We are excited to share the first Commotion offering: the Commotion Workshops!
Hosted online, these free workshops are for any d/Deaf or disabled artist wanting to build their career. Each workshop focuses on the things you need to work professionally in the arts.
If you’re looking for the chance to learn new skills to help progress your career, you’ll find it at Commotion. Scroll down to learn more about each workshop and book your spot.
Commotion is an artist development program from Access Arts and Undercover Artist. These workshops are made possible thanks to National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA).
This workshop for artists and arts workers will help you make a great first impression.
In this workshop, you will:
Artist Toolkit workshop is here to help you stand out!
The workshop is led by Undercover Artist Festival Director Madeleine (Maddie) Little.
Monday 18 May
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Online – This workshop will be held on Microsoft Teams
Free!
Perfect for early career artists and arts workers, this workshop is about keeping everyone safe from emotional harm when making art.
It will focus on cultural safety for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse artists and arts workers, including disabled and d/Deaf people. The workshop is led by respected arts leader Uncle Paul Constable Calcott.
You will learn about:
This workshop is also a chance to meet other artists and learn from each other’s stories, and gain insight from Uncle Paul Constable Calcott.
Wednesday, 20 May
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Online – This workshop will be held on Microsoft Teams
Free!
This workshop is for artists and arts workers who are new to grants.
After this workshop, you will know more about the grants that are right for you. You will also know how to pull together the right supporting materials to show your best work.
Monday, 25 May
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Online – This workshop will be held on Microsoft Teams
Free!
This workshop is perfect for artists who have an amazing idea for a show, but no idea how to make it happen.
If you are interested in producing your own work, this workshop will help you understand what it takes.
You will learn:
Wednesday, 27 May
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Online – This workshop will be held on Microsoft Teams
Free!
It’s our artist development program! Commotion focuses on the skills and helpful tools you need to work in the arts. It’s perfect for emerging and early-career artists and arts workers.
The workshops are open to all! We have designed them with early career artists and arts workers in mind. We really encourage CALD d/Deaf and disabled artists to join us. Please share your access and language needs when you book so we can support you.
Undercover Artist Festival is part of Access Arts, so workshops are the same – they just have a new name! We gave the workshops a new name because we wanted everyone to get to know Commotion as the artist development program offerings from Access Arts.
We hope that it will make it easier to find the right program for you. We also wanted to make the difference between artist development and creative project development clearer.
We are focused on delivering Workshops in mid-2026. We are sad to say we do not have plans to present a Development Program for new creative projects in 2026.
We hope so! If we are able to present the UADP again, we will share the news on our website and social media pages.
Two ideas helped us pick the name ‘Commotion’. The first was to combine ‘community’ and ‘in motion’, to describe how we want the workshops to help artists move forward in their careers.
The second idea is that causing a ‘commotion’ means disturbing something in a way that draws attention. Disabled and d/Deaf artists often disturb the way things are done and offer something new and exciting instead. We wanted to recognise that the artists we work with do things differently and have an impact.
That’s how ‘Commotion’ was born!
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