ACCESSIBILITY AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: The Sydney Opera House has an Access Strategic Plan, which states: “Sydney Opera House belongs to everyone. As an organisation, our goal is to provide barrier-free access, making the site, building and the experiences they offer accessible to all people." Read Richard Benge's latest blog
Latest news updates
Suffrage in Stitches on show in Wellington
12 August 2019
Suffrage in Stitches, a 300-metre textile work created during the 125th anniversary year of women’s suffrage in New Zealand, features in the Flux space of Wellington Museum until 31 August. The final work matches the length of the suffrage petition, signed by 31,872 women and presented to Parliament in 1893. Read more about Suffrage in Stitches
Report presents findings about creative spaces
9 July 2019
A report, Understanding the Value of Creative Spaces, presents key findings from a survey of creative spaces throughout New Zealand, intended to provide key decision-makers and agencies with information about the sector to better understand how the sector operates, the services it provides and to whom. Read more about the report
Vincents Art Workshop to open more hours
9 July 2019
Vincents Arts Workshop in downtown Wellington will soon be opening its doors for another eight hours a week, including on Saturdays, thanks to additional funding from Wellington City Council. A delighted Glen McDonald, the Coordinator at Vincents Art Workshop, welcomes the funding to help meet the growing demand for its service. Read more about Vincents Art Workshop
Volunteers strengthen Pablos’ community
4 July 2019 
“Volunteers help strengthen the Pablos community. They really do contribute to every facet of this organisation and we’re extremely grateful for their support,” says Ellyn Rose Whatley, Director of Pablos Arts Studio. The Wellington creative space supports people’s mental health and wellbeing by providing a safe, nurturing space for creativity, as well as free materials, art tuition and art therapy. Read more about volunteers at Pablos
Art therapy with men in Auckland Prison
27 June 2019
Māpura Studios is an art studio/creative space in Auckland for people living with diversity and adversity. Its kaupapa is “Changing lives through creativity”. Early in 2018 Simon Chaplin, Assistant Prison Director at Auckland Prison, contacted Diana McPherson, Director of Māpura Studios, and began a creative discussion. This resulted in the Department of Corrections engaging Māpura Studios to deliver the first formal group art therapy programme in a New Zealand prison. Read more about art therapy
PARS exhibition aims to remove stigma
25 June 2019
A series of workshops and an upcoming exhibition, facilitated by PARS Inc – People at Risk Solutions (PARS) in Auckland, is giving the exhibiting artists an outlet to express their feelings, connect with like-minded people and showcase their work to whānau, friends and the public. All of the artists bring a strong sense of cultural identity as tangata whenua and Pasifika to their work. Read more about the project
