Published: Hops, Steps & Jumps, Children's Welfare Association of Victoria Newsletter
date: 1/03/1977
H1:ARTS ACCESS
Arts Access, a community arts project, will be three years old next month. In this time it has expanded from a small pilot project in the inner suburbs of Melbourne to reach health and welfare groups throughout Victoria.
Arts Access aims to break down the barriers between institutions and the community, enabling health and welfare groups to attend concerts, plays, exhibitions and sporting events in the community, and by bringing performances and workshops into institutions and local welfare groups.
It reaches a wide range of groups and in 1976 the programs were used by 11,500 people. Children's welfare groups are important participants in Arts Access. They include children in high-rise housing estates, children in homes and hospitals, the mentally retarded, physically handicapped and the emotionally disturbed.
Until this year Arts Access has been largely dependent on Federal Government funding but is now required to raise funds from other sources. Although at present many programs have been suspended due to lack of funds, the project is looking forward to 1977 as a year of expansion and developing community commitment.
The liaison officer, Judy Morton, would be pleased to hear from people interested in participating in and assisting Arts Access (telephone 224 1267)