Sydney, Australia (Date): The ground-breaking factual series The Assembly has returned for Season 2 on airing Sundays at 7.30pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available to stream for free on ABCiView.
Produced by HELIUM Pictures, The Assembly brings together a new cohort of Autistic journalism students, mentored by Leigh Sales, to interview some of Australia’s best-known figures including Richard Roxburgh, Guy Sebastian, Ray Martin, Julia Morris, Steve Waugh and Maggie Beer.
Behind the scenes, Aspect Autism Friendly and Bus Stop Films collaborated to give students the support, resources and opportunities they needed to shine both in front of and behind the camera.
Aspect’s role
Aspect Autism Friendly conducted training for all production crew, supported the development of a welcoming environment with our inclusion statement, added predictability and structure to processes, supported sensory needs with accommodations, tools and quiet rooms to create an inclusive and supportive environment during filming. Aspect also provided dedicated staff throughout the Macquarie University journalism course and across each episode - advocating for students, facilitating communication between cast and crew and tailoring ongoing strategies as the strengths and needs of each student emerged.
Dr Tom Tutton, Head of Aspect Autism Friendly said Aspect’s role was to ensure that every student felt able to be their true selves, to advocate for what they wanted, to connect to peers to bring their creativity and perspectives to the screen.
Bus Stop Films role
Bus Stop Films, Australia’s leading inclusive filmmaking organisation, supported production by creating pathways for Autistic people behind the scenes in crew roles. Several of the students featured in The Assembly are participants of Bus Stop’s Accessible Filmmaking Program. Since appearing on the show, many have been supported through Bus Stop Employment to gain paid work in film and TV, including Jackson Hughes working on the feature film Boss Cat and Daniel Bartholomaeus gaining working with Bus Stop events team, showcasing the organisation’s commitment to developing inclusive opportunities in film and media.
This collaboration highlights how tailored support can create new opportunities in challenging environments like film and television for people on the autism spectrum. It also shows the value of creating environments where Autistic individuals can feel comfortable, contribute their skills and have their voices heard.
The Assembly Season 2 premiered Sunday, 21 September at 7.30pm on ABC TV and will also be available on ABCiView.
