For Beth Hill, the greatest measure of success isn't the performances, the artwork or the awards. It's seeing the men she works alongside discover confidence, leadership and purpose through the arts.

As manager of the arts programme at Northland Region Corrections Facility, Beth established the prison's Tuakana Teina peer mentoring programme, training participants to become arts mentors who support others through music, performance, visual arts and cultural practice.

The programme works alongside the prison's Redemption Performing Arts whānau, creating opportunities for participants to develop creative skills while mentoring others and strengthening their own sense of identity and belonging.

That collaborative approach was recognised at Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards 2020, where the Redemption Performing Arts whānau and Tuakana Teina arts mentors received the Arts Access Corrections Whai Tikanga Award for the outstanding contribution of a community group, organisation or individual working in a prison.

In selecting the recipients, the judging panel said:

"It's exciting to see men in the performing arts group at Northland Region Corrections Facility taking leadership roles and mentoring others, including during the Covid-19 lockdown. The group works collaboratively and autonomously, using the pillars of the Hōkai Rangi Strategy as its guide. The positive impact of this group of men provides an example for other prison sites to follow."

Building leaders through the arts

One of those mentors is Sanity, whose journey reflects the impact of the programme.

"I didn't even like talking in front of people and I didn't show my family that I could write music," he says.

Today he mentors two bands within the prison, performs original songs at whānau days and has written several haka performed by members of the Redemption Performing Arts whānau.

Sanity was already informally supporting other men when he joined the Tuakana Teina peer mentoring programme. Through structured training, he developed new skills while gaining the confidence to lead and teach others.

"I learned how to deal with different personalities and that different people learn in different ways," he says.

Beth says the mentors have become an essential part of the programme.

"It can be hard to get people to come into prison to support arts programmes, and having the guys is a great way of expanding the reach and kaupapa of the programme."

The value of that leadership became especially clear during the Covid-19 lockdown. While external arts facilitators were unable to enter the prison, the trained arts mentors continued leading creative activities within the facility, supporting other participants through music, performance and visual arts. They also organised a special ANZAC Day performance based on a play the Redemption Performing Arts whānau had developed the previous year.

A whānau that supports change

The mentoring programme has had a profound impact on many of the men involved.

Marvel says becoming an arts mentor gave him both purpose and direction.

"If it wasn't for the programme I think I'd just be holing up in my cell somewhere."

For Sanity, the programme has also strengthened his connection to te ao Māori and created a sense of belonging.

"Our group is a whānau. We support each other, we pōwhiri our visitors, we karakia together, we uphold our culture as a collective and we genuinely help each other become better men, fathers, sons, brothers and overall better people."

Through Beth Hill's leadership and the commitment of the Redemption Performing Arts whānau and Tuakana Teina arts mentors, the programme demonstrates the transformative role arts, culture and peer leadership can play in rehabilitation. Their work continues to show how creativity can build confidence, strengthen identity and create lasting positive change within a prison community.