JOINING TOGETHER; Arts Access Aotearoa joins with all people of Aotearoa and around the world who are dealing with the aftermath of the Christchurch terrorist attack. There are many challenges to face as a nation, in local communities, in families and individually. We have always recognised the importance of diverse cultures being able to express themselves creatively in safe, inclusive ways. We commit again to working with others to ensure an inclusive society. Kia kaha, Ōtautahi. Ways to help or receive help can be found in this SpinOff article. 

Latest news updates

Duets celebrate diversity and dance

18 March 2019
I’mPaired, a production of integrated theatre and dance duets devised and performed by integrated dance company Touch Compass, will premiere from 21 to 23 March at Takapuna’s PumpHouse Theatre in Auckland. I’mPaired uses dance, theatre, visual arts and technology to flip the perception of impairment on its head and celebrate our diverse society. Read more

On Display at Dunedin Fringe Festival

8 March 2019
Dunedin’s GASP! Dance Collective will perform On Display from 29 to 31 March during the 2019 Dunedin Fringe Festival. Choreographer Miriam Marler says GASP! is aiming to attract 15-20 participants for each performance and hopes the audience will get involved too. On Display was first choreographed by Heidi Latsky Dance in New York and is now performed around the world, including in New Zealand under the umbrella of Touch Compass. Read more

Kapa haka roopu prepare for regionals

19 February 2019
Kapa haka groups around New Zealand are preparing for regional festivals this year in the lead-up to next year’s Te Anga Pāua o Aotearoa National Kapa Haka Festival. Run by the IDEA Services arm of IHC, the festival is for people with intellectual disabilities. Read more 

“The arts are carriers of hope”

26 February 2019
“The arts are as vital in prisons as they are everywhere else in our society because the arts are carriers of hope,” says Peter O’Connor, a member of the Arts in Corrections Network and Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. “International evidence is crystal clear on the impact of the arts in prisons and youth justice settings." Read more

Documentary theatre a tool to record prisoners’ voices

26 February 2019
Interest from men in Auckland Prison to share their stories on stage has prompted a documentary theatre project, to be developed over the next few months. The man leading the project is Dr Rand Hazou, a lecturer in theatre at Massey University on the North Shore. He’s been facilitating theatre workshops and performances at Auckland Prison since 2016. Read more 

Maggie Gresson at the Toi Ora helm

13 February 2019
After nearly 20 years as Executive Director of Artists Alliance, Maggie Gresson has taken up a six-month contract as Director of Toi Ora Live Art Trust, a creative space in Grey Lynn, Auckland and part of a national network aligned to Arts Access Aotearoa. Maggie has just completed an eight-year term as a board member of Toi Ora. Arts Access Aotearoa asked Maggie four questions about her new role. Read more

Comedy about living with low vision

February 2019
Auckland comedian Josh Davies, who is blind, will debut his solo show, Look! I’m Blind!, from 5 to 9 March at the New Zealand Fringe. Josh will perform at Wellington’s Cavern Club, which is not wheelchair accessible, but Josh says anyone with mobility issues should get in touch with him and he will find a way to get them in. Read more