Registrations Open For Comedy And Poetry Workshops

In celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, CCS Disability Action is thrilled to bring two accessible comedy and poetry workshops to Wellington this month.

Created by advocate and comedian Nathan Bond and poet, performer and producer Creatif Kate, the workshops will be held at Kōraunui Stokes Valley Neighbourhood Hub on the 25th, and Pātaka Art + Museum on the 29th of November. Anyone aged 18+ who is interested in learning how to perform comedy and poetry in an inclusive environment is encouraged to register – no experience needed!

Participants will learn the basics of comedy and poetry, have a chance to practise and receive feedback. To finish, they’ll have a chance to experience these skills in practice with a showcase of performances by local disabled artists.

It’s important to Kate that everything she’s involved in is as accessible as possible, being disabled and queer herself. “I’ve always loved poetry and want to share that love with everyone,” she says.

Kate has won several awards in the Wellington comedy scene after she ‘fell into’ comedy at a workshop, most recently winning the Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Award 2023 for her work in the arts, disability and the queer community. Kate’s involvement in the workshops will provide much-needed representation for aspiring disabled and queer artists.

Nathan Bond has been a disability advocate for 23 years and began performing stand-up comedy five years ago. He produced the Disability Pride Showcase in 2019 and has won multiple comedy competitions since. A lack of accessibility in the arts scene sparked the idea for these workshops.

“I found doing comedy greatly boosted my self-esteem and highlighted how unfair and absurd ableist practices are,” he says. Disabled peoples’ ability to do this lags other subsections of society due to access barriers faced by large sections of the disability community.”

Choosing accessible venues was key in the planning process, as was having NZSL interpreters present. “By addressing those barriers, we hope that other disabled people will be empowered to share their stories and transform social attitudes for the better.”

CCS Disability Action acknowledges Arts Access Aotearoa as the funder – these workshops would not be possible without their support.

Workshop details

NZSL interpreters will be present and both venues have accessible toilets.

Lower Hutt:
Monday 25 November 2024
10am to 3pm
Kōraunui Stokes Valley Neighbourhood Hub, 184 Stokes Valley Road
Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt 5019

Porirua:
Friday 29 November 2024
10am to 3pm
Pātaka Art + Museum, 17 Parumoana Street
Porirua City Centre, Porirua 5022

You can register by filling out the form: bit.ly/comedy-poetry-workshops

If you have any questions or need support to complete the registration form, please contact: Nathan.Bond@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz

18+. Limited spaces available, please register by 9pm Sunday 17 November. Confirmation of places will be sent out by 18 November.

CCS Disability Action background information

CCS Disability Action is the largest pan-disability support and advocacy organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We support people with all types of impairments and have been working alongside disabled people since 1935. We are at the forefront of service provision, advocacy and information sharing in the disability sector. We partner with disabled people, their families and whānau to remove barriers at an individual, community and national level. Our vision is to see every disabled person and whānau hauā interwoven into the lives of their whānau and community.

We provide direct support to around 5,000 children, young people, and adults through our 18 branches, which operate from Northland to Invercargill. Our support focuses on breaking down barriers.

We also run New Zealand’s nationwide Mobility Parking Permit scheme. This scheme currently supports more than 170,000 people to access their communities and facilities more easily. Our subsidiaries, Lifemark and BarrierFree, advocate for and provides universal design consultancy to improve the accessibility of New Zealand’s housing and built environments. We receive a mixture of government and charitable funding.

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