First Access: Mapping the Infrastructure of Exclusion

The barriers keeping Mob out of theatres and galleries didn’t happen by accident. They were designed. Whether it’s the legacy of being forced onto missions or the current reality of being priced out of the city, the "geography of exclusion" is a live issue. For many Victorian Aboriginal people, participating in cultural life isn’t just about buying a ticket—it’s about navigating a map that was built to keep us at a distance.

The Survival Tax

When we talk about access, we have to talk about the "tax of survival." This is the heavy weight of financial stress, medical racism, and the mental toll of constantly walking into spaces that don’t recognise who you are. These aren’t just personal hurdles; they are structural legacies.

Forced relocation means our communities are often spread far apart, living hours away from where our stories are being told. If you’re living regional, or dealing with the health impacts of intergenerational trauma, a trip to a city venue can feel impossible.

We aren’t naming these boundaries just to admire the problem. We’re naming them as an opportunity to educate one another in the spirit of reconciliation, so that we may further break down the barriers between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Building the Bridge

If the system designed the distance, we have to design the bridge. Mapping this infrastructure of exclusion is the only way to build a new infrastructure of inclusion. We manage these boundaries with practical, sovereign solutions that prioritise our people’s needs:

Financial Inequity: We remove the gatekeeping of systemic poverty by implementing free or low-cost ticketing tiers for Mob as a standard.

Location: We use digital crossovers—high-quality streams and online participation—to make sure regional, Disabled, and chronically ill kin can be part of the work from home.

Mobility: We tackle the physical distance with Uber or Taxi vouchers and dedicated ‘Chaperoning’ for Elders and Young Ones.

More Than a Ramp

First Access is about more than just a ramp at the door. It’s about recognising every obstacle—from the cost of a train fare to the weight of the past—and doing the work to clear the path.