wrong people of the Calling Nation of which I record the podcast today, and I pay my respects to both elders past and present, along with and especially to those in the First Nation's communities who are disabled themselves.