Arts Access Awards celebrate artistic contributions
An artist who spent 12 years decorating the wharenui Te Poho o Hiraina in Gisborne, a community circus in central
Auckland, partnerships providing artistic opportunities for Deaf and disabled people, and leadership in delivering arts
programmes in prisons were recognised tonight at the Arts Access Awards 2016, presented at Parliament by Arts Access
Aotearoa.
The Arts Access Awards 2016 were hosted by Hon Maggie Barry, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, in the Banquet
Hall of Parliament. This year’s Arts Access Accolade was presented to Glen McDonald, Co-ordinator of Vincents Art
Workshop in Wellington, by Wellington Deputy Mayor Justin Lester. It recognises Glen’s life-long passion for creativity,
community and inclusion, and her contribution to the Wellington community.
This year, Arts Access Aotearoa introduced the Arts Access Media Award to acknowledge the media’s role in promoting a
creative, inclusive society. This inaugural award was presented to Dionne Christian, Arts and Books Editor at the New Zealand Herald, to recognise leadership and excellence in reporting on accessibility and the arts.
The six other recipients are:
• Circability Central, Central Auckland, awarded the Arts Access Creative Space Award 2016, for its diverse circus activities where all members of the
community can gain new social and physical skills in an inclusive space.
• RoadSafe Hawke’s Bay, awarded the Arts Access Corrections Community Award 2016, for its graphic design project with the Youth Unit in Hawke’s
Bay Regional Prison. Working with a graphic designer, young offenders created road safety resources that focused on
changing people’s behaviour and attitudes, and increasing knowledge around road safety.
• Equal Voices Arts, and partners University of Waikato, Deaf Aotearoa and Bill Hopkinson, Hamilton, awarded the Arts Access CQ Hotels Wellington Community Partnership Award 2016, for a partnership between Deaf and hearing
communities resulting in a groundbreaking bilingual theatre work called Here At The End Of My Hands.
• Chamber Music New Zealand, Wellington, awarded the Arts Access Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award 2016, for its commitment to developing new audiences for
chamber music through its accessibility programme. This includes audio described concerts for blind and partially
sighted patrons, and workshops and relaxed concerts for people with intellectual disabilities.
• David Cameron, Gisborne, awarded the Arts Access Artistic Achievement Award 2016, for his outstanding achievements and contribution to
traditional and contemporary Māori arts. Paraplegic and a wheelchair user since 1977, David is a recognised leather
worker, painter, ceramicist, and tutor in his preferred artform, uku (Māori clay ceramics).
• Northland Region Corrections Facility, Kaikohe, Northland, awarded the Arts Access Corrections Leadership Award, for the breadth of its achievements, its education outreach,
innovative practice, and focus on the arts and culture as a tool supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation and reintegration
into the community on release.
The annual Arts Access 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. They also recognise the achievements of an artist with a disability, sensory impairment or lived experience of
mental illness.
Richard Benge, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, said that one in four people in New Zealand – more than one
million – live with a disability or impairment.
“That’s a lot of people, who all have the right to enjoy the arts as artists, participants, audience members and gallery
visitors,” he said. “Tonight, we celebrate the achievements and contribution of people and communities who make Aotearoa
New Zealand a rich, diverse and creative country.”
Highly Commended certificates
Highly Commended certificates were also presented in several of the award categories. These were:
• Awhi Tautoko, Community Corrections, Whangarei, Arts Access Corrections Community Award 2016, for its grassroots programme that gives community-based offenders a way to
express themselves and their world through art.
• Jolt Dance and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Arts Access CQ Hotels Wellington Community Partnership Award 2016 for a partnership that resulted in workshops and two
performances, Shorelines (2014) and Fish (2015–2016).
• Arohata Prison, Tawa, Wellington, Arts Access Corrections Leadership Award, for its use of the arts as therapy and as a reintegration tool across all
three units.
• Puna Tatari Special Treatment Unit, Spring Hill Corrections Facility, Te Kauwhata, Waikato, Arts Access Corrections Leadership Award, for its application of the arts and culture as an integral part of its
psychological services and physical environment.
ends