IMPROVED ACCESS TO SCULPTURE BY THE SEA

Sculpture by the Sea Bondi will be accessible to more people with disabilities with the NSW Government investing an additional $50,000 into the Sculpture by the Sea’s Access and Inclusion program.

Tactile Tour with Sasha Reid’a, ‘YNot’ at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2017. Photo Clyde Yee.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for the Arts Don Harwin and Attorney-General Gabriel Upton visited the exhibition and announced the extra funding for people with disabilities.

The funding will support people with disabilities in several ways, including:

• Private, tailored and free tours for people with disabilities and their carers
• Audio descriptions for people who are unable to read signage and tactile tours for vision-impaired visitors
• Free exhibition catalogues for people participating in tours for people with disabilities
• Auslan interpreters at public artist talks (held on each weekend day of the exhibition); and
• Co-ordinated car parking for people with disabilities.

In addition, the funding will support post-exhibition artist workshops at the Wairoa School, Bondi and the Stroke Clinic at the Royal Prince Albert Hospital.

“Sculpture by the Sea is an incredibly popular and much-loved part of Sydney’s events and arts calendar, and I would like to see it enjoyed by as many visitors as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“I hope this investment will encourage more people with disabilities to come along and enjoy this beautiful event, now in its 21st year, and give everyone a chance to get the very best experience possible.”

Mr Harwin said the funding was part of the government’s commitment to make arts and culture available to as many people as possible.

“The NSW Government is dedicated to making sure everyone can access the arts and this does exactly that,” he said.