newy.com.au – Two new access-focused art commissions at Newcastle Art Gallery will be showcased on Saturday, highlighting how the expanded Gallery is being made more inclusive for d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind and low-vision visitors.
The panel talk and Auslan-interpreted tour will explore the development of Nancy, the Gallery’s first access-focused digital guide, as well as an architectural-scale sculptural response to the original building’s floating staircases.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said the expansion had provided an opportunity to place access and inclusion at the centre of the visitor experience.
“The expansion of the Newcastle Art Gallery provided the ideal opportunity to ensure access and inclusion were at the heart of how our community can experience our reimagined facility,” Ms Morton said.
“From using an artistic and access-led solution to the physical challenge created by the space under the staircases for visitors who are blind or have low vision, to developing our first digital guide, which has already been accessed by more than 8,000 visitors, we are committed to collaborating with community members with lived experience to deliver better outcomes for everybody.”
Saturday’s Intersensorial Conversations event will feature internationally acclaimed artist Fayen d’Evie and Central Coast-based Auslan trainer and interpreter Thomas Doe, giving visitors an insight into how access-led solutions are being permanently embedded in the Gallery.
Nancy takes visitors on a 24-stop tour of the ground floor collection exhibition, with audio, Auslan-interpreted video and written descriptions available through personal devices via the Newcastle Art Gallery website or QR codes throughout the space.
The guide was developed using a “by community, for community” model, with contributions from local d/Deaf consultants and community members, Auslan interpreters, artists, accessibility advocates and First Nations consultants.
It was named in honour of Nancy Tapp, a much-loved volunteer who spent 36 years at Newcastle Art Gallery, recognising the role Gallery guides play in shaping each visitor’s experience.
Mr Doe said being part of the project had been meaningful.
“The Art Gallery team approach the project with open minds and a genuine commitment to inclusion,” Mr Doe said.
“Providing Auslan access means d/Deaf and hard of hearing people can do more than just view the artwork – they can connect with the stories, understand the artist’s intention, and fully experience the exhibition.”
As well as contributing to Nancy, d’Evie was commissioned to create sculptures around the two floating staircases on the ground level of the original 1977-built Gallery. The staircases no longer meet modern building code standards for people who are blind or visually impaired.
The sculptures allow visitors to move safely through the space while also incorporating tactile versions of key artworks and braille, enabling people to engage through touch with the Gallery’s stories.
“I wanted these sculptures to be invitations not barriers, and architectural prompts for conversation between visitors, sighted and blind alike,” d’Evie said.
“They honour the original staircase structure, while creating a tactile veil around it.”
The sculptural work was supported by a $50,000 grant from Creative Australia and a $50,000 grant from the NSW Government Arts and Culture Infrastructure Grants program. Nancy was supported by City of Newcastle and a $10,000 Museums & Galleries of NSW grant.
Co-chair of City of Newcastle’s Access Inclusion Standing Committee, Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk, said accessible design delivered broader benefits.
“Art should always be for everyone, and the Newcastle Art Gallery team should be commended for their work to ensure one of our city’s key cultural landmarks can be better enjoyed by all,” Cr Adamczyk said.
“Making those improvements is a key outcome from our Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) which is up for renewal in 2027.
“It’s currently undergoing early engagement, and I encourage the community to get involved and share their experiences with us to make sure we continue building a Newcastle that works better for everybody.”
Community members can make a submission on the Disability Inclusion Action Plan through the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle’s website before Monday 15 June.
Saturday’s Intersensorial Conversations event starts at 11am, with limited bookings still available through the Newcastle Art Gallery website.
