DISABILITY EQUITY STATEMENT

Our disability equity statement is built upon our three strands of strength:

• Our commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Our honouring of the Five Pillars of Disability Consciousness / Disability Leadership
• Our role as an Aotearoa arts organisation

Ōritetanga | Equality - Our artists and creatives are at the centre of our decision making and this approach is integral to our Five Pillars of Disability Consciousness.

Taurite | Equity - We champion the affirmative model of disability recognising that disability is a positive and contextual experience. Identifying as a disabled person is a political choice. We support the social model of disability by proudly using the words disabled and non-disabled.

Rerehua | Aesthetics - We honour disability and its aesthetics as a powerful source of creativity and a specific way of navigating the world.

Tautoko | Support - We are committed to supporting the work of Hau Tipua Toi, our extraordinary disabled artists and creatives, providing a platform for and sharing their strong creative voice.

Huringa | Shift - We shift the narrative, altering perspectives of disability, disabled artists and their creativity and capability through artistic expression.

Tūākiri | Identity - We champion diversity and inclusivity, supporting everyone’s right to uniquely identify themselves. We promote the agency of language in self-identification. We support gender pronouns and gender diversity.

Pono | Integrity - We honour the authenticity of lived experience through unique perspectives of disabled artists, creatives and their communities. We acknowledge all disabilities, visible and non-visible.

Haepapa | Accountability - We support the efforts of disability justice, acknowledging disability and ableism across other forms of repression/oppression (race, class, gender and sexuality).

Rerenga | Time - We honour ‘crip time’ and ‘crip s p a c e’.