Carving Space: Introducing a new arts column with Taha Hotu

Welcome to Carving Space:  a new collaborative column focussed on the arts from Taha Hotu Deaf and Disabled Artists Initiative, and The D* List.

Carving Space will be published every two months as a space for writers, artists and arts workers to share their thoughts, arts practice, goals, developments and dreams with each other. 

The column may be focussed on a particular aspect of the arts, a response to shifting arts landscape or a happening of some sort, an artist’s work, opportunities or anything else arts related.

Taha Hotu Deaf and Disabled Artists Initiative is a new programme from Arts Access Aotearoa. It evolved from a need for Deaf and disabled artists to be able to share, connect, collaborate and celebrate our achievements. It’s disability-led and was developed in consultation with Deaf and disabled artists as a much-needed space to support Deaf and disabled artists more directly. 

Its purpose is to:

• be a space to advocate collectively
• share experience and knowledge
• tell our own stories and histories 
• make it easier to find each other.

This column, Carving Space, is also curated for and by Deaf and disabled artists because there is power in being together as Deaf and disabled people. 

Creativity makes us human; our voices, stories, history and art are as important and as valid as anyone else’s. At a time when our humanity is questioned, having space for storytelling and art reminds ourselves, each other and society more broadly that we have value and we belong.

It’s my hope that Taha Hotu will help build critical mass so that Deaf and disabled artists are visible and our value is recognised. As the Taha Hotu website says: “We want Deaf and disabled artists to be an expected and anticipated part of the arts in Aotearoa, where we tell our own stories on our own terms and we are valued as Deaf and disabled artists.” 

We use the term artist as a loose shorthand and welcome anyone who is Deaf, has a disability or impairment, has a chronic illness or experiences mental distress regardless of the form their arts practice takes. For now, we use the term Deaf and disabled as an umbrella term.

Taha Hotu Deaf and Disabled Artists Initiative also offers resources to support Deaf and disabled artists to navigate the arts sector, including NZSL and Easy Read versions and we hope to add audio and Braille versions in the future. We have more resources in the works and a growing list of topics to explore and advocacy to undertake in future resources.

Alongside the resources, the website features a ‘What’s On’ page, upcoming opportunities, Deaf and disabled-led arts organisations, links to services like NZSL interpreters and audio description and artist pages, to make it easier to find each other and show the world how many of us there are out there. 

Disabled people are inherently creative because navigating an inaccessible world requires us to be. We challenge norms, break stereotypes and do things differently, all of which mirror the attributes of a strong creative practice. 

We have things to say, art to make and minds to blow and Carving Space is another platform to do it from. If you have an idea for a Carving Space column or if you would like your own artist page, to share your work and a little about yourself you can reach out to tahahotu@artsaccess.org.nz we’d love to connect with you.

We’re also keen to know about any upcoming exhibitions, performances, shows book launches and other events featuring Deaf and disabled artists so we can promote them.