Artmakers has created many community – driven co-created murals and art installations over the last 30+ years, many of them involving children and youth as well as adults and seniors. We’ve worked in schools and also health and social services facilities, neighbourhoods, community centres, public spaces. We’ve supported communities by creating graphics and digital material, illustrated print materials, special art / display work for events and community campaigns. We are also passionate about digital storytelling as a contemporary way of conveying personal. unique and meaningful art and messages using accessible audio / visual media.
We have worked with a broad range of agencies including Ministry of Social Development, Parentline, Child Matters, Age Concern, Hospice Waikato, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton Police, Hamilton City Council, Migrant Resource Centre, Red Cross, GoEco, English Language Partners, Waikato Interfaith Council, as well as numerous primary and secondary schools, kura kaupapa maori, special needs communities, University of Waikato, and a wide range of ethnic and cultural groups and associations.
HISTORY: For our first 15 years from (1983 – 1998) we offered re-employment training to people age 16 – 60. These programmes developed and enhanced work & entrepreneurial skills not only in the creative industries but also as pathways to higher education in Social Service, Communications, Education and Health.
For the next 19 years (1998 – 2017) we were contracted by the Ministry of Youth Development to provide special programmes for young people age 16 – 24 to engage them into community service work and training, and to plan their future pathways.
And we continue to provide a range of community project facilitation, workshops and classes such as our classic Creative Kids children’s holiday programme in every school term break. We are accredited Providers with the Ministry of Social Development to deliver Out of School Care and Recreation ( OSCAR).
THE STORY CONTINUES: We love to develop new programmes despite the scarcity of public funding to do this important community development work. So…. now we invite you to keep the flame burning.
Do you have some skills to share, can you lead a workshop, volunteer or have a community project to propose…. GET IN TOUCH !
