For the second consecutive year, Cushman & Wakefield is back as the Access and Inclusion partner of Wild Lights at Taronga Zoo, as part of Vivid Sydney.
In keeping with their vision to ensure all visitors can participate and engage with Wild Lights, Cushman & Wakefield will be unveiling an inclusive artwork, co-created by First Nations Artist Nathan Peckham and the children of St Lucy’s, a special education school in Wahroonga, Sydney and ensuring children with disabilities, their families and carers can access Wild Lights at Taronga with not one, but two Nights of Inclusion.
Off the back of the success and demand from Cushman & Wakefield’s 2022 inclusive event, Wild Lights will welcome up to 6,000 visitors from community groups, special needs schools, disability associations, inclusive sporting clubs, and special needs parenting groups over two nights on Wednesday 31 May and Wednesday 7 June.
In keeping with its commitment to diversity and inclusion, Cushman & Wakefield has partnered with Nathan Peckham to create a unique, six-metre by two-metre mural art piece with the integration of artistic input from 16 students aged between seven and 15 who attend St Lucy’s School.
This collaboration creates a shared story of connecting place and nature, and uniting people of all abilities in caring for Country. Through an artistic lens, inspired by nature and First Nations truth telling, Nathan and the St Lucy’s School artists have come together on Cammeriagal Country at Taronga Zoo, a meeting place of knowledge and sharing.
“I am delighted to work with Cushman & Wakefield and St Lucy’s School to produce this artwork for Wild Lights. Through the use of tactile sensory experiences such as hand stencilling, holding stones, and rubbing weavings, we were able to bring this mural to life and celebrate diversity and inclusion in a truly meaningful way,” said Mr Peckham.
The artwork will be featured just inside the Zoo’s entry which has been transformed into a spectacle of colour and light as part of Wild Lights and will be one of the first thing visitors can see as they head adventure the brand-new illuminated night trail. This year, guests will be able to discover over 130 captivating installations and lanterns inspired by Australia's rare and miraculous wildlife throughout the Wild Lights at Taronga which runs from 26 May- 17 June.
Cushman & Wakefield will be donating the artwork to St Lucy’s once the festival ends as a thank you and special memento to the talented children who made the artwork come alive.
During the two nights of inclusion, guests will get to explore the Zoo after dark on a brand-new illuminated experience where they will encounter an array of awe-inspiring installations and captivating animal lanterns, which will be all inclusive to those with disabilities.
This year’s Wild Lights offering will see seven brand-new native animal lanterns developed by Nathan Peckham in collaboration with Ample Projects and Taronga.
Conservation Society Australia CEO Cameron Kerr AO said that partnerships like this with Cushman & Wakefield are invaluable for Taronga.
“At Taronga, we are so proud to be a place that everyone can come to visit to connect with wildlife and Country. Taronga is progressing along an important path towards improving accessibility across the Zoo’s site and partnerships that bring opportunities like these presented by Cushman & Wakefield are key to ensuring we are delivering on this commitment,” Mr Kerr said.
Anna Town, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of Business Development Services, Asia Pacific & EMEA said Wild Lights at Taronga is a magical and unique experience which should be made accessible to everyone, no matter what their level of ability.
“We are passionate about partnering with Taronga Zoo to ensure the Wild Lights experience is accessible and inclusive to both adults and children alike”.
“We are offering visitors an accessibility map and guide, convenient drop-off points, expanded accessible parking options, dedicated and trained Access & Inclusion volunteers, designated re-set zones, and enhanced wayfinding and signage, to make everyone’s visit accessible, enjoyable, and memorable for all."
For more information on accessibility at Wild Lights, please click here or contact us here
