Juicy, warm and joyful: WTF is DAT?

What’s DAT? Originally known as DAFT (Disabled Artists’ Festival of Theatre), DAT Fest returns to Pōneke for its third year. Over two weeks in the beginning of November, Te Auaha will be home to an all D/deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent (DDN) lineup of performances. 

With a disco, an NZSL interpreted taxidermy session and a cabaret brunch amidst its colourful programme, one could say there’s something for everyone at this year’s DAT Fest. And that’s kind of the whole point of it: to be a place where any disabled person can come and be themselves.

But how do you organise a festival that is accessible to everyone? Co-director Susan Williams says, “there’s no such thing as 100% accessible. What’s bright yellow in 40pt font for one person is a migraine for another.” Williams’ partner in crime, ‘Creatif’ Kate Spencer says organising DAT Fest has built up their knowledge and skills and depth of awareness of what the disabled community needs. These two proudly disabled, neurodivergent, queer artists are driving this project, often from their couch at home. They tell us that this year’s festival will be the “game-changer year”. 

Changing the festival’s name from DAFT, what some might consider an ableist slur, is just one of the improvements made to the kaupapa this year. In the festival’s first year in 2022, Spencer and Williams were “roped in” and say they barely knew what they were doing. Now the kaupapa is fully in their hands.

Williams says when they started on a “shoestring budget” in 2022, they were focused on making the event accessible to audiences, and last year, its focus was making it accessible to audiences and artists. The festival now includes workshops to provide opportunities to practise, upskill and connect with others. So the focus for this year, Williams says, is how to make the festival accessible for all the people creating it as well as its audiences and artists.

“This is the one that solidifies what DAT Fest is and builds on in the future,” says Spencer. The duo had organised the previous two festivals which they’ll be quick to tell you was extremely stressful because of its inaccessible timeline and budget. Last year, they were only able to organise the festival six weeks before it started. “My health had gone to shit just before the festival,” says Spencer. “I was basically in my horizontal era, on my couch, doing everything from my laptop.”

Organising a festival with a team that is “very, very disabled” is wonderful, fun and really hard, says Spencer. Knowing what they know now, they’ve built in structures that make the process of organising a festival accessible for themselves. Everyone has a backup role in the team in case of flare ups and inability to work. 

Spencer is currently being fuelled by caffeine and rage, while Williams is running on ADHD urgency. “I feel like this is my life’s purpose now,” says Spencer. “Knowing that I am creating a space where people are able to express themselves freely, that brings me joy… my life’s purpose is to bring those opportunities to the community.” 

The duo have invested deeply into the accessibility of the event. They stress that if there are any barriers that may prevent anyone attending DAT Fest, including financial barriers or needing a support person, they should get in touch. Williams says DAT Fest is about giving everyone a warm hug, if they would like one.

DAT Fest is being held November 2-17 at Te Auaha in Te Whanganui a Tara. Find out more or purchase tickets on their website.

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