ABOUT
Breathing Space is a transformative initiative enhancing mental health through creativity.
Since its establishment in New Zealand in 2016, Breathing Space has provided creative therapy and a safe space where wāhine (women) and rangatahi (youth) can explore their experiences and improve their mental wellbeing.
Through a comprehensive blend of weekly arts-led group therapy, individual intervention, and workshops with artists, our programme supports our kiritaki (participants) in strengthening their relationships, connection with community, and engagement in their identity and culture.
CREATIVE WELLBEING
We believe that creative wellbeing defines not just who we are, but also how we are.
Creativity helps our kiritaki:
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Establish a stronger sense of identity and culture
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Reduce feelings of isolation
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Enhance the vital connections in their world
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Manage emotions such as anxiety and stress
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Build creative skills and discover achievement.
We advocate for the role of art making in supporting mental health. Through the simple act of making art, we feel connected, see things from new perspectives and make sense of our world, and enable kiritaki to traverse life’s experiences.
OUR MAHI
We place our kiritaki (programme participants) at the centre of
everything we do, upholding their voice and choice, and creating a space for growth.
Located in Auckland our initiatives include:
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In-person one-on-one and group creative therapies.
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Building a community of support for high-risk wāhine (women) and rangatahi (youth) experiencing mental health difficulties.
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Working alongside communities to enact societal change.
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Advocating and educating for improved mental health care.
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Collaborating with artists to lead art-making workshops.
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Partnering to provide the space, infrastructure, tools and supplies to enable those in marginalised groups and communities to access and participate in creative wellbeing.
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Professional development for those who wish to use a more creative approach to supporting our wāhine and rangatahi.
Our mahi (work) is carefully channeled to empower our participants to take charge of their mental health, to become the change that our mental health system urgently needs.