We believe everyone has the capacity to be creative, so we call everyone who attends Artsenta an artist. We know that being creative can support your mental health and wellbeing - we see the positive benefits at Artsenta every day!

We are not a ‘drop-in’ centre. We are a working art studio, which means everybody who attends must be creatively engaged. Our focus is on the creative process and giving things a go rather than making work for sale..

Artsenta is a creative community with a focus on peer support, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. We welcome you to connect with us and enjoy the benefits of our creative community.

Eligibility

If you are interested in being creative, are 17 years or older, not in school, and receiving support for a mental health or addiction issue, you are eligible to access Artsenta. There is no charge to come to Artsenta.

As we are a non-clinical space, there is no formal referral process required. You can just give us a call or come for a visit. If you self-refer, you will still need to be seeing a health professional for your mental health or addiction (eg mental health team, health service, GP, counsellor, whānau ora navigator, or similar).

How to get started

Book a visit to Artsenta – you are welcome to bring a support person for your first visit. This is a chance for us to show you around the space, and introduce you to the materials and opportunities to be creative at Artsenta. This normally takes about 30 minutes and takes place between 9am and 12noon on Mon-Tues or Thurs-Fri.

On your second visit, we will work with you to develop a simple Art Plan based on your interests that will guide your creative work at Artsenta. When you will attend and the support you need will be part of this discussion.

Because Artsenta is a shared community space, we have a set of guidelines that help us all maintain a safe and creative atmosphere. Please read our guidelines here.

Our Guidelines

What you can do at Artsenta

We cater for people who like to work in all sorts of ways, and there is plenty of space and time to do your own thing. We can provide resources and support to extend what you already know or our helpful team can help you explore making something for the first time.

Our Creative Sessions are a great way to get started or try something new. See our timetable here.

As well as your own creative projects, Artsenta organises occasional trips to galleries and other places of inspiration. We exhibit artists' work at Artsenta and in the wider community, publish creative writing, and host our own events. We often take part in community events like the Dunedin Fringe Festival and Mental Health Awareness Week.

We use the holistic model of wellbeing called Te Whare Tapa Wha developed by Sir Mason Durie. It incorporates Tinana (physical health), Hinengaro (mental and emotional health), Whānau (social health) and Wairua (spiritual health). All these elements of wellbeing are equally important, and they are woven into our creative work and our creative community.

Our Timetable

Friday

Singing
11am - 12pm