Regional Program
DADAA is committed to resourcing regional Western Australian communities through the development of collaborative regional arts programs designed to meet the needs of people experiencing a disability or living with a mental illness.
DADAA first began working in regional WA communities in 2001, when the company was invited to undertake consultation into the cultural participation needs of people with disabilities living in the Great Southern region of WA.
DADAA is committed to engaging regional Western Australian communities, through the development of targeted Arts and Disability programs designed to respond to the changing needs of West Australians who experience disabilities and/or are living with a mental illness.
DADAA takes a holistic approach to its practice in regional communities, working broadly across the Arts, Disability and Health sectors, with attention to the particular needs of families and carers of people with disabilities.
Key Principles
• DADAA only works in regional communities by invitation and compatibility with strategic directions;• DADAA works from a community consultative approach to ensure that programs are developed in response to the stated needs of the communities in which we work;
• DADAA’s expertise and focus are the 20 per cent of the population who experience a disability;
• DADAA works in partnership with existing organisations to extend local capacity in a way that meets the needs and cultural directions of the local disability community;
• DADAA works on a five-year engagement cycle with regional communities, with a focus on capacity building, mentoring and delivering programs that remain embedded at the local level for the long term;
• DADAA does not seek to engage in commercial activity or profit from the sale of artwork arising out of regional collaboration; and
• Staff of DADAA do not seek to benefit personally from their work in regional communities, either through the purchase of artwork from project participants or the acceptance of gifts from participants.
Regional Governance
All regionally based DADAA programs work through the establishment of locally based Project References Groups (PRGs), which are formed in the early stages of each project. PRGs are viewed by DADAA as essential in ensuring that all aspects of project development, planning and service delivery are guided by representatives of the communities in which DADAA works.Representation of PRGs are drawn from local Arts, Disability, Mental Health, Health and Local Government groups who together form a joint working party with key staff of DADAA to inform all aspects of regional Arts and Disability program planning, consultation and coordination.
PRGs meet on a monthly basis around the State, providing staff of DADAA with local guidance throughout the life of projects.
Local Partnerships
Multi-sector partnerships for sustainable Arts and Disability development are complex. They critically depend on establishing strong working relationships between key individuals often from radically different working cultures. For this reason, they take considerable effort to establish and to nurture to maturity. In addition, the time required to build strong and enduring partnerships, often in a climate of urgent development need, can lead to frustration and disappointment. The challenge, therefore, is to form robust partnerships efficiently and effectively so that moving from the exploratory phase to project design, development and implementation is as seamless and speedy as possible without involving compromises in terms of either integrity or sustainability.The South West: Bunbury Program
The About Face program is DADAA's Bunbury-based regional arts and cultural development program. the program offers a range of multi-disciplinary short-term and ongoing arts activities with a focus on performance through About Face Theatre run by the Bunbury Musical Comedy Group. About Face is establishing a new collaboration with the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries and is also seeking to establish an Art Partners program, whereby participants would be partnered with a mentor and attend mainstream classes at the Stirling Street Arts Centre.DADAA and The City of Bunbury recently launched the public sculpture, Circus Train–SLOW DOWN! which resulted from a six-year community arts initiative called Bridging the Gap. The initiative involved retired railway workers and people with intellectual disabilities. To find out more about Bridging the Gap, visit the Disseminate website.
Esperance: Beginning 2011
DADAA is in the process of establishing a partnership with the Bay of Islands Community Outreach (BOICO) and Esperance Community Arts to assist in the launch and implementation of a program in the latter half of 2011.
Lancelin Art Studio: Take a Break Centre
Take A Break Centre provides arts and recreational programs funded by Home and Community Care and Disability Services Commission. The programs aim to provide pathways to wellness, and include activities in painting, ceramics, mosaics, pottery, textiles as well as workshops by various visiting artists.Services provided include centre-based day care, transport, counselling, advocacy and social support. Eligibility is from young adults to frail aged participants, and those with mental illness.
West Kimberley: Derby and Fitzroy Crossing
DADAA offers programs in the towns of Derby and Fitzroy Crossing. It is a multidisciplinary arts program including short-term and ongoing free workshops in visual arts, performance, dance, digital media, writing and music. Workshops are designed to work towards participation in the annual MarshART project that is held each year as part of the Boab Festival. The program caters for children, young people and adults.MarshART