Meet Maddie

Madeleine Little has fast become the ‘go-to’ for all things accessibility in theatre and live performance in Brisbane.

Which is ironic, because she doesn’t move fast at all.




Photo by Morgan Roberts.
Image description: Maddie sits in her wheelchair on green grass and smiles.

  • Lived experience and academic research inform Maddie’s guidance and support for clients. She specialises in integrated access - ‘the aesthetics of access’ - and actively champions a proactive approach to accessibility in the arts to provide equitable experiences for artists, arts workers and audiences alike.

  • More than just proofreading scripts! Maddie embraces a co-design approach to the development of new theatre works, and offers a nuanced take on disabled theming and characterisation to ensure your script says what it needs to - and is a culturally safe work for the disability community.

  • Fun fact: Maddie’s actually a theatre maker. Her interests lie in contemporary realism, comedy, the aesthetics of access, authentic casting of disabled artists, and sparkles. Her first love is acting, but directing also tickles her fancy. She writes shows, too.

  • Since 2020, Maddie has worked at Access Arts (CPL) as Undercover Artist Festival Director. Responsible for the curation and delivery of Australia’s premier disability-led arts festival, her work is focused on supporting d/Deaf and disabled artists, their projects, and their respective careers. Head to undercoverartistfest.com for more information about the Festival.

Access isn’t just a right.

It’s an invitation.
A heartfelt welcome.

It says ‘we want you here’
and meaning it.

Biography

Madeleine (Maddie) Little (she/her) is an award-winning arts leader performer, theatre maker, and access consultant for the performing arts based in Magandjin/Brisbane. She holds a Master of Arts (Creative Arts) from UniSQ and Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama) from QUT.

A leader in the disability arts sector, Maddie has worked at Access Arts as Undercover Artist Festival Director since 2020. Her role includes the curation and delivery of Festivals and related development programs, focusing on disability-led arts practice and career development for disabled and d/Deaf artists.  

She has contributed to federal policy as a member of the working group for the Australian Government’s Equity: the Arts and Disability Associated Plan. Maddie is often sought after to deliver awareness training and creative practice workshops for arts organisations.

Maddie harnesses her lived experience as a disabled artist, her academic and performance backgrounds and her arts administration and management experience to deliver unparalleled accessible arts support services. She also offers mentoring and support to emerging disabled and d/Deaf artists.

Photo: Morgan Roberts
Image description: Maddie is a white woman in her 30s wearing a white, buttoned shirt with lightwash blue jeans and white sneakers. She is sitting in her small powered wheelchair with her left arm resting on the wheelchair arm rest, leaning into the photo and smiling.

Awards

2026 - Creative Brisbane Awards
Best Industry Collaboration with People with Disability and/or who are d/Deaf - Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols 2024 with The Little Red Company, Brisbane City Council, Nine Network and Shannon Kettleton

2024 - 40 Under 40 Awards
InQueensland, The Weekend Edition

2022 - Matilda Awards
Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production
‘Dr Emma Brookner’ in The Normal Heart - Ad Astra Theatre

2022 - National Arts and Disability Awards - Early Career Award
Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council)

2019 - National Leadership Award
Arts Access Australia

2018 - Stella Young Award
Arts Access Victoria

Publications

2024 - Hold by Madeleine Little
in Authentic Stories: Disability Collection - PlayLab Theatre
Maddie’s play ‘Hold’ is featured in this collection of disability-led and Deaf-led plays.
Available for $39.95 from playlabtheatre.com.au

2024 - ‘How Disability Performance Travels in Australia’ by Dr Bree Hadley with Dr Eddie Paterson and Kath Duncan in How Does Disability Performance Travel? Access, Art, and Internationalization (Routledge)

2022 - ‘Quick Trust and Slow Time: Relational Innovations in Disability Performing Arts Practice’ by Dr Bree Hadley et. Al. in The International Journal of Disability and Social Justice (vol. 2, 2022)

2020 - ‘Hold On: Australian innovations in access aesthetics’ with Dr Eddie Paterson and Dr Sarah Austin in Australasian Drama Studies Journal (vol. 76, 2020)