Help shape the design of a new employment program to support d/Deaf and disabled artists and arts workers.

Actor Sarah Mainwaring on stage in the Back to Back Theatre production, Elephant.
Caption: Sarah Mainwaring, Back to Back Theatre. Photo: Lachlan Woods

The $2.25 million Arts and Screen Employment Pathways Pilot Program (the program) will match early to mid-career d/Deaf and disabled artists and arts workers with arts and cultural organisations, including in the screen and digital games sectors, for temporary job placements of up to 12 months.

We invite these individuals as well as arts, cultural, screen and digital games organisations, arts and disability organisations, and disability organisations to share their views on how the program should be designed. This will help ensure it meets the accessibility and cultural safety needs of individual participants, and the organisations hosting placements.

The placements will provide participants with valuable professional skills and networks to advance their careers. Host organisations will benefit from gaining access to skilled talent whose salaries are paid through the program. 

The program will be managed through a competitive grants process to engage an external organisation or multiple organisations. The organisation/s will be responsible for all the matching and oversight of the placements. Placements are expected to start in 2026‑27. The program is one of the major commitments under Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan.

You can share your views by completing a survey or visiting our Have Your Say page to provide feedback via email, mail, video or audio. The consultation closes at 5:00pm (AEST) Wednesday 20 August.

If you would like to receive updates on the program, subscribe to the Equity mailing list.