News
Keep up-to-date with what's happening in prison arts throughout New Zealand.
In this section
Creating theatre with Australian women prisoners
20 January 2012 Kharen Harper’s work with Somebody’s Daughter theatre company in Australian correctional institutions, along with her work with marginalised people, recently won her the Ros Bower Award. View Creating theatre with Australian women prisoners...
Visits inspire Prison Arts Advisor
20 December 2011 The weeks leading up to Christmas are not an ideal time to be visiting prisons to conduct a prison art planning survey. Nevertheless, Moana Tipa, Prison Arts Advisor, Arts Access Aotearoa has been inspired by the diverse and innovative developments using the arts to support the rehabilitative process in a number of the nine prisons visited since late November. View Visits inspire Prison Arts Advisor...
Carvings welcomed to hospice
19 December 2011 Messages of thanks, acknowledgement of the talented Auckland Prison carvers and comments on the uplifting ceremony to bless the three works installed at the North Shore Hospice in November flooded into Tina Parata’s inbox. View Carvings welcomed to hospice...
Focus on family in craft group
12 December 2011 A craft group in Auckland Region Women’s Prison has been busy with pegs, pipe cleaners and glitter in the lead-up to Christmas. These are just some of the materials the women have been using to create Christmas tree decorations, with the support of five volunteers. View Focus on family in craft group...
Pacific Island prison art reaches into its community
20 October 2011 A recent Pacific Island graduation and open day demonstrated yet again the deepening response from the Pacific community to provide support for prisoners and their return to the community on release. View Pacific Island prison art reaches into its community...
Prison arts planning survey
19 October 2011 Moana Tipa, Prison Arts Advisor at Arts Access Aotearoa, will be travelling to prisons throughout New Zealand during November and December to undertake the second part of a prison arts planning survey for the Department of Corrections. View Prison arts planning survey...
Hospice benefits from Auckland Prison carvings
20 September 2011 Two carvings and a painting, commissioned by the North Shore Hospice, were handed over in a ceremony at Auckland Prison’s west chapel last month. They will be installed and unveiled in a public ceremony at the hospice in October. View Hospice benefits from Auckland Prison carvings...
Catalyst for dialogue between communities and prisons
22 August 2011 “During my 21 years working in prisons, I have seen art – in particular, the cultural arts – change men for the better. In the past five years, we have worked on sharing prisoner art with our communities and on every occasion it has been a positive experience, opening a positive dialogue between our communities and prisons using art as the catalyst.” View Catalyst for dialogue between communities and prisons...
Broadway actors discover transformative power of theatre in prison
19 August 2011 Broadway luminaries Sherie Rene Scott and Dick Scanlan are RTA’s (Rehabilitation through the Arts, New York) newest volunteers. Along with volunteer Sean Fischer, they have donated their considerable talents to guide the prisoner participants on a powerful theatrical journey. View Broadway actors discover transformative power of theatre in prison...
Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award recognises pioneering work
21 July 2011 Artist, prison art tutor and mentor Sharon Hall has received the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2011 for her outstanding contribution in supporting the rehabilitation of prisoners through the arts. View Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award recognises pioneering work...
Prison arts partnership a “transformative journey”
21 July 2011 A long-standing partnership, recognised when it was presented the Big ‘A’ Community Partnership Award 2011 at the Big ‘A’ Awards ceremony in Parliament this week, has been described as “transformative”. View Prison arts partnership a “transformative journey”...
Awards reflect hard work and commitment
21 July 2011 Judging Arts Access Aotearoa’s Big ‘A’ Awards 2011 was “good fun” and an “eye-opener”, says David Wales, one of the five judges who selected the five award recipients. View Awards reflect hard work and commitment...
Commemorative prison art fundraiser
25 May 2011 More than 50 artworks, donated by remand and sentenced prisoners in Mount Eden Prison, have raised $1700 for the charity CanTeen. View Commemorative prison art fundraiser...
Art encourages rehabilitative thinking
15 April 2011 Christchurch artist and prison art tutor Corina Hazlett has been using art to encourage rehabilitative thinking among young people in Canterbury Prisons for the past 14 months. View Art encourages rehabilitative thinking...
New mural unveiled in Christchurch Women’s Prison
15 April 2011 A new mural in Christchurch Women’s Prison, depicting tussocks on rolling sand dunes set against brooding skies, developed new skills and a sense of achievement among the women involved in the four-month project. View New mural unveiled in Christchurch Women’s Prison...
Prison art returns to Mairangi Arts Centre
15 March 2011 Auckland Mayor Len Brown will open Inside Out 2, the second exhibition of prison art at Mairangi Arts Centre in Auckland on Saturday 9 April. As with the first exhibition, it will feature artworks created by prisoners in Auckland Prison and Northland Region Corrections Facility. View Prison art returns to Mairangi Arts Centre...
Nominations for Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2011
11 February 2011 Arts Access Aotearoa is seeking nominations for the Big ‘A’ Awards 2011, which include the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award. The deadline for nominations is Friday 25 March 2011. View Nominations for Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2011...
The arts in Queensland prisons
4 February 2011 In Australia, the national annual cost of the prison system is AUS$1.5 billion a year, equating to about AUS$70,000 per prisoner. And yet, writes Ross Fitzgerald in The Weekend Australian, more than 40 per cent of prisoners will re-offend within two years of release. View The arts in Queensland prisons...
Donations refresh prison library shelves
4 February 2011 A story about a book group and creative writing class, held in the Arohata Prison library once a week, has resulted in donations of thousands of high-quality books for the Wellington women’s prison and other prison libraries throughout New Zealand. View Donations refresh prison library shelves...
Cultural space completed
12 January 2011 Northern Region Corrections Facility will dedicate and unveil 21 carvings and 16 tukutuku panels on Friday 21 January, completing its cultural space Te Pua Wananga. View Cultural space completed...
Same fisherman, fresh perspective
10 December, 2010 A prison art competition calling for drawings of biblical images drew over 140 entries. Moana Tipa, Prison Art Advisor, Arts Access Aotearoa, reports. View Same fisherman, fresh perspective...
Prison art exhibition curated by victims
26 November, 2010 The latest national exhibition of prison art by the United Kingdom’s Koestler Trust was curated by victims of crime. View Prison art exhibition curated by victims...
Reaping as they sew
26 November, 2010 Hundreds of inmates in prisons throughout the United Kingdom are finding solace – and learning important skills – from an unlikely creative source: needlework. View Reaping as they sew...
Global tool for rehabilitation
25 November, 2010 Examples of prison art initiatives from Pakistan to Trinidad and Tobago are evidence of a flourishing global movement towards the use of creativity as an important tool for rehabilitation. View Global tool for rehabilitation...
Intrepid vision unfolds at Spring Hill
9 November, 2010 The Vaka Fa’aola Pacific Focus Unit at Spring Hill Corrections Facility recently held an open day. Moana Tipa, Prison Arts Advisor, Arts Access Aotearoa, was invited to attend the event and view the cultural arts programmes… View Intrepid vision unfolds at Spring Hill...
Nga Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata*
9 November, 2010 A landmark in the development of prison art in New Zealand occurred recently when pou whakairo carvings by prisoners were permanently installed at the North Shore District Court in Auckland. View Nga Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata*...
Call for entries to Christmas Card Competition
20 September 2010 The Department of Corrections is calling for entries from prisoners to its Christmas Card Competition 2010. Entries close on Monday 1 November and the winning entry or entries will be used as the Department’s official Christmas cards. View Call for entries to Christmas Card Competition...
Pou to adorn North Shore District Court
14 September 2010 Two “stunning” pou, carved by prisoners at Auckland Prison, will be unveiled at the North Shore District Court in Albany, Auckland, on 24 September. View Pou to adorn North Shore District Court...
National criminal justice conference
27 August 2010 Breaking down the barriers to reduce prison numbers is the theme of the prison NGOs’ conference, organised by Prison Fellowship New Zealand and running in Upper Hutt from 7 to 10 October. View National criminal justice conference...
The written word at Arohata Prison
10 August 2010 The walls of the small library are lined with books. It’s an oasis in a desert, say the women taking part in the weekly creative writing class and book group at Arohata Prison in Tawa, Wellington. View The written word at Arohata Prison...
Robyn Hughes to receive Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2010
22 July 2010 Auckland artist Robyn Hughes has been awarded the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2010, presented last night at an awards ceremony in Parliament at Arts Access Aotearoa’s Big ‘A’ Awards 2010. View Robyn Hughes to receive Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2010...
Biblical theme of art competition for prisoners
21 July 2010 Entries to the New Zealand Prisoner Art Competition close on Tuesday 31 August. This national art competition for prisoners has been organised by the Prison Chaplaincy Service Aotearoa New Zealand, working in partnership with Arts Access Aotearoa and the New Zealand Bible Society. View Biblical theme of art competition for prisoners...
Artworks inspired by Matariki
20 July 2010 Mt Eden and Auckland Central Remand Prisons, in the centre of Auckland, hold around one-third of the New Zealand’s remand prisoner population. Just over 500 men are held there at any one time, waiting for their cases to go before the courts for trial, sentencing, bail or transfer to another prison. View Artworks inspired by Matariki...
Pasifika focus on culture to reduce re-offending
19 July 2010 Sixteen prisoners recently graduated from the prison-based Malaga Polynesia Programme, run at Spring Hill Corrections Facility in Waikato. View Pasifika focus on culture to reduce re-offending...
Storybook Dads teaches literacy and parenting skills
11 June 2010 A programme that’s been running at Otago Corrections Facility since 2007 in partnership with The Methodist Mission – Approach Community Learning has provided literacy and parenting skills to more than 140 prisoners. View Storybook Dads teaches literacy and parenting skills...
Prisoner carvings for school blessed
28 May 2010 A six-metre high poupou and a large carved panel, created by prisoners at Auckland Prison, was blessed at Albany Junior High School on the North Shore this month. View Prisoner carvings for school blessed...
Whakairo installed in Canterbury Prisons
12 May 2010 Eleven whakairo (carved artworks), created by prisoners and focussing on characters from Māori lore, were installed in Te Ahuhu Whare Wananga in Christchurch Men’s Prison last month. View Whakairo installed in Canterbury Prisons...
Celebrity Signature Quilt auction
8 March 2010 Fine Cell Work, an organisation in Britain training men and women in prison to do professional needlework, is auctioning a Celebrity Signature Quilt embroidered with the signatures of 72 contemporary artists and designers. View Celebrity Signature Quilt auction...
Arts as a gateway for prisoners
25 February 2010 Paintings, carvings, kete and puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) were among the artworks created by prisoners and presented by the Otago Corrections Facility at the Lawrence Summer Arts Festival in Central Otago in late January. View Arts as a gateway for prisoners...
Nominations to Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Awards 2010
11 February 2010 Arts Access Aotearoa is seeking nominations for the Big ‘A’ Awards 2010, which includes the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award. The deadline for nominations is Friday 26 March 2010. View Nominations to Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Awards 2010...
Art in prison a tool for change
27 January 2010 Visiting prisons to film an episode about art as a rehabilitative tool for television’s The Gravy arts programme was a life-changing experience for director Rob Appierdo. View Art in prison a tool for change...
Call for entries to Christmas Card Competition
13 October 2009 The Department of Corrections is calling for entries from prisoners to its Christmas Art Competition 2009. Entries close on Monday 2 November and the winning entry or entries will be used as the Department’s official Christmas cards. View Call for entries to Christmas Card Competition...
International success for New Zealand prison art
17 September 2009 Prison art is a lot more than a recreational experience for two New Zealand prison artists, Graham of Wellington and Desmond of Canterbury, whose works have been recognised in an international competition and exhibition in Vienna, Austria. View International success for New Zealand prison art...
Prisoners respond to community choir
29 June 2009 The gymnasium at Arohata Women’s Prison was cold at first but it soon warmed up when 30 members of the Wellington Community Choir started singing to prisoners and Corrections staff. View Prisoners respond to community choir...
Making positive changes through art
27 March 2009 A stakeholder open day at the Northland Regional Corrections Facility, which showcased the artwork of staff and prisoners taking part in its art and cultural programmes, has already had some tangible benefits. View Making positive changes through art...
Prisoners’ talents on display
9 March 2009 A stakeholder open day at the Northland Regional Corrections Facility, to be held on Friday 13 March, will showcase the artwork of staff, prisoners and providers taking part in the Portfolios art programme. View Prisoners’ talents on display...
Strategy work forges ahead
2 March 2009 Work developing a National Prison Arts Strategy and individual arts plans for prisons is forging ahead. Christchurch-based Moana Tipa, Auckland-based Suzanne Vesty of Spark Studio and Wellington-based Marianne Taylor are working with Colin Ryder, Senior Contract Business Analyst, Department of Corrections, on this significant initiative. View Strategy work forges ahead...
Prison volunteers celebrated
4 December 2008 The Department of Corrections has been celebrating the contribution of prison volunteers, including those who offer constructive arts and cultural activities in New Zealand prisons. View Prison volunteers celebrated...