The Whiria te Tāngata Social Impact Report 2024 highlights the impact of Creative Waikato’s pilot multi-community artist-in-residence program, aimed at improving social cohesion and community well-being through creative practice. The program supported ten resident artists with funding, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities, empowering them to foster arts and culture within their communities. Through engaging in arts-based initiatives, community members reported improved mental wellness, a strengthened sense of belonging, and enhanced connections to their cultures and communities. The program notably helped reduce feelings of anger, overwhelm, and sadness among participants, while fostering pride in cultural identity and personal relationships.
The report further demonstrates how the program effectively built stronger, more cohesive communities by weaving together people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Artists and communities alike experienced meaningful changes in mental wellness, life satisfaction, and social connectedness. Particularly, the program facilitated cultural expression and provided inclusive, financially accessible opportunities during a time of economic hardship. Despite challenges such as income insecurity, the Whiria te Tāngata program successfully modelled an alternative arts funding structure that drives significant social outcomes, promoting community engagement and creative expression in the Waikato region.
