Regeneration: Building Deaf and Disabled Futures
2–5 December
Alter State is a disability-led arts initiative celebrating Deaf and Disabled artists, creativity and culture. It is founded and presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Arts Access Victoria.
In 2026, Alter State explores the theme ‘Regeneration: Building Deaf and Disabled Futures’. Regeneration is what comes after disruption. Not a return to how things were, but the slow, deliberate work of tending new ground. It’s a theme that invites collaboration over combat. Instead of pushing against old systems, we re-imagine what we can build in their place.
This idea of regeneration runs deeper than metaphor. It’s about the practical, patient work of care passed between generations. The small acts of tending that make a future possible long before anyone can see it taking shape. It’s also about recognising where we are in a longer cycle. After a period of disruption, growth doesn’t simply resume where it left off. It reorganises. New shapes emerge. The task now is to nurture those first green shoots and to imagine, together, what the next version of our sector could look like.
Experience the Alter State 2026 program across Melbourne and online from 2 to 5 December, 2026. Mark your calendar. Program, tickets and access information for Alter State 2026 available now.
