Human Rights Commission

Arts Access Aotearoa | Whakahauhau Katoa o Hanga is a national organisation that strives for a society where all people are able to participate in the arts, whatever their circumstances. We work to increase artistic opportunities for our key stakeholders: people with disabilities, disconnected youth, elderly people, mental health service users, disadvantaged migrants and refugees. We are also the key organisation in New Zealand advocating for the arts as a tool for change in prisons.

Visit the website for Arts Access Aotearoa.

Arts Access Aotearoa has three key programme areas outlined below. We run various smaller projects. The best way to keep in touch with our work is to join our e-news mailing list for a monthly update on our work and the accessible arts sector.

Projects 2011

Community Development and Wellbeing Programme

This programme is about building relationships between and within communities to foster access to and participation in the arts, thereby enhancing individual and community wellbeing. Examples of projects within this programme include: working with a national network of creative spaces, developing a national arts strategy for prisons with the Department of Corrections, umbrella-ing and supporting Eko Theatre’s Southern Corridor project in Wellington. Arts Access Aotearoa runs workshops relating to accessible arts and capacity building when funding allows.

To be put on a mailing list about workshop opportunities, please contact Pippa Sanderson, Community Development Adviser and Events co-ordinator (E: community@artsaccess.org.nz, P: 04-802 4349).

Advocacy and Profiling Programme

This programme advocates for the individuals and communities with whom Arts Access Aotearoa works. It also promotes their artistic work and the role they play within a culturally diverse society.

Our key event is the annual Big ‘A’ Awards, which celebrate the outstanding contribution of individuals and organisations working to enhance the wellbeing and artistic opportunities of people with limited access to the arts.

Our role is to ensure that stories are heard. This increases public awareness of the contribution that our key stakeholders make in enriching our lives.

We promote these stories, using various tools: for instance, the media, our website, our monthly e-news and our Facebook page. We also have a page on The Big Idea site.

Education and research programme

This programme focuses on building the capacity of the arts sector to deliver access to the arts for everyone. In 2009, Creative New Zealand in partnership with Arts Access Aotearoa published Arts for All | Ngā toi mo te katoa. This guide provides practical and long-term ways for artists and arts organisations to enhance their access, market their events to the disabled community and build new audiences. This publication is available for download online here. Several resources and checklists can be downloaded from our website’s section on arts and disability. 

The publication has been the catalyst for a major Arts For All initiative, working with the professional artists, arts organisations and venues to improve their access to disabled patron and build new audiences.

A key project in this programme is the Information Service, where we respond to and track enquiries. We have an online Noticeboard to provide up-to-date information about funding, discounts and donations, competitions and awards, professional development opportunities, online resources and publications.

Contact person: Iona McNaughton, Communications Manager iona.mcnaughton@artsaccess.org.nz.