‘Arts are important to bringing us joy’: Residency applications open for disabled artists

Creating space for disabled joy in the arts is powerful, says writer Robyn Hunt. 

She knows first hand after being the first recipient of the Toi Pōneke d/Deaf and/or disabled artist development residency.

“I think the arts are really important for disabled people. They're important for our wellbeing and finding something that gives you joy and that you love doing,” Hunt says. 

The Toi Pōneke d/Deaf and/or disabled artist development residency is funded by the Wellington City Council and based at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre in Wellington. Applications for the six-week residency are now open for other Wellington-based artists who have an existing arts practice. The residency includes a studio space at Toi Pōneke and an artist fee of $3750. 

Hunt says having residencies specifically for disabled people is “really affirming”.

“It says a lot about people's faith in us as creators,” she says, adding she wouldn’t have had enough confidence to apply for a mainstream one.

“It was pretty exciting that it was offered for Deaf and disabled people and I think that's why I applied because I thought I might have a chance there whereas if I went for a more general one, I probably wouldn't.”

Not only is there an artist's fee, but Hunt says it was also really valuable having a mentor of her choice. 

“Having a mentor was great because it was really encouraging … I had stuff ready for her to look at.”

It’s still a new residency and the team at Toi Pōneke were very open to taking on feedback from Hunt; this year they are offering different types of spaces to suit people’s access and creative needs. 

For Hunt, even just writing up the application gave her time to focus and develop an idea for a project. 

Her project was a collection of personal essays about disability, and although not yet completed, it  offered her a springboard for the next step she might not have otherwise had the time or space for. 

“It was a huge boost because it meant I actually got enough work done to feel like I'd made really good progress and could build on that,” she says. “When you start a project like a book, it's kind of hard to get enough words. You've got to build up enough work to make you feel like you're making progress.” 

“And it meant that when I finished, while I didn't have a whole book, I did have the bones of a book.”

At the end of her residency, Hunt did a reading at the Toi Pōneke Arts Centre in front of other artists and staff there. 

Although Hunt’s project focused on the theme of disability, other disabled artists thinking of applying could cover any theme.

“Your art doesn't have to be about disability. It can be anything that you're working on, that you want to make and create,” she says. 

“I think it's very important that disability stories are told, and it's very important that our worldview is represented, but it doesn't always have to be about disability.” 

For more information on the residency or to apply, visit the Toi Pōneke website. Applications close 15 November, 2023.

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