Arts Project not only provides a space to work, professional guidance and access to materials, we proactively seek out opportunities for artists to extend their practices and reach broader audiences. Artists use NDIS fees to participate in the studio, but the fees do not cover all of the professional development opportunities that we are generating ...
Arts Project Australia
Beyond the Studio: expanding opportunities for disabled artists
GOAL
$15,000
Australia > VIC > Metro
Field of Interest
- Arts and culture
- Social inclusion and justice
Target Population
- People with a disability, illness or disease
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
Arts Project Australia
Arts Project Australia (APA) is an internationally leading visual arts organisation that champions more than 150 neurodivergent artists and artists with intellectual disability. Through our studio program, exhibition opportunities, and professional development pathways, we empower APA artists to develop their practice and build meaningful careers in the contemporary arts sector.
Founded in 1974 by Myra Hilgendorf OAM, APA was the first full-time art studio in Australia dedicated to artists with intellectual disabilities. Myra’s personal experience of caring for her daughter Johanna, an artist with a disability, inspired her commitment to providing professional opportunities and resources for others.
More than 50 years later, APA continues to be inspired by Myra’s legacy. Our vision is to see neurodivergent artists boldly shaping the future of contemporary art. In the APA studio in Northcote art is not taught. Instead, we foster and nurture the creative direction of each artist to elicit works of personal meaning and style. Our staff act as artist assistants, facilitators and mentors, working within a peer-to-peer exchange model that supports the creative growth of our artists.
Our gallery in Collingwood Yards serves as a vital link between our studio artists and the contemporary art sector. Our exhibitions are designed to challenge traditional narratives around art-making and disability, providing a platform for our artists to be seen, valued, and celebrated. Artists own the work they create and earn income from sales (60% on every artwork sold).
Project Summary
Arts Project not only provides a space to work, professional guidance and access to materials, we proactively seek out opportunities for artists to extend their practices and reach broader audiences. Artists use NDIS fees to participate in the studio, but the fees do not cover all of the professional development opportunities that we are generating for our artists, outside of the studio. In the period of September – December 2025, APA artists have been invited to participate in:
- A panel discussion for the Ceramics Triennale in Fremantle.
- An artmaking residency in Kandos, regional NSW.
- A series of screen-printing workshops that will result in an exhibition with Spacecraft in Melbourne.
Arts Project is actively fundraising to support 12 artists, including Lisa Reid, Mark Smith, Michael Camakaris, Chris O’Brien and others to take up these incredible opportunities.
Project Outcomes
Australia has one of the lowest employment participation rates for people with disability in the OECD and that rate is even lower for people with an intellectual disability (1).
One of the biggest barriers our artists face is narrow, dismissive societal attitudes regarding their capabilities.
The outcomes for the artists who participate in conferences, residencies and peer mentoring workshops include:
• development of skills and exposure to new environments, art making techniques and networks
• increased sense of social worth, feeling valued and respected, engendering pride in disability
• raised profile which can lead to future exhibitions, collaborations, and income generating artwork sales.
Every time APA artists are involved in conferences, residencies and high-profile exhibitions the entrenched ableism that exists in Australia is challenged - and points of view long missing from cultural conversations are finally in the room.
(1) Inclusion Australia and People with disability Australia, (2022) Wage equity and more choices in employment for people with an intellectual disability: Research review, April, p.4
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $20,300
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Arts Project Australia | $5,300 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ceramics Triennale in WA – Airfares for 3 artists + 2 staff | $4,800 |
| Ceramics Triennale – Accommodation | $3,500 |
| Cementa26 Residency in NSW – Airfares for 1 artist + 1 staff | $1,000 |
| Cementa26 Residency - Accommodation | $3,000 |
| Spacecraft – delivery of 4 x 4 hour workshops for 8 artists and exhibition costs | $8,000 |
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