About




Riana Head-Toussaint is an interdisciplinary artist of Afro-Caribbean heritage, who
uses a manual wheelchair for mobility. Her practice sits at the intersection of creative expression, activism, cultural exchange and disability justice. She makes work spanning choreography, video/film, sound design, writing, and installation; often aimed at interrogating entrenched systems, structures and ways of thinking, and advocating for social change.

Her work
has taken place in carparks, post-industrial ruins, galleries, theatres, and online and digital spaces, and has
been presented and supported by a range of institutions and organisations including Human Rights Watch, the
Art Gallery of NSW, the Opera House, Dancehouse, Carriageworks, The Keir Foundation, Frame Biennial, the
British Council, Arts House, Casula Powerhouse, Performance Space, Critical Path, Pari Ari and more.
Riana is also the founder and creative lead of CRIP RAVE THEORY, a club night outside the club, drawing on
intersectional disabled knowledge to foster more accessible party spaces. Founded only 2 years ago, the party
is now a mainstay in the nightlife landscape of so-called Australia, well-known and well-loved, with regular calls for it
to tour interstate. Disability-led and informed, the party is about inter-community solidarity, pleasure, self-
expression, and expansion of club culture.
Riana also has a broader curatorial practice, aimed at opening up space for greater embodiment, and creating
intersectional opportunities for connection between traditionally sidelined communities. She has curated for the
Art Gallery of NSW, Runway Journal and Firstdraft.
As well as being an artist and curator/community organiser, Riana is a qualified Solicitor, a Creative Access
Consultant, Producer, and DJ (Aquenta). She has worked in various investigative, policymaking and
executive/research positions at the Australian Human Rights Commission, Redfern Legal Centre and the
Public Interest Advocacy Centre. She continues to do such ad hoc work with the aim of increasing artistic
opportunities for people with disability. She is well-connected within the domestic and international disability
arts scene, and has hosted and participated in various talks, workshops and panels regarding art and
disability. She is passionate about seeing the diversity of life with disability accurately reflected on stage and
screen.

Riana currently lives and works on the unceded lands of the Eora Nation.






Archive

 


Curatorial projects:
2024 – CRIP RAVE THEORY (2022-present)
2024 – ‘Queer as in Crip’ (2024) – Art Gallery of NSW:
2023 – ‘MMORPG’ (2023) – Runway Journal
2022 – ‘Conductive Site’ (2022)
Artistic Commissions:
2024 – Guided Wrestling, Buxton Contemporary, Vic
2024 – Animate Loading I (online), Buxton Contemporary, Vic
2024 – Exhibition Text for ‘Stealth Care: Wellness from the Algorithm’, Outer Space, QLD
2023 – Animate Loading III, Opera House (online) NSW:
2023 – Animate Loading III, Art Gallery of NSW (live)
2023 – Condukt0r, Carriageworks, NSW
2022 – Animate Loading II, Casula Powerhouse (live), NSW:
2022 – Animate Loading I, Pari Ari, NSW (online and live):
2022 – ‘The R Word’ Essay on Radical Accessibility, Sydney Review of Books, NSW
2021 – First Language, Institute of Modern Art, QLD:
2021 – InspoCam, Utp (online), NSW: Password to access the video is DREAMSEQUENCE10
2020 – Very Excellent Disabled Dancing, Keir Choreographic Award, Dancehouse/Carriageworks, NSW/Vic

Creative Access Consultancy  
FBi Radio
Next Wave Festival
Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Festival
Accessible Arts
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
Sydney Fringe Festival
Parramatta Theatre
Sydney Festival
Art Gallery of NSW
Vivid Sydney

Selected Residencies:
2022 – Creative Australia Biennale Delegates program, NSW/online
2021 – Performance Space Experimental Micro-Fellowship, NSW
2019 – Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art Official Delegate, NSW
2019 – Shopfront Arts Centre resident, NSW
2019 – Ausdance DAIR residency, NSW
2018 – Unlimited Disability Arts Festival International Delegate (2018)
2018 – Bundanon Arts Centre residency, Harness Ensemble (2018)

Selected talks and workshops:
2024 – ACON Disability and Advocacy workshop, online
2024 – Cementa Artist Studio Talks, online
2023 – Animate Loading Lab, Frame Biennale, Vic
2023 – Masters of Cultural Leadership guest lecture, NSW
2022 – Animate Loading Lab, Utp, NSW
2021 – Radical Accessibility Panel Talk – Utp/UWS, NSW
2021 – Keynote Speech: Arts Activated 2021 – Arts Access Australia, online
2021 – ATAG Digital Programming Panel Discussion, online
2020 – Proximity X DADAA Creative Practice Lab, online
2020 – Choreographic workshop – DMC, NSW
2020 – Cultural Leadership Talk – NIDA, NSW
2020 – Choreographic Lab Facilitation – Dirtyfeet, NSW
2019 – The Right Foot workshop facilitation – Dirtyfeet, NSW

Qualifications:
Bachelor of Laws with honours (Macquarie University)
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Australian National University)
Bachelor of Arts (media) (Macquarie University)
Certificate in Sign Language 1
Certificate in Sign Language 2
Certificate in Design Thinking for Social Innovation (Stanford Graduate School of Business course)

Selected  DJ gigs (Aquenta):
Pxssy Palace (UK)
Daybreak Festival (Vic)
Xaddy’s (NSW)
Dayshift (NSW)
Rave Relief (WA)
MONA FOMA (Tas)
Sydney World Pride (NSW)
Fremantle Biennale (WA)
Queer Art After Hours (NSW)

Writing
MMORPG Editors Letter
The R word essay
Bufferman artifcle PACT newsletter
Exhibition Text for Amanda Bennetts

2024, Queer Art After Hours, Art Gallery New South Wales
2023, Lap Dance 4 Trans Rights,
2020, Famili EP Launch - Midsumma 

Programs
2022- 2023, Future Leaders Program, Australia Council for the Arts

Creative Director  
2019-2024 - FAMILI 
2019 - 2024 - Lap Dance For Your Rights 

Selected Gigs
2024 - A DUTTY SHUTDOWN, VIC 
2024 -  Crip Rave Theory, NSW
2023 -  Reverberations, AGNSW, NSW 
2023 - Polyrhythmic #2, Liquid Architecture, VIC 
2023 - Queer Nu Work, PACT, NSW
2023 -  More than Less than <>, Project 8 Gallery, VIC
2020 - Midsumma presents FAMILI, VIC
2018 - KLEIN (UK) ft. Various Asses, Netti, Girl Zone, VIC 
2018 - Liquid Architecture: Moor Mother and Rasheedah Phillips, VIC 
2017 - TOM TOM X MOOGFEST: ALWAYS ON: International Livestream via Moogfest 
2017  - Liquid Architecture: Elysia Crampton , VIC 
2017 - SPANK! Feat. Juliana Huxtable, VIC 
2017 - DARK MOFO ft. GAIKA, Kojey Radical, TAS 

Residencies
2024 - Bandalang, Australian National Univeristy, ACT 
2024 - The Red Rattler Theatre, NSW
2023 - PACT, NSW
2023 - Performance Space, NSW
2022- Centre for Arts Design and Social Research, Spoleto, Italy 
2022 - Garambi Baan, VIC 
2022 - Arts House, VIC
2021 -  Moreland City Council, VIC
2021 - Footscray Arts Centre, VIC 
2020 - Abbotsford Convent, VIC
2020 - Testing Grounds, VIC
2019 - Time, Place, Space , VIC

Panels and Talks
2023 - Polyrhythmic #2, Liquid Architecture
2023 - Videogames, Funding and Creative Practice, ACMI & VicScreen
2019 - All Booked Up, Emerging Writers Festival 
2018 - Freeplay Conference ‘What’s Real? Reparations versus Representation’ 
2018 - Liquid Architecture ‘Sound School x LA: Klein’ 
2016 - Listen Conference: Feminist Futures 

Workshops & Facilitation
2023 - Darebin City Council - Ableton Workshop - Instrument creation & Sampling
2023 - Darebin City Council - DJing 101
2019 - Brimbank City Council -  ‘WAVES’  Music making about Climate change 
2019 - University of Melbourne Student Union - 'Electronic Music Workshop'
2018 - ACCA - Summer Program : Electronic Music Workshops
2016 - Footscray Community Arts Centre 'Recording & Producing Words'

Consultations
2020 - Midsumma, Pride Anniversary consultation 

Comissisions
2023 - More than Less than <>, Project 8 Gallery 
2016 - Remotley Intimate, Community Broadcasting Association 


Selected Press
The Saturday Paper
VICE Magazine
Liminal Magazine
contact: