@studio2creativespace has seen an increase in demand for their services this year, particularly amongst young school leavers with a disability. We are happy we could help them run their vital service with a community grant. They told us...
"Participating in creative activity is critical to taha hinenngaro (mental health and emotional wellbeing), taha whanau (social wellbeing), and taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing). Funding from the Catalytic Foundation enabled a collective of more than 80 disabled artists to explore their creativity in ways that; improved hauora and self-confidence, entangled people in affirming social relationships, and contributed to the reimagining of disability as contributing to the vibrancy and cultural diversity of Ōtepoti. Some creative highlights included; a week-long PRINT Exhibition in the Dunedin Community Gallery attended by over 400 visitors, solo exhibitions hosted in the Margaret Freeman Gallery, six artists contributing to the iNDx art exhibition at Tūhura, and 9 artists submitting work to the ihc Art Awards where two were selected as finalists, and the development of an artist in residence program allowing Studio2 artists to work alongside established Otepoti art practitioners like contemporary jeweler Beau Cotton. Funding from the Catalytic Foundation also facilitated collaborations with other artists and community organisations including; Poet Jenny Powell to interpret and illustrate poems for a publication to be promoted by the UNESCO Cities of Literature, Ara Toi Creative Partnerships to supply large-scale artworks for the Stuart Street public works project, and Dream South D & Dunedin Street Art to paint murals to decorate the new South Dunedin Library site."
