Arts active
Labour of love
I have just left my role after six years as the CEO at Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi , the regional arts trust for Tāmaki Makaurau, which is a hybrid philanthropic and development organisation. One of the things I loved about that role was the chance to think about the weaving together of creativity, arts, mental health and wellbeing.
Long game
When I think about the role arts can play, there are many. One example is a partnership with Professor Terryann Clark. I have known TC for more than twenty years. She is a leader in child and adolescent mental health and an innovator in rangatahi Māori wellbeing outcomes. A few years ago we talked about what we could do collaboratively. She is passionate about arts and creativity, so we put together a three-year research programme. She was able to do it as the Cure Kids chair, and we brought in experienced creatives to advise on how to bring creative practice into a research project. The research is working with rangatahi Māori to utilise creativity and culture in co-designing Hauora wellbeing outcomes.
Arts as a development tool
Another example is the creative advisors, Huia O’Sullivan, who runs Ngā Rangatahi Toa along with Cat Ruka are able to bring their creative and youth development expertise to support the research. In my philanthropic work I knew Ngā Rangatahi Toa as an incredible youth development provider. What I always appreciated about them was that creativity was used as a tool for youth development.
Those holistic outcomes relate closely to mental health and wellbeing
The creative methodologies vary
What matters is that creative practice can be a safe way for young people to
- Express themselves
- Feel connected to who they are
- Tell stories about where they come from and what they have lived through.
That might be through many art forms such as
- Performing arts
- Visual arts
- Music
If we want to embed this more into mental health practice, there are a few things we need. In community development or mental health services, or residential services, we already understand the importance of connection to culture and community
Sustained investment and good evaluation
The same applies in the justice system. Arts Access Aotearoa has supported creative programmes in prison settings.We know the high levels of mental illness and addiction in those spaces. If creative programmes in prisons were sustained, rather than run by volunteers or funded short term, we would see more impact. Things are often piloted but rarely embedded. What is needed is sustained investment and good evaluation to show the difference it makes.
The importance of stories
Sharing stories of change matters. That applies in the wider community as well. If we look at covid, the whole country was affected, and where did people turn for support? They turned to music, books, streaming services and creative forms that became a rock during an unprecedented crisis.
In community art, from the everyday through to the high performance end, arts help communities come together. Artists are often activists. They tell stories of radical change and are often at the forefront of social change movements Artists are connected to many different spaces and we rarely look at them as a whole, but their impact on community wellbeing runs deep.
Get involved
If people want to get involved or find out more, I would go into the creative sector and look at what is happening. Look at what Creative New Zealand is doing as the national body. Look at your local arts organisations and especially community art centres. There are resources out there if you look for them, but Creative New Zealand is a good place to start alongside regional arts trusts such as Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi.
