Profiles

We profile artists, arts organisations, accessible venues and people in the disability sector.

Catering for disabled audiences on Broadway

15 March 2010
Audio descriptions for blind or vision-impaired Broadway theatre-goers are not dull commentary, as some might imagine. In fact, they can make insightful listening for all theatre-goers because “our eyes are lazy”, says Lisa Carling, director of accessibility programmes for the Theatre Development Fund (TDF). View Catering for disabled audiences on Broadway...

Audio description provides equal access to arts events

23 December 2009
“Our culture today is becoming increasingly visual and less text-oriented,” Mary Schnackenberg told participants at an audio description seminar at Te Papa in December. “But for blind people, pictures are of no use. We need the words.” View Audio description provides equal access to arts events...

City Gallery Wellington opens its doors

4 December 2009
City Gallery Wellington re-opened its doors in late September 2009 after a one-year building programme. Within the first month, it provided tours for Deaf and hearing impaired people of the exhibition Mirrored Years by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. It also worked with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to run a touch workshop about the exhibition Make Way: Regan Gentry. View City Gallery Wellington opens its doors...

Touch Compass on tour

4 December 2009
From its first performance in Auckland in 1997, Touch Compass has earned a reputation as a ground-breaking contemporary dance company. The pioneer of integrated dance in New Zealand, it presents one major season or tour a year (depending on funding), and provides ongoing classes and workshops. View Touch Compass on tour...

“Accessibility in everything we do”

4 December 2009
An exhibition by Venezuelan artist Javier Téllez, presented in March 2009 by New Plymouth’s Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, was a perfect opportunity to reach out to the local vision impaired community. View “Accessibility in everything we do”...