Arts Access Aotearoa

22/10/2026

Arts Access Aotearoa congratulates Jokani Coe, also known by his high chief title Taliaoa Jokani Aukuso Umutaua, on receiving the 2026 Pacific Toa Award at the Creative New Zealand Arts Pasifika Awards.

The award recognises a Pasifika artist with lived experience of disability who has contributed to Pacific arts nationally or globally.

Jokani is an accomplished performer, teacher and Kaitiaki Whaikaha (leader and advocate) with Jolt Dance, Christchurch’s inclusive dance company and creative space.

At the awards ceremony, Jokani acknowledged his family, supporters, community and Jolt Dance. He also shared how dancing makes him feel free, reflecting the power of artistic expression and cultural connection.

We celebrate Jokani’s achievements and his contribution to Pacific arts. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

21/10/2026

Two accessibility opportunities to learn about Picasso: Designed by Paul Smith, on at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki until 15 November.

The NZSL interpreted tour for Deaf visitors is on Saturday 7 November from 2pm to 3:30pm, led by Deaf artist Abbie Twiss with supporting interpretation by Platform Interpreting NZ.

This will be followed by an audio described tour for blind and low vision visitors on Sunday 8 November from 10:30am to noon. It will be led by Senior Curator, International Art, Dr Sophie Matthiesson, and audio described by Nicola Owen of Audio Described Aotearoa.

Encounter the Blue and Rose periods, Cubism, portraits and more in the first solo exhibition of Picasso’s work in Aotearoa New Zealand in more than 30 years.

For more info about both events, please visit the events calendar on Arts Access Aotearoa’s website. Head to the links section of this page or copy and paste the URL in “comments”.

Image description: Nicola Owen audio describes an artwork to a group of blind or low vision visitors, some of whom are wearing headsets and listening to her commentary.



Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd Platform Interpreting NZ

21/10/2026

Remember to enrol by midnight 25 October and then vote.
Please also read this notice from the Electoral Commission to see if you are eligible to use this service.

Telephone dictation voting is now open!

Telephone dictation voting is a service for anyone who is eligible to vote in the 2026 General Election and is blind, partially blind, or has another physical disability that prevents them from marking their voting paper without assistance.

You must register for this service, even if you’ve used it to vote in the past, and you must be registered by noon, Saturday 7 November (NZ time).

Find out more including how it works, and how to register, on our website here: https://vote.nz/2026-general-election/voting-in-the-election/cant-get-to-a-voting-place/telephone-dictation-voting

20/10/2026

Attending conferences, symposiums and workshops are more than learning experiences. They provide important networking opportunities and connections.

Neil Wallace from Arts Access Aotearoa and Cat Percy from Crescendo reconnected at the recent Toi Piringa: The Art of Connection Symposium, hosted by Artsenta Dunedin.

"Toi Piringa and its programme of speakers and panels brought professionals together from across the country to connect, communicate and collaborate," Neil says.

Image description: a close-up of a smiling Cat Percy and Neil Wallace at the symposium.

Tūhura Otago Museum

19/10/2026

“Whoever forms the next government, the question isn't whether access to the arts matters; it's how we must be adequately resourced to keep building on the foundations already laid.

Caleb Gordon joined Arts Access Aotearoa in 2023 to manage the four projects funded through Manatū Taonga’s Regeneration Fund. He writes about the far-reaching and enduring impact of the projects in his blog, “The power of investment”.

“Looking back, what stands out isn’t the size of the grant but how much it unlocked.”

To read Caleb's blog, head to the links section on this page or copy and paste the URL in "comments".

Image description: A collage of three images
1. Caleb Gordon leans an elbow on a table while participating in a group activity at a fundraising workshop at Māpura Studios

2. Participants discuss and work together during an accessibility workshop at Toi Aro, designed for front of house venue staff

3. Rodney Bell wears a black cap and looks back over his shoulder to smile broadly at the camera while Stace Robertson stands beside him and smiles towards someone off-camera. They are at a networking event in Auckland.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage Creative New Zealand

18/10/2026

The 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November 2026 but you must be enrolled by midnight Sunday 25 October for your vote to count. Head to the Vote NZ website, which explains how to enrol.

Not sure about the arts policies of political parties and their commitment to access and inclusion in the arts?

Arts Access Aotearoa asked five parties if they had arts policies and what access to the arts for everyone in New Zealand meant to their party.

Only Labour and Opportunity responded although the Green have a comprehensive arts policy. You can read their responses and more about why arts policies are important in Richard’s latest blog.

As Richard’s says, “A written arts policy is an important foundation from which to build and take meaningful action that supports the arts sector to thrive and contribute even more to the economic, social and health sectors of Aotearoa.”

To read the blog, head to the links section on this page or copy and paste the URL in "comments".

Image description: Rachel Boyack (Labour) talks into a microphone at the Toi o Taraika Arts Wellington General Election Forum. She was one of five politicians in the panel discussion. Photo: Sophie Macdonald

Rachel Boyack MP Paul Goldsmith Kahu Carter for Christchurch Central

16/10/2026

Here’s a volunteer opportunity if you live in Wellington and love theatre!

The Wellington Theatre Awards Trust is seeking expressions of interest for new judges to join its judging panel for 2027.

It’s looking for three new judges to join the current panel, supporting the Wellington theatre sector and attending productions across Pōneke for a year from late November 2026 and contribute to the 2027 Wellington Theatre Awards judging sessions.

Link for more information and to apply posted in "comments".

Image description: An image of an awards ceremony

The Wellington Theatre Awards

15/10/2026

🎨 MIX is looking for creative art tutors!

Do you have a passion for art and helping people connect through creativity? MIX Connecting Creating Living, a creative space in the Hutt Valley, is looking for inclusive, engaging art tutors to lead art sessions and workshops in a range of creative disciplines.

Flexible hours are available across Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Applications close 30 October 2026.

👉 To find out more and apply, you can copy and paste the URL in "comments".

Image description: Artists at MIX sit around a table, covered in vibrant artwork, and look up towards the camera.


MIX

13/10/2026

Toi Piringa | The Art of Connection 🎨💚
While acknowledging Kāi Tahu as mana whenua of Ōtākou Otago, we’re also celebrating a significant milestone: 40 years of Artsenta Dunedin, through the programme Toi Piringa – The Art of Connection at Tūhura Otago Museum.

It’s been a jam-packed morning of kōrero, creativity, lived experience and connection during this auspicious week of Mental Health Awareness.
We began by hearing from the Artsenta team and their artists about what Toi Piringa, Artsenta, arts practice and creativity mean to them.

Asha Munn from Breathing Space then invited us to consider: What might be possible if we looked at things creatively? What significance might we find in something as small as a mark on a piece of paper?
Caz Steele and Isaac from The White Room Creative Space shared insights into their work and Isaac’s project, Bodega Mart. Isaac’s words resonated deeply: “Boundaries suck.”

A powerful reminder of the barriers artists can face, and the importance of finding ways to remove them. Through collaboration with Taha Hotu and Arts Access Aotearoa, we explored accessibility, resources, platforms and tools that support artists to develop their practice and connect with opportunities.

Taha Hotu resources, created by disabled people for disabled people, are particularly valuable in supporting more accessible and inclusive creative practice. https://tahahotu.org.nz

We then heard from Ingrid Campbell of Re:Woven Therapy Charitable Trust in Invercargill, who shared her work in end-of-life and palliative care. Drawing on her own lived experience of death and dying, Ingrid spoke about how legacy is not taken away, but given. Through creative therapy and initiatives such as Poetry Pharmacy, she demonstrated the power of poetry and the spoken word to meet people where they are, offering connection, support and pathways to recovery.

We rounded off the morning with a rich cultural perspectives panel discussion, facilitated by Moewai Rauputi from Artsenta. Featuring Tony Dudley (Moana House, Dunedin), Rush*ta Parekh (Fidgitie Fingers, Christchurch), Janaina Moraes (Whitecliffe, Christchurch), Neil Wallace (Arts Access Aotearoa) and Pooneh Torabian (University of Otago), the panel explored the experiences of navigating our own challenges, learnings and cultures while working alongside others, recognising the diversity of cultural perspectives and the importance of understanding, respect and connection.
With opportunities for audience participation, the discussion reminded us that meaningful connection begins with listening, sharing and making space for different voices and experiences.

✨ Creativity connects us. Accessibility opens doors. And when we remove barriers, we make space for everyone to participate, contribute and belong.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

13/10/2026

Trish Harris, the author of "Out of the Box: 25 Deaf and disabled artists, activists and adventurers from Aotearoa", will be speaking at Schrödinger's Books on Thursday 22 October at 6pm.

The Bookshop of the Year 2026, it's at 137 Jackson St in Petone.

In her review of the book, Alice Mander writes:
"Trish Harris and her book taught me, and the young girl I once was, of the rich disabled history of Aotearoa, and the many incredible role models, past and present, who don’t show us the way, but show us how to pave our own path."

Read the review on the Taha Hotu website. Head to the links section on this page for details or copy and paste the URL in "comments".

Image description: a promotional flier about the event, including the cover of the book and a portrait image of Trish Harris.