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Hamilton City Council Draft Arts in Infrastructure Policy

Posted in Submission, Regional; Tagged Accessibility, Parks and recreation, Education; Posted 9 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Hamilton City Council
Date: July 2025

 

Purpose

This submission provides feedback on the Hamilton City Council's Draft Arts in Infrastructure Policy, supporting the policy's aims while recommending specific improvements to ensure that art projects on infrastructure are accessible, usable, and represent the diverse communities of Hamilton, including disabled artists and people.

Summary of DPA submission


DPA welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback on the Hamilton City Council's Draft Arts in Infrastructure Policy, expressing support for its proposal to integrate art into infrastructure. The submission emphasizes the importance of ensuring that infrastructural art projects uphold "usability and accessibility for disabled people". Practical examples are given, such as the need for guidance on colour contrast for low vision people to appreciate artworks and ensuring interactive installations are accessible, including features like seating and space for movement within sculptures.

DPA recommends that the policy recognize the "intersectionality of the many diverse communities within Hamilton," specifically encouraging artists to celebrate the identity of tāngata whaikaha disabled and rainbow takatapui disabled people in their works. Furthermore,

DPA suggests amending the artist selection section of the policy to ensure that opportunities to tender for and create artworks are given to artists from various communities, including disability, Māori, Pasifika, women, youth, older people, ethnic communities, rainbow communities, and rural communities.

 

Key Recommendation/Finding:

DPA recommends amending the artist selection section of the policy to ensure that, when diversity is referred to, it means artists from within the disability and various communities across the city are given the opportunity to tender for and create artworks.

 

Supporting Statement 1:

DPA asks that infrastructural art projects uphold usability and accessibility for disabled people.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

DPA recommends that the intersectionality of the many diverse communities within Hamilton are also recognised within the policy, meaning that encouragement is given to artists to celebrate the identity of tāngata whaikaha disabled and rainbow takatapui disabled people within art works.

 
 

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DPA Submission 2506 Hamilton City Council Draft Arts in Infrastructure Policy (DOCX)

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