In the ever-evolving work of social equity and environmental stewardship, it's easy to overlook the quiet power of creativity and those who carry it. But every once in a while, a movement emerges that challenges the status quo and invites us to think differently about whose labour we value, and how.
One such movement has come from right here in our backyard. Whiria te Tangata, a bold and beautiful initiative from Creative Waikato. While Len Reynolds Trust wasn’t directly involved in funding this kaupapa, we couldn’t help but pause and mihi to the vision and impact it represents.
The Project: A Call for Systemic Change
Creative Waikato took a fundamental question: what if artists were paid a living wage for their work? This turned it into a system-shifting call to action.
Artists are often at the heart of our communities, helping us make sense of who we are, challenging injustice, strengthening identity, healing wounds, and inspiring futures. But too often, their mahi is seen as a hobby or a “nice to have” and as a result it is undervalued or unpaid.
This project worked to turn that tide by calling on organisations, funders, and government to make the living wage a baseline for creative workers. It’s a stunning example of advocacy in action, blending grassroots insight with systemic challenge.
Ireland Follows Suit: Global Momentum is Growing
Just a few months ago, we saw the ripple effect of this kind of kaupapa reach as far as Ireland. In October 2025, the Irish Government made the groundbreaking decision to make its Basic Income for the Arts scheme permanent, providing reliable income to artists, based on the simple but powerful truth that creativity is work, and deserves to be compensated as such.
This scheme is about dignity, sustainability, and the recognition of the arts as essential to a thriving society. And it closely mirrors the aspirations of Whiria te Tangata.
Why This Matters to Us
At Len Reynolds Trust, our strategy champions disruptive change, social equity, and support for changemakers and movement builders. Whiria te Tangata sits squarely in this space - flipping the script on how we view creativity and community impact.
While this project wasn’t part of our formal funding portfolio, it absolutely reflects the kind of courageous, community-rooted action we celebrate and aim to amplify.
More than ever, we need approaches that don’t just “fill gaps” but reimagine the system itself. Creative practitioners are often the weavers, storytellers, and visionaries who hold together the threads of identity, justice, and hope. Supporting their sustainability is supporting our collective wellbeing.
A Call to Action: Are We Ready to Be Brave?
To our fellow funders, community leaders, and most importantly - decision makers in local councils and Parliament - this is a moment that calls for leadership.
Creative Waikato’s Whiria te Tangata project, and the Irish Government’s bold move to implement a basic income for artists, show us what’s possible when the arts are treated as infrastructure for a thriving society.
We urge our councils and central government to:
Develop and adopt living wage policies for all publicly funded creative work - including events, public art, cultural festivals, and education programmes.
Fund long-term, not just short-term. Artists and arts organisations need consistent support, not one-off project crumbs.
Include artists in strategic planning - whether it’s community wellbeing, urban design, or climate action. Creativity belongs at the decision-making table.
Explore bold policy ideas, such as a basic income for artists, or guaranteed public commissioning frameworks that build resilience in the arts sector.
Let’s take inspiration from Ireland, from Creative Waikato, and from our own whakapapa of valuing expression, storytelling, and identity. We can lead the way here in Aotearoa - especially in the Waikato.
Let the Artists Lead - and Pay Them Properly
In te ao Māori, art is not separate from life - it is a living expression of identity, whakapapa, and future. It’s time our systems caught up.
At Len Reynolds Trust, we’re committed to challenging inequity, valuing diverse voices, and championing disruptive change. That means speaking up, even when we’re not directly funding the project, because we believe in the power of the idea.
This is more than a good story. And it needs backing from all of us.
If you’re a funder, a policymaker, or a curious citizen - this is your invitation. Look to initiatives like Whiria te Tangata. Talk to artists. Fund their visions. Value their work. Because when artists thrive, communities thrive.