Young Innovators & Artists Unlimited
Newsletter March 2026
Kia Ora friends, colleagues, sponsors and our wonderful community!
Thank you for your help and for tuning in.
This is an overview of where we are at and where we would like to go for the youth of Aotearoa.
Vision
To raise the awareness of the needs and rights of young people (7-17) in Aotearoa to access to The Arts.
To Assist New Zealand communities to establish Chilren's Art Clubs.
Mission
Creating “Art clubs” for children and adolescents provides a transformative environment where creativity serves as a bridge to self-discovery and emotional security. These spaces prioritize the creative process over the final product, allowing young people to experiment without the pressure of perfection.
Safe social connection. These environments foster “culturally safe” spaces where youth can build meaningful friendships and develop social skills in a low-pressure setting.
Christine, A Hamilton Parent
Love Art
Be Kind
The 'Blooming Fence' Children's Art Project Fairfield
Why?
To give our children and young people the space to be delighted, excited, investigative, explore, practice, develop personal and social skills in a non-threatening environment.
Break the Cycle of Trauma
Develop Empowerment & Resilience, Belonging & Citizenship
through participation in all forms of The Arts, Exhibitions & Performances
Love Art
Be Kind
Where can we find Space?
Purpose built or purchased properties.
Existing organisations extend their operations to include space for 7-12 year olds, or up to 17 year olds where they open later/demand.
Existing Community Centres, Churches
Find a specific place for The Arts or put a modified container next to their buildings?
Ultimately purchasing a neighbouring property to extend their ability to support demand.
Exhibition and Performance space included or nearby.
Children's Art Houses are as important as any church, museum or library.
How can we do this?
Korero
Community conversations, belief and determination. Possibly;
Community Centres, extension of services.
Community Groups, Rotary etc, communities all work together.
Paid co-ordinators, materials, all funding and finance has to be addressed.
At what cost? What is it costing to not address our children's needs?
Co-ordinator training costs.
Children pay a term rate to cover costs, or we find sponsorship for children as needed.
We've talked to the Mental Health Foundation, Rural Women's Network, Marae, HCC Youth Action Plan, Police Youth Laison Officers, Creative Waikato, Youth Workers in Tokoroa, Raglan, Ngaruawahia, Huntly, and Hamilton and more!
Incidentally the HCC Youth Action Plan is for Rangitahi, teens. Personally I would like resources need to be re-directed to all young people.
Young people who have been to Children's Art Houses say
"I learned that my life is my choice" 14 y.o. girl
"I am not angry any more" - 15 y.o. boy
given the tools and space IN CHILDHOOD.
A paradigm shift towards the reverence of every child and their rights to creative space will make the shift to creating healthy, powerful leaders of their own and our countries future.
Recalibrate funding to Rangitahi and Tamariki.
- Carolyn, my opinion!
Someone recently said, regarding families, youth and children's outcomes.
"We need to intervene in smarter ways."
This is it.
Shona Hammond Boys who set up the NZ Children's Art House Foundation 30 years ago, proved that this model works and has been adopted in USA and Australia's Northern Territory. There is also an international mural campaign called Artolution modelled on this initiative.
We are lucky to have Shona for support to establish this initiative in the Waikato and Co-ordinator training for our new Children's Art Clubs.
We can interrupt the probable future of our children and we must.
Please listen to her address to us:
Thank you
"The first thing to learn is that every child, person, every artist is different
The power of the peer group is paramount. The leading force forward.
Children are mobilized by their own Individual artistic experience.
Art is long.
Sport is short.
Art endures.
It is a signpost, a messenger, a time-keeper, it actually deals with the immeasurable and the deeply personal.
Art is engagement. Hands, Head, Heart.
Shona Hammond Boys QSM
Art Journals for Rangitahi
Just Before Christmas we put together 100 Art Journals in beautiful canvas bags, with art materials all donated by the fantastic team at The Warehouse local stores. (Please support our sponsors)
Our group of Grandmothers and Greatgrandmothers Enriching Lives, (Our Gaggle Group) put them all together and delivered them to the Western Community Centre to be distributed to youth and social workers to homes that possibly do not have pencils and art materials.
We can't provide our youth with the building space yet but we are providing them with the 'Art Space' in journal form for their dreams to be recorded and fostered.
And we have more fence space for more murals!
Arohanui
Carolyn Longden
Promoter, Artist, Great-Grandmother etc!
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