Programs | Feanix

Our mission is to provide opportunities for people with

a disability to break into the digital industry

and advance their industry knowledge and education.

Program One

Creating an Inclusion Mindset in a growing market sector

Facilitation and encouragement of the inclusion of NDIA scheme participants and others with milder disabilities into digital film projects is an initial focus. Other streams of the digital sector will be the focus of future phases. There are three elements to this program:

Matching people with disability seeking opportunities with digital projects that need resources

Providing opportunities for people with disability to enter the digital film industry
- While not all so called "disabled" people are eligible to become an NDIA participant, we have adopted as our own one of the National Disability Insurance Scheme goals. Namely, to create opportunities for the "disabled" to live as "normal" a life as possible and engaging in the community. We see "disabled" people's ability to engage in the rapidly growing digital sector as highly inclusive. Facilitation and encouragement of the inclusion of NDIA scheme participants and others with milder disabilities into digital film projects is an initial focus. Other streams of the digital sector will be the focus of future phases.
Feanix works with other organisations operating in the "digital film" sector to identify projects that can include the Feanix registrants in their projects with the cost of the disabled person's inclusion in the project being subsidised.
To ensure we reach the ultimate intended target of this activity, we envisage working with disability peak bodies and the NDIA to raise awareness of the Feanix "matching" capability. They in turn foster the opportunity through their channels and activities.

Showcasing creativity

Providing opportunities for people with disability to participate in the digital film industry by entering their work in AACTA award categories for short film productions
The initial target will be the new AACTA Award for Best Unscripted Online Video which is set up to recognise the wealth of unscripted and factual entertainment being made by both established and emerging creatives for social video platforms.
With a number of sponsored places determined by available funds, Feanix will pay the entry fee for disabled entrants.

Exploring trends

Providing opportunities for people with disability to participate in digital film festivals as either entrants or audience members.
Feanix will sponsor festivals to reduce the entry costs for disabled entrants.

We connect skilled individuals with digital projects

We provide a forum for all people engaged in the digital film industry to learn and discuss best practice and betterment for the future.

Program Two

Fostering and sponsoring inclusion through education

This program focuses on building relationships with training organisations, digital industry bodies and digital film industry employers and sponsoring activities that target the inclusion of disabled people.

Facilitating further education and mentorship

Facilitating training, mentorship, internship and continuing education of people with disability to enter the digital film industry
Through the inclusion of NDIA scheme participants and others with milder disabilities in digital training / education courses and networking events, we lay the foundations for the participants to enter mainstream employment in the digital sector.
The intent is to support activities and events in the digital sector that are accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities.
Feanix subsidises the cost of disabled people's participation in the training events and seminars.
We match mentors, volunteers and organisations willing to have disabled interns with people who register with us.

Our partners

Our initial goal is to deliver these objectives by partnering with existing organisations that specialise in areas of the digital film industry, such as:

Bus Stop Films focuses on training self-managed or plan-managed NDIA participants in digital film industry skills
Australian Film Television & Radio School has a strong social justice element to ist culture. The courses are open to all interested students wherever they fall on the disability spectrum.
SAE Qantm Creative Media Institute has a support framework in place for students with disability. They are working on closing the gap between educational opportunities for the disabled digital film aspirants available in Australia compared to what is available in the UK and US.

Other activities

Other examples of our work in the education stream include the following:

Sponsoring the re-vamping of existing online materials to make them fully available
Sponsoring networking events aimed at knowledge sharing in the digital film industry on the proviso that the events are held in fully accessible venues
Sponsoring online webinars & podcasts aimed at knowledge sharing about the digital film industry on the proviso that these meet full accessibility standards
In the longer term - once all the Foundation's funding mechanisms have gathered momentum:
- Offering scholarships to disabled digital industry aspirants to continue their digital education
- Sponsoring disabled participants to develop purpose-made materials targeting their special cohort

Program Three

Building an inclusion coalition

This program targets working with others to ensure the Feanix Foundation is aware of and utilises best practices in bringing the contemporary model for disability to life through inclusion of people with disability into the mainstream digital film industry. It includes the following:

Collaboration and partnerships

Communicating, working with, lobbying and developing partnerships with other Australian and International bodies
Working with and collaborating with any organisation that embraces the contemporary model of disability in the way in which it operates in the digital sector. For example: Feanix will co-sponsor activities and events that encourage disabled people's participation
Replicating successful overseas inclusion programs and models in the digital sector in Australia