Chamaeleon Collective
A performer and choreographer Liz Lea trained at London Contemporary Dance School and Akademi in London and Darpana Academy in India. She works across genres as a dancer, choreographer, mentor and producer for dancers of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. She was named the 2017 ACT Artist of the Year and awarded an Australian Dance Award the same year for her work in excellence in community dance. Based between London and Sydney for many years she now works from Canberra.
Liz is also behind the social enterprise, the Chamaeleon Collective that provides an inclusive creative outlet for people with disability. She is also a Mill House GRIST graduate.
Originally, I approached them because I wanted to create an audio description App. Through the process the idea evolved into the creation of the Chamaeleon Collective; an inclusive dance company for people with disability. It’s a natural fit with my professional career as a dancer and choreographer.
The GRIST program was really intense and the process amazing. I think some people under estimate the challenge to create a financially sustainable social enterprise and to be able to clearly articulate your vision and make that a reality.
The Chameleon Collective is a boutique offering of artistic excellence in the inclusive and accessible arts field. The Collective epitomizes the vision of a forward looking Canberra; the next generation of artists being invested in by the current generation of artists living with and without disability.
It was founded in 2020, named after the constellation and reptile, both constant and adaptable.
We need to see equal access and employment opportunities for artists living with disability. Our aim is to provide professional mentoring and artistic pathways for emerging performing artists living with disability, which will lead to empowerment and employment. We provide opportunities through dance training and intensives with professional artists and performance opportunities.
I have been working across genres for 25 years and delight in working with community to create and present work of a professional context. While the work can be challenging, it’s incredibly rewarding.