"Art saved my life," writes Richard Benge, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, in an opinion piece published in The Post in July 2024. "It’s something I’ve often told myself in answer to the question, 'How did I survive my teens?' When I was ten, my mother died suddenly and at 15, I lost a sister to suicide. My mental health was shot through with abandonment."

Richard's opinion piece continues:

There are terms for teens like “at risk” and “vulnerable” – words that categorise groups on the receiving end of broken circumstances. I was both and I regularly ran away from my boarding school, fuelled by intense anger for authority figures who had no capacity to listen. 

Thankfully, I was mentored by adults who had careers in the arts or education, and so I survived. I had an art teacher and drama teacher who were the initial listeners. I felt they understood me. They provided the space and activities where I could be creative and heal.

Now I get to work with the extraordinary staff at Arts Access Aotearoa. We work with a nationwide network of tutors, artists, organisations and social change advocates, who provide access to the arts and cultural expression for people who often experience barriers to the arts: for example, Deaf and disabled people, and people living with mental health distress.

This includes the Creative Spaces Network, representing close to 70 creative spaces around the country. In the Wellington region, for example, we have spaces such as  Vincents Art Workshop, Pablos Art Studios, Voices Arts Trust, MIX, WIDance and King Street Artworks.

Creative spaces working solely with rangatahi

In Auckland, there are several creative spaces working solely with rangatahi to nurture and empower. Kākano Youth Arts Collective (visual arts), Glass Ceiling Arts Collective (theatre), Ngā Rangatahi Toa (performing arts) and Crescendo (music) are leaders.

The visionary Huia O’Sullivan (Te Ātiawa ki Taranaki), the Executive Director of Ngā Rangatahi Toa, has worked in youth development for more than 23 years and understands deeply the challenges that young people face in seizing educational and career opportunities. 

“Te ao Māori is our superpower!” she says. “It enables our rangatahi to find their connection to their own culture, regardless of what that is, and to amplify their voice through their identity.”

I imagine thousands of lives have been enriched or saved through their involvement with creative spaces. Many thousands of health budget dollars will also have been saved.

Here are three examples of lives enriched.

Alex Walsh, aged 19, joined WIDance in 2022. He makes the weekly journey from the Wairarapa to attend WIDance classes in Wellington every Saturday. "I love dancing with my friends at WIDance and using my imagination,” he says. “My teacher is great. She listens to our ideas and we make dances up together." 

Alex’ mother, Heather, says: " WIDance is fantastic, and disability is no barrier to collaborative choreography and performance. Everyone has a creative part to play and they finish the class full of energy and joy at being valued for their contribution to the group."  

“I feel so proud of myself."

Jeweller Erena Wylie attends Kāpiti Art Studio in Paraparaumu. The creative space supported her to develop a viable jewellery business and empowered her to earn an income. "My life has done a complete U-turn,” she says. “I feel so proud of myself. Everyone recognises me and says hello. I'm a famous artist now."

In Wellington, Pablos Art Studios supports the mental health and identity of its artists. Phoebe Gray has been a Pablos artist since 2021 and says, “Pablos provides me with an unparalleled community and support. This is as important to me as any medication I may take for depression.”

Staff of creative spaces around Aotearoa are frontline heroes, enriching and saving lives.

I am grateful to the compassionate creative tutors, my wayfinders, who mentored me to be safe and to trust my creative potential, not just as a teenager but throughout my life

A three-year funding boost to the creative spaces sector through Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage comes to an end this year. Arts Access Aotearoa is working with creative spaces to ensure their value is recognised so they receive sustainable funding.

Richard Benge is Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa Te Pukanga Toi ki Aotearoa and is a volunteer mentor on the Big Buddy programme, which builds confidence and resilience in the lives of boys whose father is not around.