Caroline Bowditch

Discover talents in a new and unusual form that will undoubtedly astound you with their
artistic performances.

Caroline Bowditch to lead new disability arts festival

Meet Caroline Bowditch, who has been an inspiration to many for many years for directing and participating in several
disability art festivals.

Ultimate story

Caroline Bowditch: Arts
Access Victoria

Current Projects

Check out the recent projects in which you can expect to see Caroline
Bowditch and her team’s performance.

Our Gallery

Check out our gallery to understand how we work, what we do, and who we are as a team.

About Caroline

Caroline Bowditch is the CEO of Arts Access Victoria and an Australian Artistic Director. She has inspired hundreds of people and given them hope that they can perform on stage and showcase their talents regardless of their disability. She is renowned as a performer, producer, instructor, presenter, and whirring wasp in the UK and beyond the arts sector. She is frequently welcomed to tutor local, domestic, and worldwide creatives at all stages of their artistic growth.

Artist and Choreographer

99%

Scottish Dance Theatre’s Dance Agent

92%

Herald Angel award

89%

local,national & international artists

85%

Latest News & Updates

Disability Is Not A Barrier To Success

March 2, 2023November 12, 2022

Man can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. If someone has a strong enough motive, a strong enough dedication, and a strong enough resolve, he can overcome any physical, psychological, or mental disability. If one opposes disability, it can never be a barrier to success. The following article, discusses the fundamental idea, significance, and importance of the idea that a person’s disability should never stand in the way of their ability to succeed in life.

Types of disabilities

Disability refers to a person’s physical, mental, or other limitations that prevent them from successfully doing tasks that ordinarily call for ordinary effort. Every disabled person’s life is hampered in some way by their disability. It is seen as a physical or mental illness that restricts a person’s ability to move, perceive, or engage in certain activities. Disabilities come in a variety of forms, including

mental illness
physical disabilities
intellectual disabilities
visual and hearing impairment

Different types of support and assistance are required depending on the disability. The most crucial components, though, are a cheerful outlook and self-assurance. A disabled person can succeed in life regardless of their disability if they possess these two attributes.

Disability is not to be seen as an obstacle

Many persons with impairments have succeeded in their life by overcoming all the challenges. Some tools for disabled people to achieve success are:

Positivity and confidence in oneself

The key to success for someone with a disability is to be optimistic and confident in oneself. Your ability to overcome obstacles in life depends on your attitude. You’ll perform at your best and reach your objectives if you have self-confidence.

Friend and family assistance

For a disabled person, the encouragement of family and friends is crucial. They can assist you in a variety of ways, including by offering financial assistance, emotional support, and physical assistance.

Government Assistance

There are numerous government programs that offer financial support to people with disabilities. With the help of this money, you can buy things like rehabilitation treatments, assistive technology, and other necessities.

Access to Employment and Education

A disabled individual has the same access to employment and education as anyone else. There are numerous institutions that offer jobs and education to people with disabilities.

Community Assistance

The neighborhood can be a crucial support system for people with disabilities. The community can offer practical, financial, and emotional help. It brings altogether those who, in large part via activism, self-defense, and tolerance of difference, aim to convey the reality of their lived experience. There may be a stimulating interchange of ideas and expertise. By encouraging and fostering freedoms to engage in activities without fear and by normalizing what could otherwise cause discomfort or humiliation, the effort can contribute to changing the world today. In actuality, the issue with regular individuals is that they don’t actually exist.

Disability Art Performance Guide: Use These Tips

February 7, 2023November 12, 2022

Disability art performance is growing at a fast pace, and many people recognize the unique creativity, beauty, and talent that disabled art performers have to offer. If you are a disabled person that wishes to get started in the field of arts, this disability art performance guide can help you get started:

Explore the Arts

The field of arts is always an exploration. Therefore, you will be required to study and learn as many different styles and techniques as possible. This will help you get a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to flourish.

You can start by watching plenty of performances and carefully observing them. It also helps to be well-versed in the history of the field. It will give you an in-depth understanding along with inspiration.

Place Emphasis on Networking

Without networking, it is close to impossible to make progress in the field of arts. You will need to have an active presence in the community of disabled art performers. Being part of such a community will help you not feel alone or discouraged.

You will be able to learn and overcome the common difficulties and obstacles for disabled art performers collectively. Hence, you can contribute to the development of the ecology of disabled art performers.

You will also get to learn about important events, workshops, and performance opportunities. You can also get in touch with art organizations for disabled people to gain the necessary community experience and make positive contributions.

You Will Need to Learn to Work as a Team

When you are in the theatre industry, you will constantly be working with all kinds of people. You will need to learn how to find common ground with them and work as a team. You will also need to know how to gracefully resolve ego clashes and ensure optimum creativity in the process. Solidarity among disabled art performers is crucial to ensuring a good stage performance that the audience will enjoy.

Practice Self-Care

Disabled art performers are typically fiercely passionate about producing the best work possible and becoming well-known. However, many of them often get too consumed by the process, and the quality of their work tends to suffer.

Hence, it is vital for disabled art performers to know their limits and take time off to rest. Taking breaks in the process is a healthy thing and can actually be a tremendous source of creativity and inspiration.

Self-Awareness

Disabled art performers must know how to be objective about the process and analyze the many ways in which the performance can be improved. In addition, they need to continually challenge themselves and think outside of the box in order to captivate the audience and put them in awe.

Character Traits For Successful Disabled Arts Performer

January 6, 2023November 12, 2022

Disability Arts produces work that challenges myths, stereotypes, and unfavorable stories about the lives of those with disabilities. Its advantage is because it was made by Deaf and disabled individuals, as well as artists and creatives. They are creating captivating, astonishing, interesting, and modern art from the reality of the actual experience of disability. This work is relevant to a wider audience of people of all ages and not just those who are disabled or Deaf. Additionally, there are several traits that successful artists share:

Persistence

A trait called perseverance enables someone to carry on doing or doing something, despite difficulty or opposition from others. It doesn’t take a more detailed explanation to understand how persistence relates to becoming an artist. Persistence is necessary for artists to:

Develop and/or hone their craft
Become more skilled
Complete each piece of art
Create a remarkable body of work
Create a lucrative art career

Patience

The virtue of quiet endurance is patience. The typical disabled artist is fervent; they are either entranced by or repulsed by their creations. It evens out those lows and highs with patience. It is comparable to persistence, although patience is more of an emotion, whereas consistency is more of a discipline. Persistence without patience is possible. Your dreams might never come true if you lack the patience to pursue them.

Passion

Most people are aware of the passion that drives us to produce art. Even when there doesn’t seem to be another reason to create work, passion is what keeps you going. You must have the drive to put in the work, but you do not need to be filled with a fiery exuberance for your art. Your perseverance and patience are fueled by your enthusiasm.

A spirit of exploration

Life itself is an adventure. The process of making art is very similar. No matter how carefully you prepare your next project, there is no assurance it will come out as you intended. Happy accidents frequently occur, and an effective artist will spot them and take advantage of them. If you wish to investigate novel ideas or themes or approach a well-known subject in a fresh way, you’ll also need a sense of adventure. Or even when a meticulously planned picture or design takes a surprising turn and you find yourself working outside of your comfort zone.

Discipline

To finish art that can later be promoted and, perhaps, sold, you must discipline it with tenacity and patience. Without the discipline of passion, perseverance becomes boring and horrible. And regardless of how daring you are, if you lack the discipline to keep moving forward—or to make the next movement of paint or pencil—you will never succeed. In order to create and produce any type of artwork or performance, discipline is essential. The management of one’s time, energy, and attention must be disciplined. It makes it very difficult for me to keep organized and be creative.

A Complete Guide To Disability Arts Festivals

December 8, 2022November 12, 2022

Disability Arts is an element to get inspiration and input from unanticipated, unexpected, and talents of disabled people and their arts. The visual arts programs and festivals were a surefire approach to confront stereotypes and remove the numerous unfavorable ideas about what disabled performers are capable of, capable of thinking, and capable of achieving. There are several festivals conducted to encourage and showcase the talents of disabled people. Some of them are:

Unlimited festival

Since 2012, the ‘Unlimited festival’ has collaborated with the Unlimited commissioning fund. This festival features work by artists who identify as disabled, deaf, neurodivergent, and people enduring chronic sickness, mental health concerns, and more by using the phrase “disabled artist.” It promotes exceptional works created by disabled artists and will continue to do so until the entire cultural industry does as well. The festival features dance, performance, comedy, cinema, discussions, seminars, and artwork to highlight the artistic vision of challenged artists. Audiences have the choice of watching events live or on-demand at their own convenience.

FEST’DIF

A venue for professional and social integration, Fest’Dif serves as an invitation to connect, exchange, and be receptive to others. It is also a time for festive joviality on the subject of diversity and diversity, which includes seminars and performances. Fest’Dif brings to light athletic and artistic works produced by performers with disabilities or by any other artist who practices inclusive behavior and values social diversity. The group aims to encourage equal opportunity in cultural events for all persons and to increase accessibility in the activities.

DaDaFest

Since its founding in 1984, DaDaFest has worked to break new ground, empower Deaf and disabled people, and raise their expectations in the arts. We want to support the sector’s growth of talent, skills, and careers. To represent the lived lives of people with disabilities, DaDaFest is directed and focused by people with disabilities. We think that social factors, such as structural obstacles, unfavorable attitudes, and unintentional or intentional social exclusion, are what really “disable” people. DaDaFest utilizes the arts to raise awareness, alter perceptions, find and get rid of obstacles that limit disabled people’s options in life. The festival provides a forum for discussing larger topics that have an impact on all of our lives, and its programming is filtered through the eyes of disabled or Deaf artists and pertinent communities.

InTaKT Festival

An essential component of collaboration for artists with disabilities is the InTaKT Festival for performance, dance, arts, culture, and theatre. No one should or must be rejected on the grounds of distinct traits, regardless of age, origin, physical ability, and/or intellectual disability. Everyone should be afforded the same opportunity, including in the context of our festival’s cultural aspects. This intriguing initiative gives disadvantaged artists the chance to dance, perform, and display their talents over the duration of many days.

Tips for a thriving Performing Arts audition

November 2, 2022

Arts Audition is an essential thing of being a performing artist. With excellent preparation, anyone can make this part most valuable and exciting. Auditioning shows us clearly where our strengths and challenges lie. To showcase anyone’s talent the performing arts are required. Performing Arts is a collective term for arts performed in front of an audience that is primarily focused on dance, drama, music, and theatre.

These are the following audition tips that everybody has to follow to improve their skills.

Be Prepared

Before going to auditing, you have to do your homework correctly. Everyone gets nervous before auditions. The more you do your preparation, the less you will become restless. Preparation is the key to success in life, and auditions are no different. Take your time working outside the audition room so that when it comes to the audition, you show your hard work.

Be on time

This is the most important of all of the audition tips. Arriving on time gives you time to relax and focus. Directors also want to know that you’ll be on time for rehearsals and performances.

Be confident

You get such a short amount of time to make an impression on the creative team, so you have to be confident. Directors want to see that you’re not afraid to make brave choices on stage.

Dress appropriately

You should dress in comfortable clothes that will not hamper your movement but still be neat, clean, and nice-looking. Remember every time that your audition begins when you walk into the door. Always avoid rudeness or misbehavior in the lobby, which will have a bad impact on your audition.

Introduction

When you walk into the audition room, tell your name and the name of the piece you have prepared. This makes an excellent first impression.

Flexible

Performers must adapt and apply their skills and talent to various roles, genres, techniques, and styles. Therefore, flexibility is essential for being able to multitask.

Be a good listener

Many great artists had faced bad auditions as they couldn’t listen to the judges or their crew properly. To avoid such circumstances, you should stop talking and wasting time with the other performers and listen to every instruction of the judges. It does not matter how much experience you have, you would not able to make a great impression to the judges.

You can find several directors and panels auditioning for performers with different thought process. But despite a difference in their perspectives, they are always looking for some performers who are well dedicated to their work and also talented, focused, responsible and confident. In addition, production teams also want to work with hard working performers who can perform with others and take responsibility for what they do. With these audition tips; you are able to give the best audition.

The Snail Vibe v/s The Lelo Soraya Wave: The ultimate comparison

October 19, 2022October 6, 2022

Introduction

Welcome to the much-awaited showdown……. here, we have the snail going against the rabbit. Now, before any eyebrows are raised, I would like to clarify that we are not practicing any form of animal cruelty. In fact, ‘the snail’ and ‘the rabbit’ in this context do not mean innocent animals but instead refer to the snail vibrator and rabbit vibrators, two of the most premium and celebrated sex toys ever to exist, with similar states of the art technology and dual stimulation ability, they are ruling the sex toy world, all set to deliver the orgasm(s) you need. So, it only seemed fitting to take a closer look into these two impeccable pleasure-providing machines and find out which is the more worthy of the two.

LELO SORAYA WAVE 2

Often known as the most luxurious vibrating rabbit, costing an estimated sum of $250 (Rs. 20,000), The Lelo Soraya Wave lies at the top of the food chain regarding rabbit vibrators; let’s see why…

The shafts

Engineered to understand your body better, all this sex toy asks of you is to give it 4.3 inches of you to enter your life and spice things up. That’s right! Not only does the insertable shaft come with a measured length of 4.3 inches, but it also has a tip with a life of its own. With In-built pulsations, the tip of the insertable shaft awakens the souls in your G-spot longing for care and affection. While the external shaft gives your clitoris company, all this gives it the comfort it never knew it needed. The rabbit dildo and the external shaft have a powerful motor that helps synchronize both the stimulations, giving your mind and body an earth-shattering experience.

The Technicals

I guess. It is safe to say there is going to be more than just one shower in the bathroom. Get naughty anywhere; with The Lelo Soraya Wave being 100% waterproof, you can even use it in the bathroom to give yourself some extra warmth the hot water cannot give you after a long day. Made with body-safe silicone and smooth touch ABS plastic, it adds to the pleasure, enhancing the way this rabbit vibrator feels between your thighs. It also comes with 12 pleasure settings, a non-stop 2 hours of action with every 2 hours of charge, and wave motions that mimic fingering actions, taking your genitals for a pleasant yet adventurous ride.

The Bad

For starters, the price tag of this vibrating rabbit comes in the way of the sheer pleasure and satisfaction it can provide. Its ability to multitask is a plus, but its inability to not is a drawback. Sometimes the body does not necessarily want dual stimulation, but when this device is turned, neither does the rabbit dildo stay idle nor the external shaft; it can be a bit too much sometimes.

THE SNAIL VIBE

When the Snail Vibrator entered the world of sex toys, it was considered the long-lost sibling of rabbit vibrators such as these here. The Snail Vibe, too, has the same 2 shafts and similar top-notch features. Then what sets it apart? Read further to find out…

The shafts

Yes, you can customize this snail vibrator to serve you like a traditional vibrator, keeping the external shaft switched off and away from your clit. Even though this sex toy possesses dual motors and dual shafts much like its sibling, the insertable shaft can go as deep as 5.5 inches, making the snail vibe look like an upgrade in front of the Lelo Soraya Wave. The external shaft of this device serves the same purpose as that present in the vibrating rabbit. Still, it is adjustable according to the depth of your desired penetration, ensuring you do not compromise on the clitoral stimulation regardless of how deep you want it to go inside. The adjustable external shaft also makes it possible for you to leave out the clitoral stimulation in case you do not need it.

The Technicals

This sex toy makes close to no noise with a sound frequency of fewer than 45 decibels, letting just your moans do the talking. Like it’s opponent vibrating rabbit, this snail vibrator is 100% waterproof and is covered in body-safe silicone but falls behind in battery life, giving just an hour of fun with every 2 hours of charge. It comes with 5-speed settings and 5 vibration modes, allowing you to create over 600 combinations giving yourself the time of your life.

The Bad

This sex toy is said not to be the friendliest when used without a lube. It also comes with a somewhat confusing back button making it difficult to navigate its multiple pleasure settings. Despite the Snail Vibrator receiving excellent reviews online, most have nothing to complain about. Some claim the external shaft is not the best with clitoral stimulations. In contrast, some claim that the insertable shaft’s inability to come with automated thrusts hinders the optimal quality of the experience.

My Verdict

Having explored both sex toys as well as comparing them on sites like twice tonight , it is needless to say that both the snail vibrator and the Lelo Soraya Wave 2 excel at satisfying its user; with just a few downsides, it does make it extremely difficult to put one above the other. However, if I had to choose one, I would go with the Snail Vibe; not only does it cost less (starting at Rs.12,000 or $150), but it also provides a greater penetration depth than its competitor, The Lelo Soraya Wave. The Snail Vibe also gives the user the liberty to stick to just one stimulation when the idea of dual stimulation feels overwhelming and intimidating, making it just a bit more user-friendly than rabbit vibrators. Although the Snail vibrator cannot mimic fingering motions, and neither is its battery life on par with that of the Lelo Soraya Wave, I feel like letting go of these features is a sacrifice worth making in front of the other benefits that come with it.

So, now that the revelation has been made, I find it essential to remind you that everyone has a unique body and the experience of these toys may differ based on personal preferences. With that being said, hurry up and get yourself a snail or a rabbit ; I guarantee they are the naughtiest pets one can get.

Why we need Disability Arts Festivals, now and in the future

October 10, 2022

Festivals are fun gathering which brings people of all age groups, cultures, casts, sex on a single platform to mingle and enjoy their time. However, over the years, many festivals also started indulging in including the disabled and making them a considerable part of their events.

Disability Art festivals have been taking place in the United Kingdom since the 1980s and have become a significant part of the cultural landscape in the country. It helps people participate in different development cultures and spreads knowledge about the common sections of people in society.

Why Disability Art festivals?

Many countries have taken the initiative after the UK to include disabled arts in the cultural spectrum, which has answered many questions surrounding the realm of disability. The measure was initially aimed at increasing social inclusion and gatherings of people with disabilities and bringing forward various forms of culture and expression on a national platform. Some of the other aims of asking for this measure include:

Rising awareness about the lifestyle of disabled people
Increasing attention to the public that the disabled community can have rich cultural and social practices.
Increasing confidence and empowerment of beneficiaries
Provide professional training to create a steady path of income for the beneficiaries.

Some topics that disabled artists can cover in the art festivals include:

Literature and poetry
Visual arts, with the help of adaptive technologies
Film, screenplay, and drama
Music
Dance performances

Disabled artists

Despite their disability, some of the famous artists shined in the limelight and were a crucial part of spreading awareness to increase chances in the field:

Mariusz Kedzierski who was born without arms, but broke all barriers to create realistic paintings
Stephen Wiltshire, diagnosed with Autism at the age of three, can draw high-detailed images with just one glance of a picture.
Paul Smith was born with cerebral palsy and was still able to succeed in creating paintings and sketches with just one finger on the typewriter.
Huang Guofu lost both his arms in an electric shock accident and is now one of Asia’s most renowned sketch artists.

Future of disabled art festivals

Since the wave has already begun, the ability for such festivals to increase in popularity is just around the corner, which helps all sections of society, become one! In the future, with the use of adaptive technologies and the aid of growing concern, the disabled will also be able to move to stage performances from street performances, which can be a steady source of income. Such measures will not only spread awareness among people in the society but also provide the benefices with a sense of therapeutic relief and belonging.

Why Do We Need Disability Arts Festival?

September 10, 2022August 29, 2022

There will not only be one, but several Unlimited Festivals in the United Kingdom in September 2016—one organised by the Southbank Centre in London and the other by Tramway in Glasgow, both of which will highlight exceptional disability-led artists in all genres. They are annual centre pieces for United Kingdom and international programmers, talents, and viewers and include the Unlimited contracts in addition to several other challenged creatives.

Isolation in the disabled

Unquestionably, young people are more likely than others to feel this imagined solitude. Nevertheless, for young people who are disabled, it could appear to be an impossible dream, an objective that is absolutely out of reach and unattainable and unworthy of even aiming to.

However, a key component of art installations is its capacity to upend the way we typically see the world and provide us with fresh, unexpected, and illuminating viewpoints. Given this, shouldn’t it appear obvious to distribute the obligation of organising artistic activities as widely as humanly possible to try?

Changing times

We must also give budgetary support to aspiring young people who want to participate in theater through our programme for musicians. Their voyage of artistic development is also a tour of personal growth as they interact with seasoned performers who serve as instructors and educators; as a result, they evolve into more self-assured, mature individuals both while on the stage and also away.

Since ancient times, the subject of impairment in the theatre has been prominent and delicate. The majority of the time, a stage production will decide to use performers in unrestricted roles as characters. Figures without even any limitations have also been developed in some instances. Every year, the theatre attracts thousands of people who can learn more about a broad range of political and social issues. Numerous millions of individuals might feel excluded or forgotten from the mainstream of the performing society without the involvement of disabilities in the arts. Various kinds of creative therapeutic interventions, more notably drama treatment, were utilized to calm patients and enhance their psychological and physical well-being.

Conclusion

During the mid-1980s in both America and the UK, the handicapped culture and arts movement gave birth to disability theatre. Many theatrical organisations, such as the National Theatre of the Deaf, formed in 1967, were indeed disability-focused before this paradigm. Graeae Theatre Company, Theatre Terrific, and Back to Back Theatre are a few important names disabled theatre organisations.

The majority minority in America is made up primarily of disabled individuals. The controversy regarding whether it is acceptable and ethical to embody individuals who are disabled in dramatic works persists despite the fact that they comprise 20% of the community, although are not seen as the same by individuals without disabilities

Physical Disabilities Taking the Spotlight in Theatre

August 17, 2022August 27, 2022

George Webster, 21, actor and Mencap Advocate from Leeds, has set a record as the first Down’s syndrome-affected presenter on children’s program for the BBC. His induction received good feedback on social media, with several advocates and activists for people with disabilities praising it as a fine example of equal treatment in the workplace.

While George expressed excitement and positivity about his new position, he stressed that there is an urgent necessity increased media depiction of disabled people. Although, we are diverse, he continued, there has to be a call for equal treatment.

Removing the barriers

Those with disabilities both in front and behind the screen are already battling their way for their space. There are already restrictions in community that prevent disabled people from entering the profession; additional people working between and in front of the cameras, on television, and in newspapers would assist in eradicating these restrictions.

Broadcast of the Paralympics on Channel 4

Channel 4’s broadcasting of the Paralympics in London in 2012, Rio in 2016, and much more subsequently the postponed Tokyo 2021 games has provided a strong presence in the media. Each moment, the station streamed over 150 hours of content, beaming it to more than 100 nations and 3.8 billion people in total. This event had a profound impact on the lives of disabled people around.

One-third of those polled in the UK after the Paralympics reported changing their views on persons with impairments, and 65% said that the events had a significant impact on how individuals with disabilities are perceived. The Last Leg with Adam Hills was born out of the footage and features a number of the Paralympics broadcasters who are disabled. This tabloid late-night chat and comedy programme includes a variety of comedic speakers and perspectives on current events. Despite initial lukewarm reviews, the program consistently drew upwards of a million subscribers every night during the 2012 Paralympics in London.

Media representation

The Last Leg with Adam Hills was born out of the footage and features a number of the Paralympics broadcasters who are disabled. This tabloid late-night chat and comedy programme includes a variety of comedic speakers and perspectives on current events. Despite initial lukewarm reviews, the program consistently drew upwards of a million subscribers every night during the 2012 Paralympics in London.

Stand-up entertainer and presenter Adam Hills uses a prosthetic because he was birthed without a right foot. His co-host Alex Brooker was birthed with twisted right leg and had to be amputated as a baby, deformed hands and arms, and wears a prosthetic limb. Through a handicap structured development programme, Alex was selected to speak on the programme.

Happy Reviews

"Caroline Bowditch has truly given hope for all disabled individuals to work for themselves and show their talents."

Elizabeth M. Douse

"Caroline Bowditch displays a wide range of plays that appeal to people of all ages, not to forget her team, which always performs admirably."

Jennifer J. Sakai

Facilitated/chaired by a local artist/promoter!

Join the group in watching amazing performances by Caroline Bowditch’s team, which is supported by
local artists and promoters in bringing the shows to a wider audience.