Coming Together Through Creativity

03/12/2025

Coming Together Through Creativity

A Stronger Performing Arts Community in 2026

December 3, 2025

In 2026, Access Arts and Screech Arts will come together under one inclusive, accessible, and artistically rich program of workshops, performances, and creative development opportunities.

This renewal builds on the extraordinary success of Screech Arts’ recent productions PUSH and Wired Differently — two bold showcases of disability-led storytelling, physical theatre, and creative excellence that have inspired audiences and artists alike.

PUSH, presented at the 2025 Anywhere Theatre Festival, brought audiences to their feet at The Paint Factory in Yeronga. Directed by Martina Smart and Lynne Bradley, the production shared raw, authentic stories of resilience, imagination, and community through movement, poetry, and song — celebrating what it means to push boundaries and overcome obstacles together.

Wired Differently, co-produced with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre and presented at Queensland Theatre for Undercover Artist Festival 2025, featured eight extraordinary performers who identify as neurodivergent or living with disability. Through dance, physical theatre, and spoken word, the show invited audiences to see the world through a different lens — one wired for empathy, courage, and creativity.

The performance was astonishing. There was love, touch, warmth, humour, and power — and art. We need these things, so thank you.

— Dr John Bingly, Surgeon & Counsellor

Wired Differently was so beautiful. My heart was bursting. It spoke to my soul.

— Jacinta Maxwell, Performer

These productions reflect the heart of Screech Arts — a space where collaboration, creativity, and courage thrive. Every week, artists come together through Access Arts’ Screech Arts Program to explore new ideas, build confidence, and create powerful performances that challenge and inspire.

The program is open to anyone who wants to develop their artistic skills, connect with others, and be part of a vibrant inclusive community. It stands as a testament to the incredible artists, facilitators, and support workers who bring these stories to life — and to the audiences who embrace them with open hearts.

Behind each performance stands a passionate creative team dedicated to inclusive excellence and artistic innovation:

– Martina Smart (Director)

– Lynne Bradley (Co-Director)

– Sarah McGill (Choreographer)

– Niala Lewis (Dramaturg / Writer)

Together, their work continues to redefine what inclusive performance can be – art that moves and connects us all.

Access Arts and QYO: Spotlighting Connection

29/09/2025

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Access Arts and Queensland Youth Orchestra:

Spotlighting Connection

September 29, 2025

For Chantal (Access Arts participant), Dylan (QYO first violinist), and the delighted audience, something extraordinary unfolded at The Old Museum Concert Hall this September.

In a powerful collaboration between Access Arts and Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO), artist Chantal Simpson took to the stage alongside the full Queensland Youth Orchestra 3, in a performance that will be remembered long after the final, beautifully suspended note played by Dylan and the orchestra. Such a rare moment this is — when movement, music, and meaning align so seamlessly on stage.

Chantal, a long-standing member of the Access Arts Theatre and Dance Ensemble, performed a stirring solo choreographed in response to Hope: For Orchestra — a work composed during the height of the COVID pandemic. With Dylan Jae Huang leading as first violinist, the orchestral score echoed the collective feelings of uncertainty, loss, and resilience that artists around the world experienced during that time.

Chantal’s performance translated this emotional landscape into movement with both vulnerability and strength, weaving through the music with grace and power. Her connection with the orchestra — and particularly with Dylan — created a captivating dialogue between sound and body

Amazing experience dancing to music by the Youth Orchestra. I’m so proud of what I have been able to achieve — a huge thank you to Access Arts and QYO for creating such a beautiful performance and for all the support.

— Chantal Simpson, Performer

The collaboration marked a significant milestone in inclusive arts programming in Queensland. With the partnership having a lasting impact on QYO’s young musicians, many of whom had never shared the stage with an artist with disability in such an integrated way.

This collaboration with QYO was a profound moment for Access Arts. Seeing Chantal perform with such grace and emotional power, in dialogue with a live orchestra, was a reminder of what’s possible when we center access and share our artistic spaces.

— Tim Brown, Arts Manager, Access Arts

It was an absolute privilege to partner with Access Arts and witness the magic that unfolded on stage. Chantal’s performance added a unique and deeply human layer to the music. For our young musicians, this was a meaningful and unforgettable artistic exchange.

— Amanda Jolly, Executive Director, Queensland Youth Orchestras

We look forward to many more years of collaboration between Access Arts and Queensland Youth Orchestra. We thank everyone for their support in making this happen.

Photos by Access Arts. Featuring Chantal Simpson and members of QYO during rehearsal and performance.