Love Me;

In 2015, we set out to enhance the landscape of the Queensland theatre community, by forming a new inclusive company with a focus on creating diverse and unique theatre that leaves a mark. We have had great success, supported by Brisbane City Council's Community Development and Capacity Building Grant and Brisbane Powerhouse we presented our first development of 'Look Mum…No Hands!!!’. In 2016, we staged our premiere production of this show at Redland Performing Arts Centre and Brisbane Powerhouse, with further support from the Endeavour Foundation to fund Auslan interpreting and captioning. We also implemented our workshop series offering skills development and training in the performing arts for young people with disabilities. These workshops are specifically tailored to our participants' needs and incorporate actor training and applied theatre techniques to develop participants' skills, knowledge, and confidence in theatre-making. Through both our performances and workshops we have observed and recorded positive benefits for participants, their families, and social networks which include overcoming barriers to participation in the arts for people with disabilities. We are proud to announce that we have secured funding for 2017 from the Queensland Mental Health Commission to support the development of ‘I Love Me Just The Way I Am’.

---

Company Website

indelabilityarts.com

Unique Selling Point

'Love Me;' is a new, accessible piece for high school students designed to unpack the stigma surrounding mental illness and provoke conversation over how to promote mental wellbeing in young people. Our artists, who all identify as having a disability, also have the lived experience of mental illness and social prejudice that they draw on to bring a unique perspective to this project. It is this personal experience that our artists share with young people to create a show that is raw, funny, and vulnerable in order to connect with diverse audiences.

Marketing Materials

Our shows appeal to a broad audience base, but particularly resonates with audiences who identify as having disabilities as we aim to make our work as accessible and inclusive as possible. Love Me; is specifically designed to engage young people and to prompt discussions around mental health and well-being, so is particularly suitable for schools audiences. A detailed education pack with background information on the show and company, pre-show questions, post-show activities, and curriculum links is available for teachers.

Community Engagement

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, '26.4% of Australians aged 16 to 24' have a mental health condition (ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results 2007, p. 9). 'I Love Me Just the Way I Am' draws on the lived experience of our artists, information provided by partner mental health organisations, and the testimony of young people in order to create a work that speaks directly to the experiences of young people and gives voice to their concerns and insights. This performance is tailor-made to tour to schools and local venues and aims to provoke conversation in the local community over the diverse experiences of young people in regards to mental health across Queensland. This will be facilitated through post-show discussions and feedback and evaluation mechanisms in order to ensure that the performance is responsive to the needs of young people in diverse communities. Furthermore, this show investigates the truth that anyone can struggle with mental illness by considering mental health through the eyes and experiences of someone with a disability. As a company, we are working to connect different organisations – from the arts industry to the disability sector – to promote accessibility and inclusivity within arts practices and community spaces.