The Bigger Picture - Ōtautahi Creative Spaces
Date: 21st - 23rd February 2025
Our Role: Site Brokers
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Ōtautahi Creative Spaces brought hundreds of tiny artworks that you could fit into the palm of your hand to the Incubator. They sold 345 tiny artworks at their Incubator exhibition. Instigator Tom Reveley says they're "tiny works that speak to something big.”
“Thank you to everyone who popped into The Bigger Picture - old friends and new! One thing we sure love is being able to spread the joy of our creative community and share in the power of creative wellbeing. We are so thrilled that 100s of tiny artworks, made by our artists have made new homes! For us, as an organisation that is not government funded, every bit counts. Thank you everyone who has got behind our fundraiser and supported our creative community. Thanks so much to Life in Vacant Spaces for partnering with us - we had a ball being in the Incubator!”
“We’ve witnessed the incredible power of creativity, and the benefits people get from being part of a close-knit community of like-minded people. What we offer sits alongside more conventional mental health support like medication and talking therapy - these help people to get through, but are not enough for people to thrive. People tell us that being part of our creative community has not only changed their lives, it has saved lives.”
Despite a track record of success and the needs being greater than ever, Ōtautahi Creative Spaces receives no government funding for its ongoing essential costs. Operations Manager Henni Read says this exhibition invites the community to see the bigger picture. "We need a sea change where art and creativity are valued as an essential part of our mental health system and resourced accordingly. Successive governments have invested more and more into our mental health system, and yet the levels of mental distress continue to rise. There’s a place for alternatives which are proven to work.”
The Bigger Picture was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Christchurch earthquakes, which has special significance for the charity. Read says “It's fitting that we'll be in the city on the anniversary of the earthquakes, which were the impetus for our creative community getting started. Ōtautahi Creative Spaces was set up in response to the widespread mental distress following the earthquakes. Since that time we’ve responded to other traumatic events, including the March 15 Mosque terrorist attack,” says Read.
“By sharing The Bigger Picture we want to change hearts and minds. Creativity has an important role to play in mental health and should be resourced.”
“Each tiny art work has been crafted by our artists, with love. We know that buying an original artwork is out of reach for many people. With The Bigger Picture you could secure a beautiful original artwork for a small donation and at the same time support the life-changing work of Ōtautahi Creative Spaces.”