BY EMMA BENNISON, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ACCESS ARTS (QUEENSLAND)
Background to the Festival
The Wataboshi music festival was initiated in the mid 1970’s by Tanpopo No-Ye, (an arts and disability organisation in Japan) to provide a platform for poets and musicians with disabilities to share their stories through original songs. The word Wataboshi is a Japanese word meaning seed of the dandelion flower. The dandelion seeds are carried by the wind all across the world. This is a metaphor for the messages of hope, love and understanding which the festival seeks to share through the universal language of music.
In 1991, the festival movement expanded to encompass the Asia Pacific region and is now an international biennial event which attracts significant Government and media support in host countries. In November 2011, the festival movement celebrated its 20th anniversary. For further information about the festival, visit www.wataboshi.net
ACCESS ARTS’ INVOLVEMENT
Access Arts has enjoyed a strong and satisfying creative collaboration with Tanpopo No-Ye since 1997 when Brisbane was first represented at the festival in Nara, Japan. Since then, fifteen Queensland artists have performed at the Festival Gala Concert in seven cities across the region. The positive transformational effects are many and varied, however common to all is a sense of shared experience with like-minded artists in a major international event, increased confidence as performers and writers and increased personal independence.
In November 2003, Access Arts hosted the festival in Brisbane with a highly acclaimed program of performances, installations and workshops in addition to the festival gala concert held at the Brisbane Powerhouse. In 2014, Access Arts will host the 12th Asia Pacific Wataboshi Festival in Cairns.
2012 Festival Overview
The 2012 festival was held from 26 February to 3 March 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. It was hosted by the Network of Music and Arts by People with Disabilities (NMAD), an organisation which strives for excellence and professionalism both for the organisation and artists with and without disability with whom it collaborates. The festival was planned for November 2011, however due to serious floods in Bangkok, it was postponed. NMAD had been concerned that many delegations would not attend due to the additional costs incurred as a result of the postponement, however, this was not the case and twelve delegations from across the Asia Pacific were in attendance.
Activities Undertaken By Access Arts
Overview
Access Arts was involved in the festival gala concert, the meeting of the Wataboshi network comprising representatives and observers of all delegations, curating of Polyphonic, many voices, many styles, a national exhibition of work by artists with disability and discussion and transference ceremony of Wataboshi to Access Arts in 2014.
Gala Concert
The Gala Concert is the major activity of the festival. It was held on 29 February at the Royal Theatre in Bangkok. Since 2009, Access Arts has been holding a song quest to decide who will perform at the festival. In 2011, a panel of three independent artists selected Gold Coast song-writer Jesse Paterson to perform his song “Lightning Hits Me.” The audience of 150 were enthusiastic about the song and particularly enjoyed Jesse’s dance movements and his infectious personality evident in his performance and pre-performance interview filmed prior to the concert. Access Arts would like to sincerely thank Jesse for his performance and wish him success in the future. Having attended two previous festivals, I was pleased to note a very high standard of performances at the concert. A DVD will be provided within the next few months.
Polyphonic, Many Voices, Many Styles Exhibition
The aims of the Polyphonic, Many Voices, Many Styles exhibition included:
- To provide a high quality professional development opportunity for Australian artists experiencing disability to participate in a curated international exhibition
- For the exhibition to attract a broad audience in a professional international gallery which contributes to Goal 2 of the National Arts and Disability Strategy
- Increase opportunities for the presentation of work by artists with a disability
- To increase the international profile of artists experiencing disability
- For Access Arts to establish and strengthen existing professional partnerships with Australian and international arts and disability organisations
- To provide a platform from which to promote the Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival and the broader Wataboshi movement in preparation for the festival to be hosted by Access Arts Qld in Cairns in 2014.
The exhibition of twenty-four works by fourteen artists in a range of media featured emerging and professional artists with disability from Brisbane, regional and remote Queensland and interstate. The exhibition was curated by Jasmin Jacobson, Access Arts’ Visual Arts Co-ordinator and was shown at the Royal Theatre during the gala concert. It was also used as the backdrop for a number of media interview filmed just prior to the concert. Accessibility was a high priority and catalogues were provided in Thai, English and Braille, with the braille version including text descriptions of the works. Approximately 150 people viewed the exhibition and there were many positive responses to the work. Jasper Joy from Brisbane and Cath Duncan from Melbourne attended the festival and experienced the thrill of seeing their work exhibited.
Wataboshi Network Meeting
I attended the Wataboshi network meeting along with Cath Duncan who attended as an observer. All delegations provided presentations on their work over the past two years. It was interesting to note that many are focusing strongly on professional development and community cultural development as opposed to day service and charitable models. TANPOPO No-Ye Executive Director, Mr Murikami also provided an overview of the history of the Wataboshi Music festival to mark its 20th anniversary. This was interesting and informative, particularly for those who were new to the network.
There was also discussion regarding plans for the next festival to be hosted by Access Arts in Cairns in 2013. It was decided that it would be preferable to postpone it until 2014 to provide additional time for fundraising and marketing efforts, given the postponement of the 2011 festival to 2012.
Finally, I presented some opportunities for further developing the network in the future and ensuring there are opportunities for network collaboration to occur beyond the festival. Whilst the plan I put forward was generally well-received, I sense that the network is not ready to take this step as yet for a raft of complex reasons. However, there was agreement that a website and a corporate kit would prove useful in promoting the festival and in seeking sponsorship, particularly from international companies. Funders and Partners
Wataboshi 2014
At the conclusion of the gala concert, I had the great privilege of participating in the transference ceremony, where the Wataboshi flower was passed to Access Arts as host of the festival in Cairns in 2014. I was deeply moved by a poem which the President of NMAD composed and read for the occasion which traces the growth, struggles and flourishing of the dandelion flower. In my speech I promised to keep it close by to provide inspiration as we negotiate the inevitable struggles of hosting an international festival. I also provided a brief overview of what Cairns has to offer both as a tourist destination and in terms of arts and cultural experiences, particularly from our Indigenous Australians. I also introduced the Polyphonic, Many Voices, Many Styles exhibition and acknowledged the support of the Australia-Thailand Institute and other funders and supporters.
Following the concert, a number of the delegations approached me to wish us luck and offer practical support. This was very heartening and gives a sense of the connectedness of network members, many of whom have developed strong bonds over a number of years. I also had positive discussions with Mr Murrikami from Tanpopo No-Ye. We discussed the timing of the festival and I will take his suggestions back to the local steering committee for a final decision regarding the date. Mr Murrikami also indicated a willingness to come to Brisbane or Cairns next year for further discussions and promotion of the festival locally.
Partners and Supporters
We would like to sincerely thank the following individuals and organisations for their support of activities associated with Wataboshi 2012:
- Access Arts’ patron, Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC
- NMAD Chairperson, Mr Sawang Srissom, his staff and volunteers
- Mr Harima, Chairperson, Mr Murikami, Executive Officer and staff at Tanpopo No-ye, Nara, Japan
- Donors to Access Arts’ SAFE Fund
- Donors to Access Arts’ Wataboshi appeal
- Design Explosions
- Vaughn Bennison for braille transcription
- Janelle Colquhoun, Simone Pitot, Anna Jones and Peter Vance for assistance with Song Quest 2011
