We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the place now called South Australia, and all First Peoples living and working on this land. We celebrate the history and contemporary creativity of the world’s oldest living culture and pay respect to Elders – past, present and future. We acknowledge Kaurna, Peramangk and Ngadjuri peoples on whose lands our events and activities are imagined, planned and held. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

Reaching Out

Artwork

Reaching Out is a pilot project by Tutti Arts. Learning disabled and neurodiverse visual artists from Tutti Arts worked alongside non-disabled peers. The artists worked in pairs and responded to cultural institutions. 

Artists and audience members at the Fantasy Estate opening event

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Reaching Out was a visual arts project by Tutti Arts.

Learning disabled and neurodivergent visual artists from Tutti Arts worked alongside non-disabled artists

The artists worked in pairs. They were equal.

The artists made artwork for three South Australian cultural institutions.

  • Project: Nutritional Index
  • Artists: Kurt Bosecke and Emmaline Zanelli.
  • Cultural institution:  Art Gallery of South Australia

  • Project: Mineral Lines
  • Artists: Jackie Saunders and Laura Willis
  • Cultural institution: South Australian Museum

  • Fantasy Estate
  • Artists: William Gregory and Mawarini
  • Cultural institution: Carrick Hill

The Artists visited cultural institutions.

  • They looked at the collections.
  • Talked with staff members.
  • Talked with each other about their ideas.

Artists worked together to explore ideas and create exciting new art.

The project explored new ways of working between disability and mainstream visual arts.

Gaelle the Creative Director, Tutti Arts said:

Reaching Out made her think.

She thought about how disabled and non-disabled people can work in a fair and equal way.

How can Major Cultural Institutions work with the Reaching Out artists in a fair and equal way?

Major Cultural Institutions means a large organisation that collects art work and other things they think is important to our culture.

The project was supported by Arts South Australia

Reaching Out is a pilot project by Tutti Arts. Starting in 2021, Reaching Out was completed in 2022. Learning disabled and neurodiverse visual artists from Tutti Arts worked alongside their non-disabled peers. The six artists worked in pairs and responded to three South Australian cultural institutions. Reaching Out projects, artists and cultural institutions are:

  • Nutritional Index – Kurt Bosecke and Emmaline Zanelli – Art Gallery of South Australia
  • Mineral Lines – Jackie Saunders and Laura Willis – South Australian Museum
  • Fantasy Estate – William Gregory and Mawarini – Carrick Hill

Artists visited, examined and studied the cultural institutions. Artists equitably worked together to explore ideas and create exciting new art. The project explored new ways of working between disability and mainstream visual arts. The project was supported by Arts South Australia.

‘Reaching Out (artist partnerships and artistic outcomes) raises critical questions regarding the ethics of collaboration and exchange between learning-disabled and non-disabled artists: what constitutes best practice; how might major cultural organisations ethically engage, situate or frame these creative partnerships?’

Gaelle Mellis, Creative Director, Tutti Arts

Find out more about each collaboration:

Nutritional Index,
by Kurt Bosecke and Emmaline Zanelli
Mineral Lines,
by Jackie Saunders and Laura Wills
Fantasy Estate,
by William Gregory and Mawarini