The Arts and Justice Network
The arts and creativity play a vital role in rehabilitation and reintegration. Arts Access Aotearoa connects artists, educators and organisations with opportunities to deliver arts programmes in prisons and Community Corrections across Aotearoa.
Funded by Ara Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections, the Arts and Justice Advisory Service supports 18 prisons, a remand centre in New Plymouth, and Community Corrections, which works with around 30,000 people in the community.
In 2025, Arts Access Aotearoa published Te Ara ki Runga, a guide supporting both new and established Arts and Justice educators seeking to deliver high-quality, meaningful arts programmes in New Zealand prisons. Read more about Te Ara ki Runga
For more information about Ngā Toi i te Poipoi Arts and Justice Network, please get in touch with Neil Wallace, Kaiwhakahuri Hurihanga Arts and Justice Advisor.
Meet the Kaiwhakahuri Hurihanga Arts and Justice Advisor
Neil Wallace
Kaiwhakahuri Hurihanga Arts and Justice Advisor
Phone: 027 263 6711
Email: justice@artsaccess.org.nz
Neil works Monday to Thursday.
How we support arts and justice
The Kaiwhakahuri Hurihanga Arts and Justice Advisor:
- works with artists, educators, and organisations to develop and deliver arts programmes in prisons and Community Corrections
- facilitates three regional Arts and Justice Networks, bringing together people working in this space
- supports Corrections staff in developing and implementing arts plans in prisons
- provides training and guidance for staff and volunteers leading arts projects
- connects released prisoners with arts opportunities in the community.
Why join Ngā Toi i te Poipoi Arts and Justice Network?
The national Ngā Toi i te Poipoi Arts and Justice Network, facilitated by Arts Access Aotearoa, is a space for artists, iwi and hapū, writers, academics, Corrections staff, volunteers, and others passionate about arts and social justice. The Network holds regional hui.
What regions does the Network cater to?
For more information about the location of the prisons, regional offices, special treatment units and Community Corrections offices, visit the Department of Corrections website.
How to join the Network
Ngā Toi i te Poipoi Arts and Justice Network, facilitated by Arts Access Aotearoa, is open to artists, writers, Corrections staff, volunteers, and anyone interested in the role of the arts in rehabilitation. Members receive invitations to regional hui, networking opportunities and updates. Every second month, we distribute an e-newsletter highlighting news stories, profiles, research and resources.
Share your work with us
We promote arts initiatives that support rehabilitation and reintegration. If you have an arts project, event, resource, or opportunity relevant to our Arts and Justice Network, let us know. We may be able to share it via our:
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- social media platforms
- Our Arts and Justice e-newsletter
- news stories, articles and blogs.
To enquire about promotions, please email comms@artsaccess.org.nz
Explore our Arts in Corrections resources
Our funders
We acknowledge and thank our funders for their ongoing support of our mahi making the arts accessible to all communities across Aotearoa.
