Womad NZ 2013 Comes to Life for Deaf Community

Womad New Zealand 2013 Festival Comes to Life for Deaf Community

To coincide with New Zealand Deaf Awareness Week 2012 (Monday 24 – Sunday 30 September) WOMAD New Zealand announces a new initiative to break down barriers for deaf people at the annual three-day festival.

For the first time deaf festival-goers will be able to pre-book at the information centre during the festival for a sign language interpreter to meet them at workshops, cooking demos, and stage performances.

Marketing and communications manager Lisa McMullan says a lack of hearing shouldn’t prevent deaf persons from enjoying the festival.
"Primarily WOMAD is a music festival and there are also many other features that can be enjoyed. WOMAD is a vibrant festival that showcases the best music, art, and dance, from all over the globe and the event stimulates all the senses.

“With artists coming from 17 different cultures, and a strong New Zealand flavour, WOMAD is a once a year chance for New Zealanders, now including our deaf community, to engage with different cultures without leaving the country.

“With this new service the festival will really come to life for our deaf community.”

This new initiative increases the festival’s commitment to developing its audiences by being accessible to the disabled community. In July 2012 WOMAD New Zealand was awarded the Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award 2012. The annual Big ‘A’ Awards are the key national awards in New Zealand celebrating the achievements of individuals and organisations providing opportunities for people with limited access to engage with the arts as artists and audience members.

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BACKGROUND
WOMAD New Zealand 2013 takes place at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl of Brooklands from 15-17 March 2013.
The programme for WOMAD New Zealand 2013 will be announced on Wednesday 31 October and this year’s line-up features a melting pot of musicians and bands from around the world performing alongside a fantastic line-up on New Zealand acts.
WOMAD New Zealand 2013 will be the ninth WOMAD to be held at the stunning New Plymouth site.
As well as 30 hours of music on the six stages, WOMAD New Zealand 2013 features artists in conversation, live cooking demonstrations and workshops by artists, a global village, sustainable village, Kidzone and the option to camp at the adjacent racecourse.
WOMAD is an international festival created by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Brooman 30 years ago. Since then 21 countries have hosted the festival and entertained millions of festival goers.
Early bird tickets for WOMAD New Zealand 2013 are on sale from 9am on Monday 15 October through Ticketek on 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz.

WOMAD NZ Official website: www.womad.co.nz
WOMAD NZ on facebook: www.facebook.com/womadnz
WOMAD NZ on twitter: womadNZ

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