Bailey is a horse worth waiting for

It took nearly a year to find Bailey, a replacement horse for Richmond Riding for the Disabled, but the big Clydesdale-cross is now getting ready for his first riders.

Last year the group lost Storm, one of its much-loved, bigger and most frequently ridden horses because of colic and they needed to replace him.

In July last year, they applied to the IHC Foundation for help. Chair Paul Baines says although the Foundation doesn’t usually fund horses, there was a need to fill the gap in the stables, with 72 riders relying on the service every week. It made a grant of $8000.

Jenny Stebbings, Richmond RDA Administrator and Secretary, says they were worried about how long it was taking to find a horse, but it was important to get it right. “It’s just finding the horse with exactly the right temperament, who will allow unbalanced riders. They have to be pretty special.”

She says the horse also needed to be calm and not frightened by sudden movements or things coming at them, and it had to be big enough to cater for the group’s older riders, including four groups of teenagers a week from the special education department at Waimea College.

Then along came Bailey through word-of-mouth, a strong five-year-old Clydesdale-station bred cross from Richmond, who had “one lady owner”. He is 15 hands (1.5m) tall and is already demonstrating he has what it takes. Bailey is now being trained for his new role, which involves being comfortable with being led from both sides, accepting side walkers, ramps and blocks for mounting, crutches and walkers and wheelchair transfers.

Jolt Dance offers teachers’ workshop

Christchurch dance company Jolt Dance is holding a two-day workshop In October for teachers interested in using dance, music and movement to engage people with disabilities.

The Engagement through Dance training will be held on Saturday October 27 and Sunday October 28 at Papanui High School in Christchurch.

The workshop will cover all the basic Jolt ideas and activities:

• Jolt philosophy
• Warm-up, pairs and large-group activities
• Structures for improvisation – creating an open space
• Adaptation and engagement techniques
• Reverence of touch/connection.

These activities can be used with any age group and are accessible to all abilities. No experience is necessary.

For more information and bookings, contact Jolt Dance Artistic Director Lyn Cotton on 0211528600 or email lyncotton@hotmail.com

Leading American neurologist shares latest on intellectual disability

Leading American neurologist Dr Seth Keller will speak at seminar on intellectual disability and dementia being held in Auckland, in September.

The seminar, organised by the NZ Dementia Cooperative and the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability (ASID), includes a presentation and discussion with Dr Keller, a specialist in intellectual disability, ageing and dementia.

Dr Keller is Past President of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry and the Co-chair of the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices and Director of the Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group in the American Academy of Neurology.

The seminar is also an opportunity to hear what is happening in the intellectual disability and dementia field in New Zealand, and join in discussion with others from the sector.

The seminar is on Saturday 1 September at Spectrum Care, 270 Neilson Street Onehunga. Places are limited so register soon. The cost is $15.

Performance artists to build a show from scratch

Māpura Studios is starting a new performance art group bringing together many different forms of art-making.

Based at St Lukes in central Auckland, Māpura Studios offers art programmes and art therapy programmes for people living with physical and intellectual disabilities.

The classes, which start Saturday 4 August, will run for 10 weeks. They are family friendly and all existing and new students are welcome.

The group will work towards creating a performance from scratch. Participants will write a play, make the costumes and scenery, and add music and performance. This will be performed at the Māpura Studios Open Day and the Interacting Festival later this year.

For more information and enrolments, contact Alex McPherson on alex@mapurastudios.org.nz or call 09 845 5361.

Believing in Better is now an e-book

ImagineBetter has published an e-book version of its popular Believing in Better workbook. It is available to buy at Amazon and on Me Books.

The original workbook, produced by the disability organisation in 2013 with assistance from the IHC Foundation, is now out of print.

As an option to the the e-book, you can also read Believing in Better on the Imagine Better website.

Construction starts on new Porirua Harbour jetty

It took nearly three years to raise the money, but Sailability Wellington Trust has started building a new jetty on Porirua Harbour to provide better facilities and more days on the water for sailors with disabilities.

Almost 190 people sail with Sailability Wellington in various locations around the Wellington coast and there are 80 on the waiting list. Thirty-six people regularly sail on Porirua Harbour on Thursdays, but low tides have limited the number of hours they can spend out in boats. With the completion of the new jetty, the group will be able to increase the number of sailors to 60 and start sailing on Saturdays too, says Chief Executive Don Manning.

The Titahi Bay Boating Club’s existing jetty has been strengthened to support the new jetty, which will extend into the harbour by 5 metres, linked by a walkway and ramp. The new jetty will give Sailability Wellington a further 50 square metres of rigging space to set up masts and sails and new floating pontoons will provide all-tide sailing.

Piles for the new jetty have been sunk and construction is expected to take a couple of months. Don says the cost will be around $180,000. Sailability Wellington has agreed to operate and maintain the floating pontoons, but will gift the new jetty to the people of Porirua, under the guardianship of the Titahi Bay Boating Club.

The IHC Foundation has supported Sailability Wellington since 2015 and Don says more and more people with intellectual disabilities are learning to sail solo. The Foundation's most recent grant, in December 2017, was $15,000 towards the expansion of the sailing programme.

Sailability sets sights on new jetty

Solo performers make an impact on the fringe

Outstanding performers Duncan Armstrong and Jacob Dombroski, who presented solo shows at the Auckland and Wellington Fringe Festivals, will talk about their performances on Friday 25 May at the Arts Access Aotearoa Annual General Meeting in Wellington.

The shows Force Field  and Big J Stylez were developed in collaboration with the team at Everybody Cool Lives Here and supported by the IHC Foundation.

Force Field was created by Duncan Armstrong and Isobel MacKinnon, and performed by Duncan Armstrong. The work was inspired by Duncan’s experiences, his passion for Shakespeare and a love for Disney’s ability to create accessible and multi-generational stories. Force Field premiered in February 2018 as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival and Duncan won a Best Performance Award.

Written and performed by Jacob Dombroski, Big J Stylez explores Jacob’s passions – music, dance, and acting – weaving a story of growing up in New Zealand as a young Samoan /Maori (Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Porou) . Big J Stylez was performed in March 2018 as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival in Wellington.

Arts Access Aotearoa Annual General Meeting

Lauren’s PhD research - Young carers

Lauren Donnan is currently completing her PhD research at the University of Auckland into the experiences and needs of young carers in New Zealand – children and young adults who take on a significant caring role for someone with a disability, illness, substance misuse, mental illness or who is elderly.

Young carers are a completely hidden and under-serviced group of children and youth in New Zealand.

As part of Lauren’s PhD research, the IHC foundation provided funding for her Visiting Researcher Fellowship to Birmingham University in 2015.

Lauren has made a video telling the story of her research and why it is so very important. This video has been entered in the 150 Years of Discovery: Emerging Research competition.

This competition is a huge opportunity to raise awareness of Lauren’s research and help her bring about change for this wonderful but very hidden group of New Zealanders.

Please visit https://150-years-of-discovery-emerging-research.thinkable.org/#entries and vote for Lauren’s video 'Researching an invisible population: Being a young carer in Aotearoa/New Zealand'.

Voting closes September 15th at 12am.

IHC Foundation and Chamber Music NZ sign partnership agreement

IHC Foundation and Chamber Music NZ are delighted to have entered into a three-year partnership agreement from 2017.

The agreement gives Chamber Music NZ certainty of funding for three years for their Accessible Concert Programme.  The concert programme will become known as the IHC Accessible Concert Series.

IHC Foundation Chair Sir Roderick Deane says the foundation is pleased to contribute to such a significant programme that includes disabled people in our arts activities and enhances New Zealand’s cultural diversity.

In 2017 Chamber Music NZ is staging a special series of accessible concerts in partnership with the IHC Foundation. There will be three relaxed, interactive performances in Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Christchurch. These performances focus on inclusion, participation and discovery opportunities for diverse audiences.

The Connecting Through Music video about the accessible concert programme was produced by Arts Access Aotearoa.

Connecting Through Music

Banner Image: Reuben Looi Photography, courtesy of Chamber Music New Zealand

Congratulations Te Manawa

Congratulations to Palmerston North’s Te Manawa on being awarded the Arts Access Museum Award. The Award was presented to Te Manawa for their efforts to create an inclusive and diverse museum space.

The Foundation is delighted to support Te Manawa’s Open Art Space project which encourages access to the Arts for everyone.

If you would like to read more about the work Te Manawa is doing to encourage access, visit: http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/92886828/Te-Manawa-wins-award-for-being-inclusive?cid=app-iPad