DANCE. ACCESS. PLAY. is a pilot project for Lismore Regional Gallery: a half-day immersion in inclusive movement practice building connection and creative generosity in the Northern Rivers.

The pilot is a new initiative of Philip Channells, co-curated and delivered by Dance Integrated Australia with Associate Artist, Shar Mitchell and in partnership with Lismore-based dance company, Golden Thursdays.

This half-day immersive workshop brought together 16 participants with different lived experience, a deaf access consultant (Tallula Bourne) and two Auslan interpreters (Alison Toft and Jodi Bibiana), a filmmaker/photographer (Jahvis Loveday/Something Deadly) and a dedicated team of five Golden Thursdays ensemble members (Bryn James, Max McAuley, Alice Boscheinen, Kate McDowell and Stuart Shugg),

Participants ranged in age from their 20s through to 80 years old, with many people stepping into a dance space for the very first time. By the end of the day, no one could quite believe what had been created together.

Image: Philip Channells. Dancer: Nikki Fitz

Watching DANCE. ACCESS. PLAY. at Lismore Regional Gallery by PH(R)ASE was uplifting and deeply moving. The energy, play and diversity of bodies in motion showed what true community looks like. Experiences like this are essential to our creative sector and we need to support and champion them at every level. Jane Fuller, Executive Director, Arts Northern Rivers.

Workshop #1 | Impulse and Form | 90 mins

The morning began with Impulse and Form, facilitated by Golden Thursdays’ Bryn James and Stuart Shugg, with support from ensemble members. This session also marked the very first public workshop connected to the research and development of Scenes from a Lake, ahead of their upcoming three-week residency with GUTS Dance in Alice Springs, and professional development workshops soon to follow at Centre National de la Danse (CND), Paris, and PARTS in Brussels.

Through slow, attentive movement and deep listening to bodily sensation, participants were guided by Bryn to let impulse lead form. A choreographed phrase became a shared anchor, gradually transformed by spontaneous choices and collective intuition. The room settled into a rare kind of focus which was calm, porous, and alive with improvisation and structure coexisting in the body.

The result was a powerful reminder that choreography doesn’t have to be rushed to be rigorous, and that care and clarity can open vast creative possibilities.

Image: Philip Channells. Dancers: (L-R) Silvia Lindsay, Kate McDowell, Bryn James and Alison Toft

Workshop #2 | Responsive Systems | 90 mins

After lunch, the energy was high with Shar Mitchell’s invigorating workshop Responsive Systems. Sweaty, playful, and unexpectedly tender, this session explored the nervous system through movement.

Dancers responded to the words: Flight, Fight, Freeze, Faun and Forgive, allowing deeply personal responses to surface. ‘Signature moves’ high kicks and karate chops, sliding plastic chairs and arm gestures travelled across the space, connecting individual stories into a shared physical language.

Despite the depth of the themes, the room was pumped with energy, full of laughter and curiosity. Movement became a way to process, release, and reconnect, not only with oneself, but with each other.

Image: Jahvis Loveday (Something Deadly) | Dancers: (L-R) Shar Mitchell, Max McAuley & Bryn James

Workshop #3 | Assembled | 60 min

The final session, Assembled, was co-designed by Philip and the dancers. Together, they intuitively stitched discoveries from across the day, blending, splicing, and reimagining movements from both workshops into a shared structure that honoured every participant’s contribution.

There were line-ups, dispersals, high kicks, intimate groupings, and moments where individuals were given space to shine. No one was left unseen. No gesture was too small. The work held both clarity and looseness and was a living archive of our day’s experiences.

During reflections, one of the participants (John, 80) captured the room perfectly when he said:

Everyone looked energised, but I wanna know… how do you remember all the moves?

Image: Philip Channells. Participant: John Scotchmer in the Lismore Regional Gallery Studio Space

The Sharing | 30 min

The informal showing that followed was electric. Audience members were visibly moved, some feeling emotional were struck by the honesty, humour, and sheer amount of material generated in just a few hours. Disbelief turned into applause, then laughter, as the day closed with a final, unifying dance to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off. It was a perfect release expressing joy and connection.

Image: Jahvis Loveday. Dancers: (L-R) Bryn James & Stuart Shugg + workshop participants

DANCE. ACCESS. PLAY. gives community an opportunity to come together, create relationships, express and connect. Vital access for developing self-esteem and to feel seen. This engagement through movement is key to growth and development for people with mixed abilities. Kirk Page, Bangarra Dance Theatre

The DANCE. ACCESS. PLAY. pilot project was a powerful reminder that dance is not about perfection or prior experience, it’s about presence, generosity, and what becomes possible when people are trusted to create together.

This project was co-produced by Lismore Regional Gallery and PH(R)ASE and supported by the Lismore City Council.

Main Image: Jahvis Loveday (Something Deadly). Dancers: (L-R) Suzanne Whiteman, Simmi Ghinsberg and Max McAuley.

Image: Jahvis Loveday. Lismore Regional Gallery Studio Space