‘Cycle of exclusion’: the barriers keeping Adelaide musicians off the stage
A state government-backed industry showcase’s failure to accommodate emerging artist Nat Luna has stoked a bigger conversation about accessibility across Adelaide’s music scene.
23-year-old Nat Luna is an Adelaide artist on the rise. The past 12 months alone have seen her music rack up millions of views online, while a string of singles — from the Ariana Grande-reminiscent slow jam ‘levitating’ to the dancehall-inflected ‘conditions’ — have been embraced by Triple J.
But despite her growing on-air and online listenership, Luna is still keen to connect with audiences IRL.
“My god I was so scared,” Luna tells InReview of the day she made her live debut at WOMADelaide 2023. “Usually you would play other gigs before a major festival, but it was incredible.
“On social media, you get to connect with your fans, but live is such a different context; you actually get to be face to face in the same room, and there’s something about that energy — I think it’s still important to have that connection.”
In June, when MusicSA announced the 14 local artists selected to appear at Scouted — an annual music industry showcase supported by the state government’s Music Development Office — it was no surprise Luna made the cut. But a fortnight later, MusicSA announced via Instagram that she would no longer be appearing.
“We have been unable to fully accommodate Nat’s accessibility needs this year and we aim to give Nat her well-deserved showcase spot in 2026.”
Luna uses a powered wheelchair full-time, but it seemed none of the booked venues — two heritage-listed pubs and a west end club all celebrated for their live music reputations — were equipped to host her set.
The backlash was swift, with dozens of artists, supporters, and industry figures weighing into the comment section to voice their disappointment.
“Obviously to get on a stage, my chair can’t go up steps,” Luna explains, in her first interview since the announcement. “Like, if you have a certain height of a stage, you need a certain length of a ramp.”
It wasn’t the first time a performance opportunity had fallen through for Luna this year — and it’s a symptom of a wider problem.
“It’s not just an isolated event with Scouted,” she says.
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You can’t be what you can’t see
For years bassist Sarah Footner’s musical ambitions were confined to her bedroom — she had never seen a performer who used a wheelchair on an Adelaide stage.
“I’d never seen it before,” the 30-year-old tells InReview. “I think it’s kind of like, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’.”
In 2020 she resolved to start playing shows one way or another — but it wasn’t easy.
“I knew it was going to be a really big process,” she says. “So it kind of started with going to the gym, and literally trying to become really strong to be able to navigate the stairs first.”
"I just think about how much talent do we have in Adelaide? How many singers and songwriters do we have, that have all these beautiful stories to tell, but they can’t get on the stage to do that?"
Footner rallied friends and bandmates to finally make it into the city’s stages and band rooms. When she got there, she says many venues seemed surprised to see her.
“I think there’s that initial element of shock that you’re there — I feel like there’s kind of an underlying assumption that you won’t be there, and that you don’t occupy those spaces.”
Footner now plays in multiple bands, from Fever Dream to Theoretical Boyfriends, and in 2024 appeared on the ABC documentary series The Headliners, rubbing shoulders with members of Killing Heidi, You Am I and Silverchair, and performing at the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
“I just think about how much talent do we have in Adelaide? How many singers and songwriters do we have, that have all these beautiful stories to tell, but they can’t get on the stage to do that?
“Even though it’s really physically taxing to get on the stage, and it takes a team of people to do, I hope that by us turning up and doing it, it’s signifying to venues that we deserve to access those spaces too.”
Cycle of exclusion
Access2Arts Chief Executive Bec Young says that a handful of recent closures has left Adelaide with even fewer accessible venues, a situation that creates a “cycle of exclusion” as artists and audiences with disabilities steer clear of venues they can’t access.
“It’s hard to get your foot in the door as a young artist; if you’re a young artist with access barriers, that becomes so much more difficult,” Young says. “We’re seeing so many small venues close that were the bedrock.”
Footner cites Pirie Street’s My Lover Cindi as a leader in the field. “They had a ramp to the stage, they had a disabled bathroom, they had a dedicated, shorter section of the bar so that they could actually see you,” Footner says. “They were so accommodating and so wonderful. So it can be done, and if it can be done, it should be done.”
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Following the online backlash over Luna’s exclusion from the Scouted lineup, last week the state government intervened, enlisting Access2Arts to work with MusicSA and Scouted venues. While Young and her team identified a temporary solution, for Luna it was too little too late.
“Everything was blowing up online, it was a very big week,” Luna says. “It just felt like it was a little too soon before the gig for me to go, ‘Okay, let’s do it’.”
She hopes to make an appearance at next year’s Scouted.
Music SA declined to answer questions about the timeline of Luna’s initial removal from the Scouted lineup, and why Access2Arts wasn’t enlisted before the decision was made.
Instead, InReview was pointed to a lengthy apology posted to Instagram on July 16, committing to review its events and programs to prioritise accessibility in the future.
“We actively worked to solve access challenges across multiple venues and could not find satisfactory outcomes,” the post read. “For that, we apologise.
“We don’t want to minimise this situation and we accept responsibility for not doing better. This matter speaks to a broader issue in South Australia, where access is often limited, especially for artists and audiences with disabilities.”
Young says it’s a lesson for festivals, venues and government should be more proactive.
“When access is an afterthought, it’s always more difficult and more expensive,” Young reflects.
“That sort of that cycle is really self-perpetuating, and it’s the same for audiences. We know that when disabled artists are programmed, disabled audiences get more courage to come out and really fully participate in the arts and in music.”
While Luna is reticent to dwell on the negatives, she was heartened by the outpouring of support that has been shown – and hopes the Scouted controversy will lead to a bigger conversation.
"When access is an afterthought, it’s always more difficult and more expensive."
“Access benefits everyone and it isn’t just about disability,” she says. “Putting these access accommodations in place at venues not only makes it a more inclusive space for the disability community, but also for anybody with an unanticipated access need at any time. It benefits everybody.”
“This is just a regular day in the life for me; growing up all through school, this was always stuff I had to navigate. Like, ‘Oh, am I gonna be able to get on the bus? Am I gonna be able to get into the building?’ It’s always been something I’ve just had to navigate my whole life.”
She plans to release her debut EP ultraviolet in September – and hopes to perform live again soon.
“The world isn’t fully accessible yet, and I hope this can bring some light into where we can improve. Because I think it’s not about shaming, but it’s about growing and working together, and that’s really what I hope this discussion can lead to.”