From Left: Tamar Dolev (artist), Chan (attendee), Tessa Hens (Program Manager of Bayley Arts).
Celebrating the Launch of Bayley Arts and New STA and MTA Options
MediStays recently celebrated a new accommodation partner, Bayley House. This adds two exciting new properties to our options for NDIS STA and MTA.
Bayley House is located in Bayside Melbourne. Their purpose is to enable individuals with an intellectual disability to live a full, rich and rewarding life. The Bayley House team also provide high quality supports for your stay. You can simply arrive and have everything taken care of.
We also celebrated the launch of their new offering: Bayley Arts, an all-abilities arts centre.
Experiences with Bayley House and their arts programs are designed to provide engaging opportunities and choices towards guests’ goals and achievements. Being supported to learn and grow also builds confidence and independence. This then empowers individuals to contribute to the wider community in a meaningful and impactful way.
Program Manager of Bayley Arts, Tessa Hens shares that “Bayley Arts is a space and resource for artists of all abilities to develop their art practice, connect socially, learn from other artists, exhibit and sell work and to be an active part of Melbourne’s arts communities. The centre has a professional operating gallery and six studio spaces. It is a space in which professional and emerging artists can intersect through workshops, exhibitions and day to day program initiatives. It also advocates for the talent and abilities of artists with a disability. To learn more about Bayley Arts you can visit www.bayleyarts.com.au”.
There are also great therapeutic and self-development benefits of art. It is a channel for self-expression and exploring our inner thoughts and feelings. And it can help us to support our health by calming our minds and nervous systems.
Photo Caption: The Bayley Arts launch exhibition gallery in Bayside, Melbourne
MediStays has also commissioned beautiful artwork by two Bayley Arts artists – which we will launch later this year (so stay tuned!).
What is the NDIS Community Inclusion Initiative?
Did you know, Australia’s National Disability Services (NDS) state that the Community Inclusion Initiative was established to “help inform the provision of community participation support under the NDIS” and “is included in 50 per cent of all plans for NDIS participants”. This makes it the second most funded support!
This funding may be able to support payment of fees and equipment, as well as a carer to support your attendance at the activity.
Activities could range from participating in a sports team like FIDA’s inclusive footy, or attending an all–abilities NDIS Art Program at Bayley Arts.
These types of experiences provide community-integrated opportunities for learning new skills, meeting like-minded people, and achieving personal growth goals.
The National Disability Services (NDS) also supports that “community participation is an integral element in supporting people with disability”.
And the principles of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) also recognise that “people with disability have the right:
- to realise potential for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development
- to participate in and contribute to social and economic life to the extent of their ability
- to exercise choice, including reasonable risks in the pursuit of their goals”
[SOURCE: Community Participation in Action Guide (2016) | NDS & NDIS]
Why is incorporating art into community inclusion important for participants of the NDIS?
In 2001, the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity declared ‘Article 6 – Towards access for all to cultural diversity’. The definition of this included “equal access to art and to scientific and technological knowledge, including in digital form, and the possibility for all cultures to have access to the means of expression and dissemination are the guarantees of cultural diversity.”
Art has been a tool of human self-expression, connection and storytelling for millennia. Making art accessible and inclusive for everyone is a fundamental human right.
In 2021, the Australia Council of the Arts released the report ‘Towards Equity: A research overview of diversity in Australia’s arts and cultural sector’.
Key findings included that “Australians living with disability are more likely than other Australians to be making art but are less likely to be making money from it. And people with disability continue to face barriers in attending arts events.”
The ‘Towards Equity’ report also found that “Australians in remote areas are more likely than those living in metropolitan or regional areas to attend the arts to improve their wellbeing. However, they are twice as likely to experience difficulty getting to events compared to those in metropolitan or regional areas.”
So for Australians living both with disability, and in an isolated or remote area, equitable access to the arts can be even more challenging.
Art Credit: A collective work created by multiple artists at Bayley House contributing. They were inspired by the work of Julian Opie.
How can I attend an all-abilities art workshop through NDIS STA?
Thankfully, MediStays is able to offer STA Packages that include accommodation with Bayley House and easy access to Bayley Arts workshops. Our aim is to offer individuals as much choice and control of their stay as possible.
We provide flexible options for the number of nights you stay in STA, and whether family or friends join you. This helps you to customise your stay around your Plan goals.
There is also flexibility for your formal support schedule if desired. It’s simple and easy to select provided supports at Bayley Arts, or you can bring your supports from home.
For guests requiring accessible accommodation, we support a diverse range of access needs. You can learn more about our Access Criteria and how MediStays approaches accessibility here.
1300 085 036