Some of the murals by children from the Opotiki Children's Art House
NZ Children's Art House Foundation
Shona Hammond Boys QSM found children making their art together under a building in central Auckland. They had formed a club and painted where they could. Shona developed space for children to meet and create safely and called them Children's Art Houses.
Properties ‘donated’ for children in every case in New Zealand in the last 30 years, have always been taken away again from the children. Citing the requirement of ‘market’ rent required on the building/property that has been repaired and improved by the children. Children are ‘rail-roaded’ at every turn. This model has to be ‘rule-proof’. These buildings are as important as any church, museum or library.
We need a trust to purchase/lease individual 'houses' in every suburb of every city in Aotearoa. Children's sacred meeting houses.
International Child Art Foundation
The International Child Art Foundation (icaf.org), follows children around the world going through wars, refugees, disease and plague. They have found that a child between the age 8-12 will determine their place in the world, whatever their circumstances. If young people have access to art, they will develop empathy for others.
The International Child Art Foundation vision statement:
We inspire schoolchildren to boldly step beyond the boundaries set before them by envisioning an inclusive world where meaningful differences and diversity can enhance human discovery and collaborative innovation.
In Aotearoa we foster manaakitanga, caring for each other, the well-being of the community, engaging with one another and developing strong relationships.
Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
Why do I always feel so alone?
In a crazy race?
Why do I always feel afraid
Of the Human Race?
Only when I dream can I see wonderful things.
That life is worth living.
Children in New Zealand are feeling hopelessness, powerlessness, despair, and have done for many generations.
There is no support for their skills and dreams.
And we want them to behave “normally”. What is their “normal”?
Has anyone ever listened to them?
Does anyone know what they want for their lives?
And as for a “peaceful” life, it has not been provided for them.
Even with what their childhood home life is like, their future can be reclaimed by them.
But they have to be given the space and opportunity to find out who they are and what is possible for them.
Developing an interest can change a young person’s self-image. It is very important for a young person to feel a sense of worth – via using a talent, fulfilling a goal, or developing competence in an artistic pursuit. -Read
Where is the place for finding out who you are?
Some will find their place through sport, there is funding and space for that.
Where do New Zealand’s young entrepreneurs go? The innovative, creative, ‘number 8 wire’ genius? Where is the space for them to “fit in” and design our new, marvelous future?
By the time youth are teenagers they are beyond being inspired. Children roaming streets, committing crime, some from wealthy homes. Youth are wallowing in the depths of misery without a ‘cause’,
Lockdowns and natural disasters have traumatized our youth. They need to be heard.
The Arts are not a Therapy. They are a Basic Human Necessity
The Proposal
That children in NZ aged between 8 and 12 are given the opportunity to attend an after school art club.
The club has a paid co-ordinator and volunteer adults and adolescents.
The building is a safe, sacred meeting house not used by adults or sports, it must be stand-alone.
Around 10-12 children each afternoon.
May arrange school holiday programmes, community murals.
Ideally accept all interested children free.
Has a reference library and uses recycled materials.
Has some musical instruments, theatrical and dress-up materials.
Hold exhibitions and awards events at the end of each term to honour the children.
Several children on each centre's governing body.
A national governing trust manages properties, co-ordinator training, materials, fundraising and grants.
Creativity is moraly neutral
It can just as easily be used to destroy as to create.
Children are our leaders. We must respect them and their needs, they have been quashed for generations without self-directed art in schools, they are our innovators, NZ was known for its innovation, where are the children working on their ideas, where is the space we have made for them?
Children's Art Houses are now throughout the United States and Australia’s Northern Territory.
We have successful Te Kohanga Reo, language nests around Aotearoa. We need ‘arts nests’, safe sacred meeting houses for our Tamariki also.
They must be adopted throughout New Zealand.
Becoming Honoured & Respected
Rotary in the Waikato hold two weekend camps per year and Hamilton clubs sponsor six youth to the inspiring and life changing opportunities. They did not receive any students from Hamilton schools for the sponsored weekend experience this year. Since covid, are young people so entrenched in staying indoors that they have lost their imagination and drive completely?
These camps should be every weekend for young people to participate, learn how to BE with other human beings. Are we losing our ability to develop relationships? We have to start with a relationship with ourselves, finding out who we are and what we stand for in the world. Then develop relationships with others, friendships, with another, then citizenship, becoming honoured and respected by our community. Only then can we become leaders, and then global leaders.
Start with the artistic expression in the small after school art club. Write rap if you want. Write, draw, build, sing, sew, and be safe to do so without judgement. Develop teamwork, communication skills, resilience, problem solving, and empathy, understanding how others feel and respect them. Make mistakes and receive encouragement and understanding from each other.
Become honoured by your community, which you then honour and respect.
Build on your dreams. Become inspired to study your own potential with other like-minded children who are your ‘tribe’, or ‘gang’ otherwise you will find a gang anyway. Be around people who support you. Are we supporting our children? The evidence says no.
Children have been fed with television and screen violence and crime, superhero toys and little positive role-modelling. Our children are the superheroes. Let’s give them space to show us what they can do. Give children balanced opportunities. Train trips to Auckland and Wellington visiting arts, music, theatre.
LET'S MOBILIZE
