Everyone is an artist
Kia ora and hello everyone,
Happy New Year! We hope you had a good break and are feeling recharged and ready for more of our stories about the amazing value of culture.
Following the news, we can see that the benefits of arts and culture are needed more than ever in our turbulent times, yet budget cuts are looming in many places. Reframing the value of culture is increasingly relevant. Contact us to find out how our framework can help with that, and read on for more examples for the value of arts and culture.
Everyone is an artist at Toi Ora, an arts organisation that works with people experiencing mental health challenges. Find out more in our interview with its director who reflects on mental wellbeing, the role of the arts, social connection and a safe space. We also look at the OECD’s “beyond GDP” efforts to measure progress by looking at wellbeing. In a recent initiative they look at how digital technologies affect wellbeing. Vienna State Opera opened a new venue to share the life-changing power of opera with young people. And we were surprised to find a case for dogs in museums. Lastly we have some webinar recommendations for you.
Enjoy reading!
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Image: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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Interview: Everyone is an artist at Toi Ora
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Insights and reflections on mental wellbeing and the role of the arts
Recently QWB Lab’s Senior Consultant Linda Gilbert sat down with Susanne Ritzenhoff, Director of Toi Ora Live Trust.
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The concept of Toi Ora translates as ‘where we source our health from and our knowledge of wellbeing from’. Toi Ora demonstrates a commitment to wellbeing through artistic expression as an alternative and effective tool in response to mental distress. Recent neuroscience confirms that making art creates the conditions for neuroplasticity to occur. This is when the brain is physically changed. It can adapt and make new connections and pathways. Neuroplasticity enables us to reinvent ourselves and as Susanne says: "we may not be able to change our past, but we can write our endings".
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Q: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule today, Susanne. Can you start by telling us about Toi Ora and its vision?
A: Toi Ora is a free community-based art hub in the heart of Auckland city. We innovate and lead around creativity and art for wellbeing, with and for people experiencing mental health challenges. Our kaupapa (philosophy) is about providing a therapeutic and supportive environment that is non-judgemental. Everyone who comes to us is an artist - from the moment they walk in. We operate a strengths-based model to create an environment that models acceptable behaviours, such as respect, trust and positive reinforcement. This approach becomes contagious! But we also learn to recognise, pre-empt and when necessary, address disruptive behaviours.
Q: What does wellbeing mean to you?
A: People feel they have choices in their lives and can make decisions on the pathway to contributing to society. They have self-efficacy and contentment.
Q: How do people find Toi Ora and how are you funded?
A: Our artists can walk in off the street. This quite often happens through word of mouth from their friends, or they are referred by their doctors or specialist mental health providers. Work and Income NZ (WINZ) also make referrals to Toi Ora. We are funded through Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand). Attendance and resources are free for all of our artists. It costs $60 per person for a 2-hour class. That can be compared favourably with the cost of a counselling session which is between $100-200 per hour) or calling the Crisis Line which costs $150 per hour to operate. The cost of an overnight stay in a psychiatric hospital is in the region of $2,000 per night.
Q: How do you address the diverse needs and accommodate the people you serve?
A: As an inclusive organisation we attract people from all walks of life and ages. We are intentional about supporting art that is culturally meaningful for Māori artists. They are Tangata Whenua, the first people of this land. In indigenous cultures art is a normal part of life. We believe that by doing things right for Māori, we are doing it right for all. Supporting culture and building new neural pathways builds a sense of self. Group dynamics are empowering, and tolerance is modelled. Our art making classes are just as diverse as our client base. We offer more than 20 classes, including music, visual arts, printmaking and photography. We hold exhibitions, coordinate with the arts precinct and major galleries that are on our doorstep and go on field trips with our artists. It is stimulating and there is something for everyone.
Q: As a client-focused organisation, how are people who use the services involved in decision making?
A: Client orientation and being a good Treaty partner is important to Toi Ora. Our Board of Trustees is representative across the arts, cultural, financial and legal spheres. An artist with lived experience is on the Board. We have quarterly hui (meetings) where the Board and staff get together to discuss Toi Ora. We distribute regular anonymous questionnaires to hear feedback from our artists. As we operate in a high trust environment, we are seeing more artists unafraid to come to us directly and discuss issues they may have.
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Q: How are staff equipped to work with the artists who come here?
A: We provide emotional first aid in an artistic environment. Staff undertake a mental health course with a series of workshops to learn how to support someone experiencing mental health challenges while maintaining their own wellbeing. Most of our staff and tutors have lived experience themselves so they understand that things don’t always run smoothly. We also have a psychologist who is part of the team.
Image: "Sphynx" by Toi Ora artist Axl Pajo
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Q: How is wellbeing measured here? How do you know you are making a difference?
A: Toi Ora has run a pilot project with QWB Lab on one of our programmes. QWB Lab measures the value and contributions of arts organisations for society, using a holistic definition of wellbeing. At the completion of the pilot, we uncovered some happy surprises. For instance, people thought they were coming to improve their creative skills, which they did. But they realised that they also improved their social skills. They talked about it being a safe place to go to. Many of us can take this for granted but people with mental health challenges often don’t have anywhere to go where they feel like they belong. In terms of data, we can now show that through that specific programme there has been a 48% reduction in anxiety and a 52% increase in happiness. This sense of happiness after a 2-hour class can last for several days afterwards too.
“When I come to Toi Ora I forget everything else and get a sense of calmness.”
Q: Finally, if you had a magic wand for Toi Ora what would you do?
A: I would ensure everyone knew just how effective these interventions are across many aspects, and I would increase our reach using satellite services across Tamaki Makaurau Auckland so more people could access the Toi Ora magic.
The work of Toi Ora Live is not magic, it is neuroscience, culture and community in action. COVID taught us just how essential the arts are to wellbeing for everyone. By fostering a supportive and inclusive environment real breakthroughs can and do happen. Making art in a community is a cost-effective way to improve people’s mental health. Not only does the artist gain improved wellbeing, but the ripples impact their whānau, wider community and society as a whole. The costs are minimal in comparison to acute care, and the results are enriching for us all.
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Image: OECD
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Beyond GDP
To understand whether policies are improving lives, the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) recommends looking "beyond GDP" and considering a range of economic, social and environmental outcomes for people. They are leading efforts to measure the wellbeing of individuals, families, society, future generations and the planet in our time of deep changes and transformations. Two-thirds of OECD countries have developed a national multidimensional wellbeing policy monitoring framework. The statistics offices of most countries collect data and provide them for the OECD’s Better Life Index. The definition of wellbeing thus goes far beyond wellness, to look at quality of life across 11 dimensions: Subjective wellbeing, Work-Life Balance, Social connections, Safety, Health, Knowledge & Skills, Housing, Civic Contribution, Work & Volunteering, Income & Consumption, Environment & Sustainability. Aotearoa New Zealand has added Cultural Capability & Belonging as an important additional dimension.
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Image: Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
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How do digital technologies affect wellbeing?
On average, people spend over 5 hours or more a day looking at screens. But how does this affect their wellbeing? The OECD is running a poll to better understand the impact of digital technologies on mental health, happiness, and social connection. You can take part in the poll on the Digital Wellbeing Hub, where you can also find data and scientific findings. Browse the benefits of new technologies – and what you need to watch out for in relation to your and society’s wellbeing.
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Image: Vienna State Opera
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An opera venue for young people
Last December the Vienna State Opera opened an additional venue created especially for children, young people, young adults and families: NEST. The State Opera director believes that opera “can - and must - be constantly rethought. Rethinking it means making it even more diverse, even more inviting, even more open.” The new venue wants to offer something that can be life-changing to a young audience “…and not in order to attract the much-vaunted audience of tomorrow, but because the State Opera wants to be there for everyone, and every generation has the right to its own theatre.”
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Image: MuseumNext
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The impact of an art gallery on visitors' wellbeing
For the past two years Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū has been measuring and exploring its impact on visitor wellbeing with support from QWB Lab. At the upcoming Museums, Health and Wellbeing Summit, David Sheldon, Audience and Programmes Manager at the Gallery, will speak about the process, positive outcomes, and the challenges of the work so far. You can watch it live (UK time zone) or on demand. We are looking forward to it!
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Image: Marina Zvada on Unsplash
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Dogs in the museum 😱
Here is for a controversial topic: Should cultural institutions open their doors to pets? With pet-friendly travel growing, there might be an economic case for it developing. See what the National Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw conclude from its trial in this article from MuseumNext – it might surprise you. So, would allowing dogs into cultural venues contribute to wellbeing? Or to the contrary?
What do you think? Let us know!
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What's new at QWB Lab
In February, Sabine will present a webinar (in German) for Museumsbund Österreich, the Austrian museums association, as part of its Working Group Sustainable Museum. Find out more here.
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That’s it for this month.
As always, thank you for reading. We know you are busy and there is ever-increasing content in the world - we appreciate your interest.
Comments or suggestions are always welcome, do get in touch, we love hearing from you.
Until next month, be well!
Your QWB Lab Team
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