Access to the arts

What do we mean by the term "access to the arts"? It's about people being able to participate in the arts, whatever their circumstances. This includes people creating and presenting the arts. It might be a poem, a play, a painting, a dance or a song. It also includes taking part in the arts as an audience member, a reader, or a visitor to a gallery or a film. Accessible arts practice is a human rights approach where the arts are seen as beneficial to all people; and where arts activities include the cultural and social voices of marginalised people. One of the roles of Arts Access Aotearoa is to facilitate opportunities where people can create or participate in the arts.

In this section

Visual arts

Visual art created by artists marginalised from the mainstream is often self-taught and extends beyond traditional structures and styles. Many of New Zealand's "self-taught" artists practise their art in creative spaces. View Visual arts...

Artist in focus

All over New Zealand, there are artists - writers, performing artists, visual artists - doing amazing things. This section profiles some of them. View Artist in focus...

Resources and publications

This section aims to provide useful resources and publications. Please let us know about any resources you think others would enjoy reading on topics related to arts access. View Resources and publications...