Music for All: Inclusion Matters

Australian performer in Jakarta to celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities

To mark the International Day of People with Disabilities the Australian Embassy, Jakarta is pleased to host the Music for All program featuring Australian performer Emma Bennison, CEO of the Australian arts and disability peak body, Arts Access Australia.

Ms Bennison, who has been blind since birth, will visit SLBA Pembina School in Cilandak, Jakarta today to perform with visually impaired students.

The highlight of her visit will be a collaborative musical recital with renowned Indonesian pianist and composer, Ananda Sukarlan. She will also meet with Indonesian arts organisations to discuss potential collaborations with Arts Access Australia.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson said Emma Bennison is a great inspiration, most particularly for young people struggling to overcome the barriers to full and equal access to the arts as audiences, artists and arts and cultural leaders.

“The Music for All program is part of Australia’s wider support for the Government of Indonesia’s work in increasing access for people with disabilities to public services and social assistance,” Ambassador Grigson said.

Australia and Indonesia work together on a range of initiatives to empower people with disability. These include a sign language interpretation service in Indonesian courts, supporting disability groups to improve access to electoral processes and programs to reduce violence against women with disability.

Australia has also recently awarded scholarships to 22 Indonesian disability rights advocates to undertake an Australia Awards Short Course at Sydney University on Organisational Leadership and Management Practices.

The theme for this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is Inclusion Matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities. See how these programs are changing lives and communities: https://youtu.be/aRVf6Sw7rcc

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