Arts Access Aotearoa
An exhibition on display in the reception area of Mayfair House, the Head Office of Ara Poutama Aotearoa, features work by five men studying art from prisons through tertiary institute The Learning Connexion.
The 13 works in Transition were created by ākonga (students) in their fourth year of study for a Level 6 New Zealand Diploma in Creativity. Sharon Hall, Restricted Programmes Co-ordinator and Distance Delivery Mentor at The Learning Connexion, says ākonga working at this level are finding their own distinctive style.
“You can see this development really clearly in their work,” she says. “It’s a great achievement to be studying at this level and making work that stacks up alongside artists on the outside.
“They have to be resilient to study in a prison environment, and to progress and invest in themselves.”
Some of the artworks on display are for sale and all proceeds are donated to The Learning Connexion Educational Trust, which provides scholarships and materials enabling ākonga in prisons to study and gain NZQA qualifications.
Studying art long-distance from all but one of the prisons
Sharon Hall oversees The Learning Connexion’s Restricted Programmes, which caters for 130 men and women studying art long-distance from all but one of the prisons around the country. Currently, the programmes offer study from Level 4 to Level 6.
Artworks by men and women in prison are also presented in The Learning Connexion’s regular exhibitions, alongside the art of other students. For example, an exhibition in late 2024 at The Learning Connexion’s Lab Gallery celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary and included seven works by prison learners.
Preparing work and presenting it in an exhibition is an important part of study requirements, Sharon explains. “At each level of qualifications, there are certain presentation conditions the students need to meet: things like meeting the brief, preparing for the exhibition, dealing with the selection process and presenting to a high standard.
“Although The Learning Connexion has regular exhibitions, any opportunity to display their work in Mayfair House and other art spaces is really valuable.
“All the students exhibiting their work are undertaking tertiary study – often for the first time in their lives – and their feelings of pride and sense of achievement are huge.”
Measuring students’ progress using qualitative and quantitative data
The Learning Connexion measures their students’ progress using qualitative and quantitative data. As an accredited education provider, it has a formal measurement process.
And written feedback from the students demonstrates the many benefits of studying art: skills such as communications, time management, problem-solving, collaboration, resilience and self-assessment.
Here are just four recent comments provided by ākonga about the value of their studies:
- “I was in Auckland Prison at the time and it saved my life doing your art course as at that time I was doing 14 years and classified as a maximum security prisoner. It helped me through the dark times and the negative energy.”
- “I am able to reach my goals using alternative pathways while embracing the opportunities in between. This is due to a flexible learning style that encourages responsibility. I could not draw people before and now I can. I could not read or write very good and now I'm improving on that matter.”
- “To do the course has been a lifesaver, literally. It’s helped me cope with being in here.”
In Te Ara ki Runga | The path up, Arts Access Aotearoa’s guide supporting Arts in Corrections educators, there’s a piece by The Learning Connexion called “Tracking progress through record-keeping and reflection”.
Need for meticulous record-keeping, confidentiality and self-review
The piece discusses the need for meticulous record-keeping, confidentiality and self-review – by both the mentors and the ākonga. “Just as mentors review students’ work, the students also review their mentors. This feedback informs ongoing programme development and resource allocation.”
Sharon is “super-excited” about two new initiatives at The Learning Connexion. Firstly, The Learning Connexion has developedan NZQA accredited Level 3 art and design qualification. It’s based around developing creative arts skills and is being delivered within The Learning Connexion pedagogy of assessment through evidence of work, not written exams.
The second initiative is the development of version two of its levels 4 to 6 qualifications, with a greater emphasis on te ao Māori principles. “We’re prioritising learners in prison right now and delivering this version school-wide from the start of 2025.
The Learning Connexion is not about art therapy, Sharon says; nor is it about wanting to create artists.
“It’s all about the creative process and the skills you develop through that. We build on what the learners already know and who they are,” she explains. “That’s where te ao Māori is so valuable because it acknowledges the value of the individual and what each person brings.”
New ideas and initiatives keep Sharon inspired and enjoying her work at The Learning Connexion. “I most enjoy seeing our students succeed in their studies. You build up a relationship of trust with each student and it’s a great feeling when you see their confidence grow, along with the quality of their work.”
