The documentary, Dancing Against the Odds will be co-produced over three years and is being led by University of South Australia academics Professor Ruth Rentschler and Dr Boram Lee, leaders in the Arts and Cultural Management program at the university.
The documentaries follow the innovative, creative and diverse journeys of disabled artists across three organisations, Restless Dance Theatre in Adelaide, the Korean Music Project and 29Dong Dance Theatre in Korea, in a new dance theatre collaboration, Counterpoise.
Professor Rentschler and Dr Lee have developed an intercultural collaboration platform, Connect2Abilities, which has enabled these artists to communicate directly with each other, building relationships and fostering cross-cultural engagement.
These powerful interactions film the creative development, digital and stage performances over the next three years. They form the basis of each documentary, shining a light on the transformative power of dance and what can be achieved through cross-cultural inclusion, involvement and understanding.
All communication for the project has been done through the language of dance, supported by English, Korean and sign language.
“In this way, Connect2Abilities has helped develop the artists socially by creating a sense of belonging, being connected (virtually) with others with similar interests and skills, sharing and learning from each other regardless of cultural background,” says Professor Rentschler.
“Creating this sense of belonging for disabled artists has produced amazing results, boosting their careers and forming life-long friendships across cultural borders.”
The project has been made possible through funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program. Another sponsorship has been provided by the Australia-Korea Foundation and Arts Council Korea, bolstering more than 60 years of bilateral relations between Australia and Korea.
The broader long-term goals of Connect2Abilities are to pave the way for ongoing collaborations and partnerships between Australian and Korean arts organisations.
Dr Boram Lee says: “We see our project as timely and contemporary and socially and economically worthwhile for the disrupted creative industries post-COVID-19.”
“COVID-19 turned the creative industries and our project upside down. But pivoting to the digital brought far more opportunities than hurdles. It transformed people’s lives.”
“These documentaries will be raw, honest and confronting to people’s stereotypes of what disabled artists can do, even in the face of a global pandemic.”
The documentaries will be screened at international festivals and symposia, as well as across television and digital platforms celebrating cultural diversity and inclusion.
The announcement of Dancing Against the Odds documentary co-production on Counterpoise coincides with The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This day is a United Nations-sanctioned event which promotes diversity and inclusion. This project, academically informed and practically led, is at the forefront of social change.
