Nominations To Recognise Leaders In Access To The Arts

Nominations To Recognise Leaders In Access To The Arts

Do you want to see an outstanding disabled artist recognised? Or how about a leader providing access to the arts for people in New Zealand? Nominations to Arts Access Aotearoa’s Big ‘A’ Awards 2013 close on Friday 15 March 2013.

Richard Benge, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, says the Big ‘A’ Awards and their nomination process are a great opportunity for people to play a part in recognising New Zealand’s leaders of access to the arts.

“Previous recipients and finalists tell us about the benefits resulting from the recognition,” he says. “We also know that last year’s Big ‘A’ Awards generated more than $41,000 in prizes and donations for the recipients.”

The six award categories are:

• Big ‘A’ Artistic Achievement Award, recognising the outstanding achievements and contribution of an artist based in New Zealand, who has a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment, or is a mental health service user
• Big ‘A’ Creative Space Award, recognising the outstanding contribution and impact of a creative space that provides opportunities for people with limited access to make art, across any or all artforms
• Big ‘A’ Community Partnership Award, recognising a mutually beneficial partnership between two or more organisations or groups actively engaged in a community-based arts project
• Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award, recognising an arts organisation, company, venue or producer that best demonstrates its commitment to developing its audiences by becoming more accessible to the disabled community
• Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award, recognising the outstanding contribution of an individual using the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitation of prisoners or their reintegration into the community on release. The individual must be an employee, contractor or volunteer with the Department of Corrections.
• Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award, recognising the outstanding contribution of a community group or community organisation working with the Department of Corrections and using the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitation of prisoners or their reintegration into the community on release.

Arts Access Aotearoa is the key national organisation working to increase access to the arts for everyone in New Zealand, whatever their circumstances. Its key stakeholders are people with physical, sensory or intellectual impairments; individuals and organisations in the community and professional arts sectors; and mental health service users. It is also the key organisation in New Zealand facilitating the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitative process of prisoners and their reintegration back into the community on release.

Each of the six awards has a nomination form. You are able to nominate yourself or others. For more information and nomination forms, please visit our website (artsaccess.org.nz/big-a-awards/big-a-awards-2013) or contact Pippa Sanderson at Arts Access Aotearoa (@artsaccess.org.nz). Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 15 March 2013.

ENDS

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