What is this Residency About?
OARDA UP! is a 13 week online residency conceived and run by a local disabled artist, Allison Reynolds, that will bring together artists with disability and/or d/Deaf and/or neurodiverse and provide disabled/neurodivergent speakers, and a framework to help explore the identity of disabled artist and the genre of disability art. There is no cost to participate, all art types accepted, all experience levels welcome.
Participants will use their residency experience to make art/writing/music around the theme Identity Landscape for exhibition in May 2027. You can collaborate with other participants or do your own thing.
OARDA up! Foundation of Learning
Being regional artists means that we are not exposed to the concept of the "disabled artist" identity as much as those people in the metropolitan areas. In many places in the regions there are still negative attitudes to those that identify as disabled. As regional artists we often look out at the landscape (we have the space and scenery to do so), but less often in at our own inner landscape. This residency will provide the opportunity to think about that Identity Landscape in a safe and supporting space.
Many Australian artists are still unaware that there is a genre of art that is called Disability Art - "Disability art is any creative work - whether visual art, theater, film, writing, or music - that takes disability as its theme or whose meaning is rooted in the experience of being disabled." During the residency you will hear more about disability art and be encouraged to think about how, or if, disability features in your works.
Three notable disabled artists will present during the residency about how their disability and/or disabled identity does, or does not, enter their art making.
There's no expectation to make disability art or identify as a disabled artist before,during, or after the residency.
Art Residency FAQ
What is an arts residency?
The simplest way to describe a residency is a commitment made by an artist to spend time thinking about, talking about, learning about, making art. It is usually in a place that is different to the artist's normal studio (but not always).
Some arts residencies expect nothing from the participating artist, and some do.
Some artists make their own self-directed residencies by imposing rules on themselves about how they will spend a certain amount of time being creative in a certain way.
Some residencies pay artists to attend their residency and some expect payment from the artist (usually not as prestigious as those that commission artists to attend)
In short, a residency is a creative commitment made by an artist for a set amount of time.
Why do artists do residencies?
Artists attend residencies for all sorts of reasons.
- to change their surroundings or circumstances so as to prompt creativity
- to meet other artists to make connections or collaborate with
- to showcase their work so a wider audience can experience it
- to research or learn about art, art history, and/or art making skills
- to have no interruptions to being creative
- to have a creative goal set for them
- to widen their creative experiences
- to be paid to make art
How does an online arts residency work?
An online residency can be the same as any other residency but instead of going to a new place to take part, you take part online while making art where you normally do.
You will still meet new people, have the opportunity to collaborate, hear from an interesting disabled artist speakers, be expected to create something while on residency.
You will have a shared online platform to discuss your progress and thoughts and a shared zoom channel to drop into at any time to talk face to face if you wish.
There will be a weekly fixed meeting when all participants come together to either have a speaker present, or to check in on progress with the residency facilitator (Allison)
Do I have to pay to join this residency?
This residency is free for eligible artists thanks to funding from the Orana Arts Small Grants program.
Transport of art works for exhibition, photography of art works for online exhibition, is all paid for by the residency.
You will need to provide all of your own art materials and for any insurance for your art works if you wish to (not compulsory).
What am I expected to do while on this residency?
Commitments that make up the residency agreement when you sign up -
- That you will try to attend all online meetings and participate as much as you are able to.
- That you will produce/or collaborate in making, a piece of work that will be ready for the exhibition deadline.
- That you will respect and be kind to everyone and their work
- That your name and pictures of your work can be used in promotion and social media materials to promote the exhibition and other online posts.
- That you will not use generative AI in any of your work, at any stage of its creation
I am dDeaf, can I join the residency?
You sure can, but we are sorry to say the grant was not large enough to provide an Auslan interpreter. You are most welcome to bring your own.
If we have multiple Auslan speakers then we encourage you to work out amongst yourselves whether to "share" an interpreter to keep your support costs down.
Auto-generated captions will be on during the online meetings.
I use a support worker, can they join me online?
They sure can if you need them. You are the participant though, so they should refrain from contributing anything that is not on your behalf (if you need them to).
I can't make all of the sessions, is that OK?
That's OK - they will be recorded just for the use of the participants and be available for 90 days. You will be making the agreement to attend as many as you can as part of signing up, but we are all human and things happen.
Remember that your presence and opinions are valuable to everyone in the residency, not just you, so we would really encourage you to be there as often as possible.
What happens when I sign up?
After you have clicked the sign up now button and filled in the form you will receive an email welcoming you to the residency.
If you don't receive the email with 1 hour then check your spam folder and add the address the email came from to your address book so that it won't go to spam again.
You will receive follow-up emails (no more than 1 per week) that will help you prepare for the residency. They will have links to information that you may, or may not, be interested in learning about, information about our speakers, and hints and tips about how to get the most out of the residency.
What are the important dates I should know about?
Sign Ups Open October 15th 2026
Sign Ups Close December 15th 2026
Residency
All online meetings will be at 2pm whether daylight savings or not.
Week 1 - January 7th 2027 - Zoom meeting introductions
Week 2 - January 12th 2027 - Speaker Jeremy Hawkes Zoom Meeting
Week 3 -January 19th 2027 - Speaker Kath Harding Zoom Meeting
------ - January 26th 2027 - Australia Day Holiday - No meeting
Week 4 - February 2nd 2027 - Speaker Sam Connor Zoom Meeting
Week 5 - February 9th 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 6 - February 16th 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 7 - February 23rd 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 8 - March 2nd 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 9 - March 9th 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 10 - March 16th 2027 - Progress Zoom Meeting
Week 11 - March 23rd 2027 - Studio Visit Online Meeting (participants share progress and their studios and work)
Week 12 - March 30th 2027 - Final meeting. Debrief by facilitator.
Art work to be finished, ready for pickup April 15th at the very latest.
May 1st to 21st 2027 - Identity Landscape exhibition at SPACE - 41 Dalgarno St Coonabarabran.
(dates may change due to unplanned circumstances but these are the planned and booked dates)
I have a question before signing up, what do I do?
You can eamil us at oardaup@whodis.art or click on the contact link at the top right hand side of the webpage and fill in our contact form. Please allow a day or two for a response.