Today's guest is Lis Rate-Smith from Drug-Arm, who heads up their Art East initiative.  

Lis is an amazing human being who is using art to help people with addictions and/or poor mental health, and to support and upskill men in prison. 

Art East recently received the Creative Space Award at the Te Putanga Toi Arts Access Awards, recognising the way that creativity is being used to make a difference in people's lives.

As well as the Art East space, Lis goes into Christchurch Men's Prison as part of the Navigate initiative, started by Pathway Trust (See episode 1) and teaches screen printing. 

It was a pleasure to sit down with Lis and kōrero about how she got into this work, what it looks like, and where she can see it going.  It's another fantastic tale of using who you are and what you have to make a difference in the world.

 

Find out about Drug Arm's Art-East at drugarm.co.nz/what-we-do/art-east/

Facebook: facebook.com/DrugArmChch

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