ACMHangouts returns with the second episode for the season to discuss the realities and challenges of disabilities in the arts.

The discussion is hosted by Elaine Falzon with two main guests, senior lecturer Anne-Marie Callus and Culture Venture founder Toni Attard.x

Guests discussed whether the arts are riddled with stereotypes when it comes to disabilities, with Callus using the film Rain Man, which focuses on the relationship between a man and his autistic brother, as a springboard.

Attard pointed out that the first challenge is to have disabled characters represented by disabled actors. But there is also another challenge - can mainstream characters be represented by disabled artists? Can Otello, for example, be played by a disabled actor? Can any repertoire work be carried out by a disabled artist?

The first thing people think when they see a disabled person on stage is that they’re playing a disabled person. This narrative needs to be shifted. What if they're just playing a character, irrespective of whether they’re disabled or not?

Callus then looked at the world of film, where people with a disability can either be depicted as fully-rounded characters, or else used to convey a message. She contrasted Million Dollar Baby with Breathe: both films relate to paralysis, but present the topic in very different ways. 

The show also tackled diversity within the arts in general, with both guests agreeing that a change of mindset is required.

This episode also includes interventions by Angela Bettoni and Justin Spiteri, two artists with disabilities who spoke about their experience of the arts and the importance of mixed ability performances. Their words were echoed by Ilona Baldacchino from Opening Doors, an NGO that offers people with disabilities the opportunity to practice the arts. 

Guests also discussed infrastructural barriers to people with a disability within historical buildings. It is not only audiences that require accessibility: performers with disabilities also need access to stages, dressing room, toilets and so forth.