Activating the Arts for Youth Wellbeing in Aotearoa: Practices, Principles and Possibilities

Abstract

This thesis investigates the potential for participation in the arts to make a positive contribution to the mental wellbeing of young people in Aotearoa (New Zealand). I consider what fresh insights and approaches the arts might offer to address a national crisis of poor youth mental health. Current approaches to address this challenge are widely reported to be inaccessible, disempowering and misaligned with conceptualisations of wellbeing in Aotearoa’s unique bi-cultural context. A diverse and innovative body of arts practice has emerged internationally and is making a distinct contribution to mental wellbeing, often in unique, empowering, developmentally attuned and culturally responsive ways. Compared to this international picture, the relationship between the arts, health and wellbeing has historically been the subject of limited attention in Aotearoa. Whilst excellent and highly original practice exists, in the absence of national leadership, policy, and investment, the potential of arts and wellbeing remains under-recognised and unrealised. This thesis sets out to identify impactful practices for the Aotearoa context. Through a participatory action research process focused on a qualitative case study involving “Project X” participants, staff and partner organisations, I constructed a theory of change (ToC) that identifies the critical practices, principles and conditions that enable effective practice in Project X. I then conducted an extensive interdisciplinary literature review to explore alignment between the case study ToC and international perspectives, research and evidence. This generated a principle-based practice ‘framework’ grounded in multiple knowledges: the perspectives of young people, arts, health, and education practitioners, alongside research, evidence and mātauranga Māori. I offer this contextually attuned ‘framework’ to inform practice in Aotearoa, whilst also offering new insights which address challenges for the field of arts, health and wellbeing at an international level.