Launch highlights

FIONA STRAHAN:  Good morning, everyone. This is really exciting! And welcome to the Launch of the Crip Culture Podcast. It’s wonderful that you’re all here in person, and we’ve got people online   hi!   and to celebrate disability arts, culture, and creativity. My name is Fiona Strahan and I’ll be your MC today. And we’ve had a lot of mic experiences. It’s wonderful to… Yeah, it’s wonderful to be here. There’s something really exciting about Crip Culture and us telling the stories about us, rather than us being described. I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands that we’re meeting on today, the Palawa and Pakana peoples here on Muwinina. I’m really nervous, sorry! Muwinina Country in Nipaluna. This podcast was recorded on stolen, unceded Aboriginal land. First Nations people are the oldest storytellers, and their voices continue to guide us today. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and join in their ongoing calls for treaty and justice. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. 

While today is a day of celebration, it’s also important to honour the history of disability in Tasmania, including what took place at Willow Court. We remember those who lived there, including those who died and those in unmarked graves. We honour survivors and families carrying the trauma of institutionalisation and separation. We recognise the ongoing impact of these experiences. We recognise that the ongoing impact of these experiences are across generations. This event, and the whole podcast, were created with accessibility at the forefront. So, I would like to give some accessibility reminders. This event is interpreted by the wonderful Ben Richardson, next to me. This event is stenocaptioned by Bernadette McGoldrick from Access Captions, available on screen and via Zoom. Hello, everyone out there. And accessible bathrooms are down there at the end of the room. And if you’ve got a mic, turn it off when you go in there! I didn’t! (LAUGHS) And please feel welcome to move around, stretch, take breaks, come and go as you need. And if you’d like a quiet space, the library is open on the first floor.

Crip Culture is a podcast by disabled people, creatives for disabled creatives, exploring what it means to write, make art, and tell stories in a world that overlooks us. Season one brings together an incredible line up of disabled writers, poets, storytellers from around Australia. Wherever we walk, sit, wheel, or lie down, there are stories   ancient stories and new stories   ours and someone else’s. Thomas King, in The Truth About Stories, says, “Stories are what we are, it’s what makes us.” Our voices are spoken, written, painted, drawn, signed, touched, and more. 

There’s a lot of ways to have a voice. In my lifetime, disabled stories were described by others. Our stories were assumed. And they were very limited. One story of mine is that I did not see myself as having a disability. In my family, I was just short, thank you very much! And I didn’t identify at all with disabled people. And I was working with some young boys, who were doing travel training, and so in Sydney we could catch a bus, a ferry, a train, and just walk around and be confident using transport. And one day, there was a rally on the road, and the boy said to me, “How come those people are walking on the road when you’re not allowed to walk on the road?” So, I gave a quick introduction to, you know, politics, I guess. And then I stopped, and we stopped and had a look. And there were some people talking. I have absolutely no idea what they said. There was a short statured man, very glamorous, in a black suit and a white tie. And I don’t know what he said, but my fist shot up in the air. You know, and, kind of, eight months’ later, I was working with the Disability Resource Centre as their information person. And that’s when the evolution happened, where I moved from being a crumpled, frightened caterpillar into an empowered, powerful butterfly. So, here we are, generations of stories, launching this fabulous project of writing, of culture, and of being. 

So, that’s my intro. I’d now like to introduce you to our special guest, the Disability Commissioner of Tasmania, Catherine Whitington. The role of the Commissioner   and she will love hearing this   is to prevent harm, promote inclusion, and ensure people with a disability are treated with dignity and respect in Tasmania. Please welcome Catherine. 

 

CATHERINE WHITINGTON:  Hi, everyone. Happy Sunday! I can be a little bit of a terror with the microphone, so if you can’t hear me, just shoot your hand up in the air and I will know I need to reposition it. Like Fiona, I’m a little bit nervous! Because how often do we get to sit amongst our own community, talking about the things that really matter to us? It’s just awesome! And so I’m going to start by saying I too acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the beautiful land that we meet on, and I honour and acknowledge continuing connection to land, sky and waters. Like everyone sitting in this room, I also honour and acknowledge those who lived at Willow Court, survivors, families, staff, and the whole community it touched in some way with its complex legacy and history. And I’d like to honour our Tasmanian disability community that lives and thrives, and who I’ve had the absolute joy of sitting with over the last seven months to pause, reflect, and think about how we tell our own stories. 

It is such a privilege to be here speaking with you today as we launch the Crip Culture Podcast. Earlier this week, on Wednesday, you will know that the world paused for International Day of People with Disability. It’s a bit of a theme, right? And this year’s theme has been fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress. So, in the last 72 hours, I have been to some 16 speaking events, where I’ve listened and heard about the Tasmanian disability community. There’s an absolute joy in that and also, I think, there are 360 other days of the year where people should be engaging in stories. 

These events that I have been to, they’ve ranged in diversity, from legal services eager to understand our community in new ways, to commemorating the 25th anniversary of the closure of Willow Court. And if you didn’t know, that’s actually this weekend, and there are some great events happening in New Norfolk, that you should go and learn about   and in Newtown as well. 

While the world paused to reflect, learn and honour, I think we people with disability readied ourselves. We readied ourselves to celebrate, to stand together, and sometimes to survive a marathon of the cultural load of educations. What I’ve learned from this is that we are diverse, bold, brave, dedicated, and creative. Our stories are such an important part of truth telling, healing, community, and belonging. At the same time, the stories of Tasmanians with disability can be quite juxtaposed. What I mean by that is many of us have found places and ways to belong and express ourselves, and we can be parents, employees, creatives, artists, scientists, storytellers   you name it   we walk among you. 

Here come those nerves! At the same time, too many of us are locked out of education, the workforce…Or places we ought to, and should be, and want to be. As a state, we’re on the precipice of real and meaningful change. We have a new senior practitioner dedicated to reducing and eliminating restrictive practices. For the first time, we have a Disability Commissioner who must be a person with disability. (CHEERING) As I reflect on what that means, I can’t help but be drawn to the role of events like today and the Crip Culture Podcast in shaping social change. I know   and I reckon everyone here knows today   that social change isn’t linear, it’s not pretty, and it’s not easily packaged. It’s gritty, it’s messy, it invites us to collectively seek and reckon with humanity, to be curious and to sit with sometimes contradictory emotions. As you listen to this podcast, I think you’ll hear discomfort, struggle, and synergy, but I think you’ll hear that alongside joy, hope and resilience. And I think that transcends into   sorry, page turn!   a powerful celebration of the history of disability rights. And what I would encourage listeners to do is don’t just stop with that powerful feeling. I encourage you, whether you’re part of the disability community or one of our allies, to translate this into action. Even just one, singular action toward our state, Tasmania, being a place where people with disability thrive in the many diverse ways that are meaningful to us, not because it’s part of progressive social change but because it’s a given. Something that happens with ease every day that we don’t have to think about or even notice. That’s my challenge to you when you get through this wonderful, wonderful podcast. Use it for meaningful action. Thank you! 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  I met Catherine about an hour and a half ago. And there’s something really glorious about having a disabled person being the Commissioner. And, you know, ceilings have cracked, walls have, kind of, widened. I went into the office the other day just to drop off something, and I walked in with my partner, and there in the front was this counter that was probably about 2m   no, 1m high, less than 1m. I’m trying to do the description. But what it meant was that I could stand there and press the button without going like this   and I’m reaching my arm above my head   and I squealed as if I had just been given, you know, six pounds of chocolate, or something! And that’s how significant change is, where we go into a building and the building welcomes us completely. And that was just…like, I was dancing. And then they said, “Well, you should have come inside as well and had a look at the offices.” It’s like, “I will, I will!” So, thank you, Catherine. It’s fantastic to have you here. And you’ve certainly done a lot in a short period of time. 

OK, it’s now time for our panel discussion. And so I think our panel discussion is going to come up here? Beautiful. These are the three people who have made these podcasts possible. And we’re just adjusting mics and whatnot. Alright, so we’re now moving on to our panel and the team behind Crip Culture. Please welcome co hosts Fiona Murphy. Rosie Putland down there. And Honor Monaro… 

 

HONOR MARINO:  Marino. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Sorry. Honor, you start. Is that me? OK. Before we get into the conversation, we would love to have a sneak peek of the podcast. And you’re going to show a trailer. 

 

HONOR MARINO:  I will chat and entertain you as we get the audio up! And this is a little, kind of, teaser about the podcast. The podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all good podcast platforms. So, please, feel free to download it. But we’ve just created a little teaser so that we can share it. Yeah, it’s only audio. Because for a podcast, who needs video?! Although, podcasters these days… So, you know, I have a love for audio, but now we aren’t satisfied with just audio, we need visuals as well. So, now I need to become a videographer! Did you know that YouTube is the most popular platform for playing podcasts?  Isn’t that insane? You can’t just be an audio expert, you have to do videos as well. So, please enjoy this audio when we get the volume working.  

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Shall I ask some questions of you three while we wait? So, what sparked the idea for Crip Culture? 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  Can anyone hear me with this microphone? Yep, wonderful. Rosie and I met in the unlikely place of LinkedIn. Believe it or not, a friendship was sparked on LinkedIn. I was on LinkedIn for about five minutes and saw Rosie’s incredible posts that are just full of disability joy and advocacy. And I was like, “Who is this woman? She’s incredible.” And we messaged one another and hopped on a Zoom call, and it was like we’d known each other for years. We instantly connected. And at the end of that conversation, it was if we shared a brain. We turned to each other and said, “Do you know what would be really great? If we could set up a podcast together.” We didn’t know what the podcast would be, we just knew we loved talking about the same things of arts, disability, culture, access, inclusion, and sharing tips and tricks as to what access actually means. 

And from there, looking back on it, it happened in a remarkably short period of time, and also working with Rosie, mountains get moved within minutes   she’s incredible! Honor came on board as our producer. We put in a funding application with Tasmanian Arts, and behind the scenes, the podcast was gonna be called Books In Bed. Love the alliteration. And we thought, “Well, disabled authors and writers spend a lot of time navigating the world, their bodies, and their craft in a whole heap of different ways, and a lot of us do write in bed.” We write lying down, we write standing up, we take breaks, we stretch, we navigate a whole host of things to be able to produce our art. And often those things can be financial, it can be societal thoughts and stigma, and we really wanted to capture that. As the idea grew and grew, we were thinking, “Maybe this can be more than the publishing industry. Maybe it’s more than just reading and writing. Maybe we could tackle everything.” We’ll see how we go with that. I think we’re all a little bit tired at the moment! But we landed on the name Crip Culture, and for us it just clicked. We realised what we were talking about was so much more than the production, or something, but what it is to be disabled, to experience the world as part of a community, and to navigate it. And we’re really excited that we’re sharing these stories along the way. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  OK, got it?

 

(TRAILER PLAYS) 

 

SYNTHETIC VOICE:  Culture, Crip Culture. 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  Welcome to the Crip Culture Podcast. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  I just love this idea of disability culture and Crip Culture. Hi, and welcome to the Crip Culture Podcast. I’m Rosie Putland, a disability influencer and storyteller. 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  And I’m Fiona Murphy, an award winning writer and the author of The Shape of Sound, a memoir about deafness. Crip Culture celebrates disability, arts, culture and creativity. In this season, we’re exploring the publishing industry. What is it like being a disabled author or editor? Is the industry welcoming or are there still barriers? Throughout this season, we’ve spoken to writers from around Australia. 

 

OLIVIA MUSCAT:  I used to think that that was my job. Like, because I wanted to be a writer and I had this very specific experience of my disability, it was my job to, like, use whatever writing I did to educate people. And I thought that was the only way. Like, I would have a career in writing at all! 

 

GAYLE KENNEDY:  Well, you can’t get on the stage, for a start! So, you’re down there with the audience. It’s just the sheer lack of respect. Don’t invite us if you can’t provide access. 

 

ESTHER OTTAWAY:  People had blood sugar attacks, migraines, and attended while lying down. People turned their screens off and their sound down when in sensory overwhelm. People logged on late because they were ill and logged off early because they’d become ill, and it felt gloriously like home. 

 

LAURA PETTENUZZO:  The future of publishing is disabled, and we’re starting to see that very slowly, and that gives me so much hope. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  If you wanna keep creating culture with us, follow us on socials at Crip Culture Podcast and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. 

 

(TRAILER ENDS)

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  So… (APPLAUSE) I’ve listened to all of them and they have been edited since. But it was just…it was so uplifting because it’s like we are actually making a real culture. It’s not like a cute word, it’s real. Tell me about…you’ve got 14 disabled writers and storytellers for Season 1. What surprised you and moved you or stayed with you in the days after? 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  It’s so weird holding a speaker with your own voice coming out of it. It’s a very bizarre feeling! So, yeah, if anyone wants to try that, I don’t know, I don’t know if I recommend it! So, to your question, and I think Fiona answered it so beautifully earlier about how the podcast came to be. And I feel like you’ve just captured it so well. I remember the very first interview that I did was with Olivia Muscat, who you heard right at the start of that first voice clip in the trailer. And something Olivia said right at the end of our conversation   and it did make it into the cut   a lot of things didn’t make it into the cut. Of all of our people that we talked to, we spent probably about 50 minutes talking to them. Some of the recordings are really long and there’s probably about 10 minutes of each person in the final cut, or 10 15 minutes. But this part made it in, and Olivia said, “I can’t wait till there’s a day where I find disabled stories by disabled authors that I just don’t like, I don’t like the story.” And that just cracked open my mind. Because I’m like, “We’re so limited on the disabled stories that we have, that we’re just grateful for anything. You know, if it’s by a disabled author, it’s even difficult to have a critique, because they’re just so limited. And, like, I just think about that all the time. Like, that’s what will be progress, is when there’s stuff that I’m just like, “It’s not really for me.” And I can’t wait until that day. And I think Olivia can’t wait till that day. And I think that surprised me and that really just cracked open, like, “Oh, this is… We’re still there. We’re so limited on what we have.” So, I think about that all the time. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  And, Honor, as the producer, you have been behind the scenes, shaping how the podcast sounds and feels. What were the storytelling or accessibility choices that guided your production process? 

 

HONOR MARINO:  I’ve learnt so much in this process of putting together this podcast. As the producer, editor, and mixing the whole seven episodes together, and as the non disabled representation in the project, it has been such an eye opening experience to sit with 14 disabled authors and to have them in my ears, to be listening to them and cutting at just the right moment, and shaping the sounds and shaping the story, to be confronted with that, to be confronted with all of the stories that, in my life, I haven’t had to face. And that has really been a profound part of being part of a project like this. 

And the other big thing that I learnt was about accessibility and making the process accessible for everyone who’s involved. So, as a producer, the process was that I would call or contact the guest and do an access check. Now, I’ve never done one of these before. I might have done them in little bits, but Rosie and Fiona really helped me to understand what are the accommodations that you can do to make someone feel comfortable and at home when we’re interviewing them? And at the start, I kind of felt a little bit awkward. So, the girls gave me a checklist, so I could call them or contact them in a way that was suitable for them   whether that was on Zoom or text message or email or, you know, phone call. Normally, a phone call would be my first port of call. “I will just give them a call because I’m an extrovert and I will call them because it suits me!” Actually, that doesn’t suit everyone and you might not get the information that you require. So, for example, the checklist had, “Ask them do they need an interpreter? Do they need captions on their Zoom calls? Would they prefer a phone call to initially organise the pre interview? Would they prefer to do it face to face? Do they need the questions beforehand?” Which, in media, is a big no no. You can’t send the questions beforehand because you need to surprise them and talk off cuff. Well, actually, if you do give people the questions beforehand, in situations where it’s appropriate, they can take a few moments to carefully think about what it is that they want to share, and you get even much better stories from them. 

Other accommodations was, like, “Do you want to have the lights dimmed in the studio? ” And there’s a really lovely example, and it’s in the podcast in Kylie Maslen’s episode. So, I had asked her whether she would require the lights dimmed in the studios when we were doing the recording, and she was in the Adelaide Vision Studios. She said, “Yes, that would be lovely,” in the tick a box exercise. And so I talked to the tech and I said, “Hi, from Adelaide, from Vision, could you please make sure that the lights are dimmed and that a couple of other accommodations?” So, I kind of thought nothing of it. They thought nothing of it. And she came in, he said, “Would you like the lights dimmed?” She said, “Yes, that would be lovely.” And it happened. And then in the interview, Kylie said, “Because when I’m given accommodations, I’m free to be myself, I have the energy, I have the mental capacity to just shine and be me.” And for her, “being me” is being silly and fun and relaxed. And just that one, little accommodation really made a difference to her. So, listen out to that episode with Kylie Maslen about how those kind of accommodations can make a big difference. And so that was a huge thing that I learnt in this experience, as a non disabled producer of how those little things can make a big difference. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  And it’s not awkward to ask. 

 

HONOR MARINO:  It’s not awkward to ask. I now… Like, I’m practised at doing it. Like, I see that, if you ask, you get surprised by people saying, “Oh, yeah, actually, I’d really like that.” And I’m a communications specialist. So, now I’m emptying that in my corporate job as well. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Fantastic. Fiona? 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  The other thing with that is we really hope that this podcast isn’t just for disabled people but it’s for everyone within the industry. We recognise that even the name of the podcast might be confronting to people   Crip Culture   that people might think that they’re saying the wrong thing, they’re doing the wrong thing. And we recognise that a lot of conversations don’t happen because people don’t want to feel awkward or make someone else feel uncomfortable. And then it just creates a lot of silence and a lot of confusion. So, a lot of the guests that we have aren’t just writers and authors but they work in the industry. And for people to realise, like, an editor can be completely blind, like Olivia Muscat. In her episode, she talks about what it’s like to be an editor who’s blind. Most people wouldn’t even imagine that’s possible because of their own lack of knowledge of it. So, we’re really hoping that this podcast just opens people’s minds up, particularly in the industry, to recognise that disabled people can work in all facets in the industry as editors, copyrighters, copy checkers, publishers, publicists   whoever it is, we deserve to be represented in all aspects of it and get paid fairly. That’s another thing that the funding from Tasmanian Arts was so critical in allowing us to set up the podcast but ensure that every single guest was remunerated in a fair way. And that was feedback that we got from everyone, that people were surprised and delighted that they didn’t have to ask about that. We made it really clear when we approached them that this was a paid opportunity for them, which is important for us. And we recognise that that takes planning and work, and it was a priority for us from the get go of the project. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  So, speaking about this crip culture, what does it mean to each of you personally? Like, when you say “crip culture”, what happens? 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  To me, it means joy, rage, delight. It means feeling uncomfortable but supported and held. And it means bloody good art. A lot of people think that disability art is not of the same standard as any other art form or any other artist. I’ve had the great pleasure of working in the industry for a long time, and that includes being on panels assessing grant applications. And I have been on a lot of national boards assessing grant applications for disability art competitions, and whatnot. And to be honest, most people in the industry, or a lot of people, would assume that it’s “easier” to get funding if you’re disabled, because you might be ticking a box. But it is so much more competitive to get funding when you’re in the disability categories, because suddenly you’re up against musicians and ballet dancers and composers and authors and visual artists. You’re up against the best of the best all across Australia to get a little bit of funding. Whereas a lot of the other categories, you might just be up against your peers in literature, or whatever your art form is. They’re the sort of things that I really hope people start to recognise, that there is so much good art making happening in Australia by disabled artists, and it’s not just for disabled people, it’s for everyone. It’s for the entire community. And I really hope that people get a chance to experience crip culture, whoever they are and wherever they are. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  That just reminded me of something you said. In Episode 2, Micheline Lee, she talks about – I’m not sure this made the cut, I’m giving you behind the scenes of things that didn’t make the cut – she talks about so many people, when they think of disability and art, they think of therapy. And creative therapies are so important, and I don’t want to devalue them, but that’s not only it. Disabled people can be professionals and ARE professionals in a wide range of creative industries. And I think that’s so important. The word “crip”, to me, I think it’s…it’s so interesting and beautiful and joyful and complex. And I think that’s what I like about it, is that it’s complex. So often, we don’t get to have nuanced conversations about disability. And I think in this podcast we do get to have those nuanced conversations. There are people in this podcast who don’t use the word “crip”, there are people in the podcast who do use it for themselves. I think that’s so beautiful, that we can capture that. And I think “crip”, to me, the word encapsulates something bigger than the word “disability” can. It’s a term that’s only for us, in our community, and, you know, every day at the moment, we hear “disability” being talked about on the news, we hear “the costs of disability”, we hear it in the words, in the mouths of, you know, the NDIS and the NDIA, and how expensive we are. And, you know, all of those sorts of things. And, you know, even the government using terms like “nothing about us without us”, which has always been a community term, and using it in ways that don’t necessarily align with what the community’s intention of that phrase means. 

And so, to me, “crip” is something that the government is never gonna say! And, you know, and I think it encapsulates a politicised experience of disability and what it means to be a disabled person for me, in Australia, or so called Australia, but around the world, it captures that community, that cultural experience, because there is a cultural experience of being disabled, and more so now than ever, you know? 

A lot of us now are able to be in public and in public spaces with our mobility aids, with ourselves, in ourselves, as being. And so, to me, that’s what “crip” captures. And I think it’s important to have that when we talk about culture, is it’s something bigger, it’s not something that the government owns, it’s something that the community owns. And, yeah, there’s a lot of emotion in that at the moment. And I think taking time for joy and for disabled joy at the moment is more important than ever, as, you know, disabled people’s livelihoods continue to be a political football. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Thank you. Yeah. (APPLAUSE) 

 

HONOR MARINO:  As a non disabled person, when Fiona and Rosie were like, “We’re gonna call it Crip Culture!” I was like, “What?! Can we even say the word “crip”?” It has been a real eye-opener for me to ask the questions and to talk to these guys about what it means to them, and how I can navigate the word sensitively and understand and do my own research about the evolution of it. So, yeah, I am talking to people who are saying, “Oh, that’s an interesting title.” But now I know, and so I’m able to share it with non disabled people about the background. So, it’s cool. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Wonderful. I think we’re now going on to a poetry reading. It’s my honour… 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  We do have a little bit of time. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Oh, do we have more time? Oh! Hang on, we’ve got more time! I was a bit worried. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  No, we’re good. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  OK, can I ask another question, then? I can just sit here and yak, but it’s not about me! What do you hope people get from listening to these? What do you imagine, when you’re talking into this space and people are listening, all over the country, world, what do you hope that they get? 

 

FIONA MURPHY:  It’s a little bit like a box of chocolates. Because we spend so much time, an unbelievable amount of time, editing the podcast so that it hopefully feels like a bit of a journey, that you may not know anything about writing or publishing, or you might be an aspiring writer, or you might just be a fan of some of the authors that we’re talking to, that you will hopefully hearing them talk about things that they might not get the chance to talk about publicly on stages or as part of their work. So, for instance, we interview Kay Kerr, an incredible autistic author, who writes about romance and rom coms. And there is autistic representation in her books, but they’re also really joyful romance books, which are fantastic to read. And we talk to poets as well and we talk to a whole range of different practitioners of their craft. But often we don’t get the opportunity, as disabled authors, to be able to share what it’s really like, and the things that help us and don’t help us. So, hopefully, the podcast is an opportunity to get little insights into how people work. Matilda Boseley shares some really great insights into how she works for The Guardian, creating these incredible news stories in a way that suits her brain, and she gives some really great writing tips for anyone who has ADHD or just   I’ve taken on board some of the tips and I don’t have ADHD. So, it’s really a chocolate box of lots of different things that we hope people have a chance to take what they need from it, also to return to it again and again and take different things at different points. 

I should say, every single episode, there is a detailed transcript that goes with it as well, so that’s another access component. We really wanted to make this podcast accessible for people with any auditory processing disorders, who are deaf or hard of hearing, because quite often we are locked out of the podcasting world because of a lack of transcripts, or of transcripts that are, kind of, AI generated, which aren’t the best quality. 

 

ROSIE PUTLAND:  I think I just want it to feel like a warm blanket that people can wrap themselves in. That’s what I want people to get out of the podcast, is, you know, when the news is bad and we all feel like shit, there’s something to come to. And I know that’s how I’ll be using it   when I need to feel that, yeah, just that wrap from the community. I think that’s really the thing that I want out of the podcast, and I hope people take away from it. And Esther listened to a few episodes and sent us a lovely message last night, essentially saying that. I’m like, “Great! Achieved! Excellent! I can knock off now!” So, yeah, and I think, like Fi said, just that example of what podcasting can be, and, you know, we made a podcast about accessibility and gave an example of an accessible podcast and an accessible event, and everything we’ve done has been grounded in that. And, yeah, the transcripts are there. I have other hopes, when I’ve had a nap, you know, about captioned video versions and Auslan versions as well, but I need a little bit of funding for that. So, if anyone has got some spare money they want to give me, soliciting right now! (LAUGHTER) But, yeah, I think that example of what it’s like to create an accessible podcast, wrapped up in an accessible podcast, and what it means to pay disabled creatives as well. You talked about that before, but that was so important to this project, was paying all of our authors. And it might seem like, “That doesn’t sound like a big deal,” but so often, you know, there are so many disabled people in the audience I could look at now who know what that example is like of receiving a query in your inbox of, “We need a disabled person on this panel, come talk on our podcast,” whatever it might be, asking for free work. And I think that was so important to create that representation and also that, you know, we got funding. You know? And we budgeted that in. And we budgeted in that all our access   like, our captioner, our Auslan interpreter, our disabled MC today, our disabled speaker, that they were all paid as well, as a part of this project. And I think, you know, you might not see that side of it, but that’s so important about this project as well. 

 

HONOR MARINO:  And so this project, Crip Culture, was supported and commissioned by Print Radio Tasmania, and I’m the vice president of Print Radio, and our president is over here. And what we really hope from this podcast is that people can see how much amazing talent we have in Tasmania of telling stories. And we are really looking forward to playing it on Print Radio Tasmania and being able to have this really beautiful, high quality content, beautiful storytelling, that we can delight our audiences with, and impress the pants off people and, you know, get some more support to create more projects. 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  I think one of the things about listening to the podcast and being on the panel and having some contact with people before, is the absolute, kind of, oh, it’s the…the…not just the talent, it’s not talent, but it’s the acuteness and quality of the work. Sometimes, people expect us to be below par. And it’s like, when we put out stuff that is equal to anybody else, it’s like it actually raises us all in a different way. And what I find is that there’s a little something that someone says, and it’s, like, “Yes!” And something, you know, a body tingle, and it’s that identification of the reality in a way that’s not just saying, “God, it’s hard, I’m over it,” or whatever. I don’t think I’d say it’s hard   well, it is   but there’s something that… And that stays with us. It kind of, you know, morphs into you. And it’s like, “Oh!” And it’s just…our culture is, like… You know, when I was young, the idea of a disability culture, we were just coming out of institutions. And it’s, like, the next generation has just kind of grasped what’s been done and pushed it further, and that will keep happening. And maybe one day there’s a time where, you know, it’s not so exciting to have us here, but I think it will always be exciting! So, thank you very much. We’re now inviting Esther Ottaway to come and read poetry. We’re going to do a jiggle, I think, with mics. And I’m going to get out of the way. 

So, I’d like to… I’d like to welcome… It’s now my honour to welcome the award winning autistic poet Esther Ottaway, who is reading two poems. Please make her welcome. (APPLAUSE) 

 

ESTHER OTTAWAY:  Thank you so much. It’s just a great pleasure to be included in this event for you today. It was just incredible, listening to the first episodes of the podcast yesterday, and I immediately messaged the ladies involved and just affirmed that they had really reached a very deep understanding of the issues that we needed to explore and to have voiced. And it’s, yeah, just a tremendous achievement, so well done. I have two poems for you today. The first one explores the difficulty of just getting through the day with disability, particularly in this case with autism and ADHD. 

 

Limbic Airways Flight AUT101. 

 

Welcome on board! My name is Cognitive Confusion. Our captain today is Executive Function Impairment, and our co-pilot is Memory Dysfunction. With us are our wonderful cabin crew, Overwhelm and Self Fulfilling Prophecy, who can come to you at any time. In your seat pocket, you will find a safety card. The card is in your own handwriting and includes instructions for getting dressed, taking medications, paying bills and eating regularly. Even though you may have flown with us many times before, you will still need to refer to these instructions on every flight. Your seatbelt should now be fastened tightly around your mouth, keeping others safe from your social deficits. The complimentary headphones will deliver a stream of invective, inaudible to those around you. The cabin will remain pressurised throughout the flight. This sensory pressure will be relentless. For much of the day, we will need to fly squares around turbulence, during which you may access, on our inflight entertainment, a game where you throw tasks into a huge bucket and are unable to prioritise them. You will likely feel sick over what you are not accomplishing. Please use the bags provided. Please note that smoking is not permitted aboard the aircraft, nor is relief from any addictive substance. Penalties apply for asking that others accommodate your disability. Please note that these excuses must not be used during the flight, particularly if you are travelling for work. You should be familiar with the brace position and the foetal position, as you will find yourself using these frequently. If you become so distressed that it becomes necessary to leave the aircraft, there are two exits through the forward doors leading to embarrassment, two exits over the wings leading to the sea of self recrimination, and two exits at the rear of the aircraft leading to isolation. If oxygen is required, masks will drop from the ceiling above you. It is essential that you wear a mask to access the flow of social acceptance. Emotional decompression will occur without warning. This is a non stop service travelling from waking to broken sleep. 

 

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) 

 

Thank you. The poems today come from my book She Doesn’t Seem Autistic, and the poems explore the difficulties of disability but also, towards the end, lift into poems of hope. So, I’d like to read   it’s a tribute poem to Maya Angelou’s very famous poem, Still I Rise, a poem of resistance.

 

Still I Rise: Female Autism. 

 

Do you think I am mistaken

‘Cause my label mystifies? 

Do you want to contradict me? 

I defy the one who tries.

 

Widen out your definition. 

Try my burdens on for size. 

I’m a stereotype breaker 

And, like knowledge, I will rise. 

 

I’m the tree encased in concrete. 

I’m the wingless bird who flies. 

Daily, witness my endeavour   

Singing anthems, I will rise. 

 

I’ve the might of 20 warriors. 

I’ve the grit to actualise 

What small wins are in my power. 

Though disabled, still I rise. 

 

Does it give you dissonance 

That there are diamonds in my eyes? 

I can keep my struggles private 

Yet I share my joys, and rise. 

 

I will name truth when I choose to. 

I have learned to meet your eyes. 

I’ll light paths for other women. 

Still unfolding, still I rise. 

  

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) 

 

FIONA STRAHAN:  Mics   gotta love ’em! I think I’m just going to hold this like this, because we’re coming to the end, though it does kind of tempt some dancing. I have been asked to give a small reflection on Esther’s words, and I can’t, because I want to weep and I want to dance and I want to sing. That was just beautiful. It just went straight into my heart, and here I am, standing, trying to describe it. 

Before we finish, the podcast team   the gorgeous podcast team   has asked me to share a few important thankyous. Arts Tasmania for supporting the creation of this podcast. Print Radio Tasmania, Powerd Media for backing this project from the beginning. I love these words   “backing this project from the beginning”. 

All the podcast guests in this season of Crip Culture. The delightful Commissioner, Catherine Whitington, who is here today. Our panellists, Esther Ottaway, Fiona Murphy, Rosie Putland, and Honor Marino. The State Library and Archives of Tasmania for providing this wonderful venue, especially the fabulous Rachel, who I have worked with elsewhere, and coordinator Sue Wickham. Our interpreter Ben and stenocaptioner Bernadette, and to our tech team for making it possible to stream today. And to all of you for being here in person or online, for your energy and the community you bring to this space.

Crip Culture is now officially live and you can hear it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you want to get your podcasts, but we’ve also learnt that YouTube is the place to be! We also…there will also be links on the socials and the website. And before you head off, please stay and join us for morning tea. It’s over there in the corner, in the left hand   my left hand corner. And we also would like to… You know, feel free to chat to the team, because we are a community. And we’d also like to welcome you to donate, if you want to, to a local disability…amazing, young, local disability advocate and community organiser Ana Pike’s GoFundMe to help her get a kidney transplant. You can put money in there, or there’s a QR code. 

And, finally, yay, happy International Day, even though it was a few days ago, but happy Disability Week. And maybe we can have another International YEAR of us and we will bring incredible culture and poignancy. So, thank you for asking me to chair. And thanks for coming, and bon appetit!