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.
Mission
We are still on a mission to raise the awareness of the needs and rights of young people (7-17) in Aotearoa to access to The Arts.
By helping New Zealand communities to establish Chilren's Art Clubs.
Vision
One of our wonderful Grandmothers put it this way;
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.
There is a diverse range of young people with varying needs out there and the one thing that connects us all is The Arts.
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
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 in Hamilton (10) could have a modified container placed on their property. Centres would have up to 15 children each afternoon 3-5.30pm and rangitahi 6-8pm using them, weekends and school holidays. Ultimately purchasing a neighbouring property to extend their ability to support demand.
There may be churches, halls, sports facilities with spare space, retail or commercial spaces etc.
Exhibition and Performance space included or nearby.
Mural artists need space for laying out ply board for painting.
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 could pay a term rate to cover costs, clubs 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 to be re-directed to all young people.
Teens are carrying their childhood emotions into adolescence. If they can access The Arts from ages 7-12 they will have learned their ability to manage themselves in any situation, know they are powerful and capable. Children at their own Art Clubs learn to manage themselves, no 'activites', 'programmes', adult initiatives. They initiate, design, co-operate, communicate and manage their own Art Clubs with their Club Co-ordinators and volunteer teams there to work with them.
Young people who have been to Children's Art Houses and who participated in community murals, 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
Someone recently said, regarding families, youth and children's outcomes.
"We need to intervene in smarter ways."
This is it.
We must arrange funding for
A full time Young Innovators Arts Co-ordinator to establish Children's Art Clubs throughout the Waikato.
Arrange training courses for Children's Art Clubs co-ordinators by NZ Children's Art House Foundation founder Shona Hammond Boys.
Train and employ a mural artist co-ordinator to manage groups of young artists to design and complete murals around the city.
We must redirect funding for not just Rangitahi but towards all young people from age 7, when they start to find out who they are in the world and design/decide their future.
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 artolution.org, 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:
Kia Ora, thank you everyone.
News
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!
Professional Image
I see a lot of young people looking for jobs and as I am used to dressing people to look professional I am considering doing workshops for Rangitahi. In discussion with Tom at Western Community centre where we might even provide clothing, shoes etc for interviews. I have a lot of menswear in my studio as people give me lovely garments knowing I will give them to the right people.
If you have professional male and female clothing suitable for our Rangitahi, I'll put this together this year. I would like to give them even a tee shirt in the right colour just to give them confidence, we are looking for suppliers at the moment.
Very exciting!
We are initiating conversations with all stakeholders.
Tangata ako ana i te kaenga, te turanga ki te marae, tau ana
A person nurtured in the community contributes strongly to society
Arohanui,
Carolyn Longden
Promoter, Artist, Great-Grandmother etc!
Phone 0274 114 842
carolyn@theartofcolour.co.nz
