The New Bachelorette

Why this? Why now?

I’m always watching this and other dating shows and thinking ‘why isn’t the Bachelorette someone like me?’.

We are asking questions that could change people’s views about our rights.

We are gathering as a collective voice around issues that effect us.

We are creating professional development opportunities for other artists with a disability.

If we leave this conversation any longer we will keep feeling lonely.

This is why The New Bachelorette is so important to me and to the MY STUDIO Collective.

Julia Hales, May 2022

My Studio.

My Studio is focused on independent artists taking their place in the mainstream arts ecology.

My Studio was developed by My Place to offer administration and producing support to disabled artists and collectives aiming to develop artistic skills, works and careers. My Studio also provides consultancy support to other agencies for improved artist equality and access within the mainstream arts sector.

Examples of capacity building include support to Perth Festival 2022 for their Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) and Connect program, Performing Lines WA LAB and HUB 2022 and WAAPA’s City Campus Equity Reference Group.

My Studio Collectives

 

My Studio Collectives are groups of independent artists supported by My Place to share resources, communications and networks to underpin the development of new works.

Recognising the incredible opportunities she has had through the Perth Festival and Black Swan State Theatre Company, Julia Hales has led this development with the aim to seed and grow new opportunities with and for other disabled .artists.

Providing studio and producing support to artists interested in driving their own performance and screen work, My Studio works with each artist to identify and seek audience development opportunities.

The SEVEN and The New Bachelorette (TNB) Collectives have supported performers and screen artists to seed new works, develop skills, build confidence and share their stories through separate developments (SEVEN) or group developments (TNB).

If you’d like to connect, be a part of an existing Collective, start your own or support a Collective please contact My Studio Producer, Simone Flavelle:

simone.flavelle@myplace.org.au

The New Bachelorette Collective

  • The New Bachelorette (TNB) Collective started in early 2021 with four men with differing ability working with Julia and Bron to develop the heart of the work….Julia’s fantasy….and to develop individual capacity as independent performing artists.

    From there, the number of men has grown to nine and continues to grow as the artists explore themes of dating and disability.

    Weekly skills development workshops have been interrupted with various COVID restrictions and individual risk management however, the collective continues to remain committed to realise this important and timely work.

ALL Collectives and Projects

  • THE NEW BACHELORETTE

    The New Bachelorette is a radical theatrical reimagining of the blockbuster television franchise, with Julia Hales – an actor with Down Syndrome - starring as The ‘New’ Bachelorette.

    Julia will date men with differing abilities live on stage, in a ground-breaking exploration of dating, desire and disability.

    Through the development of the work, Julia and the team aim to offer skills development opportunities for other artists, supporting them to build confidence, voice and their own works.

  • SCREEN

    Working with experienced mentors, screen practitioners have written and acted in short films supported by Screenwest and Screen Australia.

    They’ve explored ideas and developed skills when creating short documentary and scripted works.

    Several screen practitioners have built their equipment and technology to support film making. One has developed film equipment adaptations to his wheelchair to support independence in film making.

    All are feeding back to the Australian Film Television and Radio School in NSW on their MediaLab modules .

  • SEVEN

    Seven artists developed seven new concepts and works with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts. Producing dance, performance, screen, vr and hybrid works, artists and mentors shared their outcomes with an audience at PICA on 6 August 2021.

    Four members of the SEVEN collaborated on You know We Belong Together in 2018 and 2019 and look forward to touring this show with Black Swan State Theatre Company to London, Edinburgh and Sydney in August and September 2022.