A new program led by passionate filmmakers is providing exclusive opportunities for young adults and teens living with intellectual disability.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) has forged a new partnership with not-for-profit organisation Bus Stop Films to deliver a one-year accessible film studies program for people living with disability.
Led by passionate filmmakers, the program provides exclusive opportunities for older teens and young adults living with intellectual disability.
Students visit film production companies, work with professional filmmakers, learn both theoretical and practical approaches, and create award-winning films through a film school experience.
Bus Stop Films CEO Tracey Corbin-Matchett said she was thrilled to launch the program in Perth.
"We have a great network developing in Perth thanks to the city's dynamic screen industry," she said.
"Our partnership with the WA Screen Academy at ECU will deliver even more creative opportunities for people living with a disability in filmmaking, which is a win for both inclusion and creativity."
More than movies
Beyond their film industry exposure, students also develop improved social, communication, and work-ready skills. Bus Stop Films students have gone on to work on projects such as Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder, Masterchef and Survivor.
Bus Stop Films and ECU will host a series of free taster workshops for prospective students before the full-year Accessible Film Studies Program commences in February 2023.
"Our taster workshops are a great way for potential students to see what we do and how we do it while building confidence in their abilities and having loads of fun in the process," Ms Corbin-Matchett said.
WA Screen Academy Associate Professor Cathy Henkel said the long-awaited partnership is exciting for the Western Australian community.
"We are delighted to be partnering with Bus Stop Films to bring their widely acclaimed program of working with people from diverse backgrounds and abilities to Perth," Professor Henkel said.
"We see this as offering excellent new opportunities to practitioners in our community, our students, and graduates, as both teachers and participants."
The program is offered as three-hour weekly classes, to be delivered on Saturdays over 40 weeks at ECU's Mount Lawley campus. Program fees can be paid through a student's NDIS package.
The free taster workshops will be held on the following dates, bookings are essential:
- Workshop 1: Saturday, 24 September 10:00am - 12:00pm.
- Workshop 2: Saturday, 8 October 10:00am - 12:00pm.
- Workshop 3: Saturday, 5 November 10:00am - 12:00pm.
For more information and to register, visit the webpage.
