The power of the work of creative spaces around the country is evident in a new report that weaves data gathered over the multi-year funding of 54 creative  spaces by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

It’s now time for the government and funding agencies to read the report, spend time visiting creative spaces in their region, and understand the economic, social and health benefits of funding these community-based art spaces.

I spoke at the launch in Auckland of the report, Te kaha o ā tatou mahi – the power of our work, and thanked Arts Access Aotearoa’s Kaumātua, Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp, for gifting the name to us.

The funding from Manatū Taonga has left a powerful legacy and although it’s come to an end, Arts Access Aotearoa will continue to support and advocate for creative spaces as they seek sustainable funding alternatives.

Along with the report, creative spaces worked with us to co-create 51 impact stories, available on the Creative Spaces Network website. You can read these stories, listed according to the region they are based in.

Among all these insightful stories, I want to highlight five spaces in Auckland focused on working with vulnerable young people – youth who may be disengaged from school, perhaps experiencing mental distress or in the justice system, lost and without direction.

These spaces are:

• Breathing Space, supporting the mental wellbeing of rangatahi through weekly arts-led group therapy, individual interventions and workshops with artists 
• Crescendo, connecting with disconnected youth through free music production and wellbeing programmes, empowering them to pursue positive pathways
• Kākano Youth Arts Collective, addressing the needs of vulnerable youth by providing a safe, supportive environment for developing visual arts skills.
• Ngā Rangatahi Toa, enabling rangatahi through a Te Ao Māori worldview, the arts, therapeutic support and tikanga Māori. 
• Te Kāhui Creative Writing, Youth Arts New Zealand, supporting participants, including young people in prison, to explore a range of writing genres.

One of the speakers at the launch of our report was Mandy Patmore, Director of Kākano – one of the 54 creative spaces to receive multi-year funding from Manatū Taonga.

Mandy told the story of “Rio” (not his real name), referred to Kākano when he was 14. Rio thrived at the creative space and five years later, he landed a job in the art department of a movie. ”This funding enabled us to wrap ourselves around Rio and it impacted an entire household, enabling intergenerational change. And that's only Rio’s story. I have so many more.”

Read Mandy’s blog

Adding to our own research about the positive impact of engagement in the arts, here’s some more new research using data from the well-known Growing Up in New Zealand study. It looks at the wellbeing benefits for 12-year-olds involved in extracurricular arts, culture and recreation, and was released this month by Auckland University of Technology in partnership with Manatū Taonga.

Read more about this research

It shows a range of wellbeing benefits for rangatahi participating in arts, cultural and recreational activities, and is the most comprehensive research conducted on this topic.

In addition, it shows that participation in ngā toi Māori activities contributes positively to wellbeing across demographics, including better school engagement. The report suggests that opportunities to engage in ngā toi Māori activities should be provided whenever possible.

So here’s the evidence about the importance of arts, culture and recreation on the lives of young people. This importance reflects the experience of most people in Aotearoa, demonstrated in Creative New Zealand’s 2023 research and captured in the report New Zealanders and the Arts—Ko Aotearoa me ōna Toi.

This research provides benchmarked data on New Zealanders’ attitudes, attendance and participation in the arts since 2005. 

Some key statistics:

• The arts help improve New Zealand society: 60% agree, up 8% since 2014. 
• The arts help define who we are as New Zealanders: 63% agree, up 11% since 2014. 
• 41% of New Zealanders say the arts are important to their personal wellbeing.
• 78%  of New Zealanders say that ngā toi Māori is an important way of connecting with their culture/identity.
• 43% of Deaf and disabled people say the arts make them less lonely and isolated, compared to 38% of all New Zealanders 
• 67% of Deaf and disabled people attended arts events in the previous year, in line with the national average (68%).  

Read more about the survey results

I have highlighted findings about the positive impact of the arts in three reports. With more commitment and investment from the government, we can take down the barriers so everyone can access and participate in the arts.

Imagine a nation where all people can embrace their creativity, feel secure in their cultural identity and valued.