“I first engaged with ANAT in early 1990s with a techno-feminist project where women scanned our scarred body parts and told the story about them. Then the digital artists made the collections into monsters with text/dialogue. Then my next engagement with ANAT was where I was incredibly privileged to be selected for the ANAT-Access2Arts-UnlimitedUK two year residency program UNFIXED – which was focused on the innovation that disabled artists create through their daily technologies and how to create new works with emerging creative technologies. It was a transformational experience. This was the reason I applied to go on ANAT Board – to reinvest in an organisation that changed my whole practice, and myself as a human – and what a great privilege it was to have served for the three years.”

Michèle Saint-Yves, FOOTY FAN, personal, selfie.

Living with disability on Yartapuulti (Port Adealide), Michèle is a multi-award winning creative who primarily writes for performance—stage, screen, and poetry. Her embedded access ground-breaking play CLOCK FOR NO TIME won the SA RUBY AWARD 2022 for ‘Outstanding Work: Collaboration.’

She has four degrees, with the latest in 2020 as a medico-neuroscientist, winning UniSA Cancer Research Institute’s Cancer Biology Prize.

Prior to becoming disabled in 2001, Michèle Saint-Yves had a career centred on social capital development, strategic planning, organisational development and policy-performance evaluation. She also served on non-profit Boards and Statutory Authorities. Since becoming disabled, she has served on Access & Inclusion Advisory Panels and undertakes consultancy as a Certified Arts and Screen Access Coordinator, as well as being a certified Audio Describer.

Michèle loves hanging out in coffee spots, swimming and kayaking in wild water when able and a huge AFLW Port Power supporter. She also has a prized cricket cap signed by half the Australian Women’s cricket team. Oh yes she’s also a loving custodian of a gorgeous French Bulldog called Lucie.

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