27 September 2012 - 0 Comments

To coincide with New Zealand Deaf Awareness Week 2012 (Monday 24 – Sunday 30 September) WOMAD New Zealand announces a new initiative to break down barriers for deaf people at the annual three-day festival.

For the first time deaf festival-goers will be able to pre-book at the information centre during the festival for a sign language interpreter to meet them at workshops, cooking demos, and stage performances.

Marketing and communications manager Lisa McMullan says a lack of hearing shouldn’t prevent deaf persons from enjoying the festival.

"Primarily WOMAD is a music festival and there are also many other features that can be enjoyed. WOMAD is a vibrant festival that showcases the best music, art, and dance, from all over the globe and the event stimulates all the senses.

“With artists coming from 17 different cultures, and a strong New Zealand flavour, WOMAD is a once a year chance for New Zealanders, now including our deaf community, to engage with different cultures without leaving the country.

“With this new service the festival will really come to life for our deaf community.”

This new initiative increases the festival’s commitment to developing its audiences by being accessible to the disabled community. In July 2012 WOMAD New Zealand was awarded the Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award 2012. The annual Big ‘A’ Awards are the key national awards in New Zealand celebrating the achievements of individuals and organisations providing opportunities for people with limited access to engage with the arts as artists and audience members.

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