We believe everyone should have access to life-changing experiences in the arts — especially our rangatahi.
Every year, we see the spark of creativity in the faces of school students and youth groups who attend the Festival — many for FREE — to witness exceptional live shows that would normally be out of their reach.
All it takes is one unforgettable story, one moment of awe, one lively conversation, or one indelible image to inspire our next performers, creatives, designers, technicians, leaders and champions in the arts.
How about you — was there an arts experience that changed your life for the better?
Why the arts in schools matters.
Our Creative Learning initiative exists to ignite the imagination of students and their educators for the future of arts and culture in Aotearoa.
For the next generation, behind every Festival encounter is a potential gateway to discovering a career in the arts, an eye-opening new perspective, or one’s true artistic calling.
For some, it will be the first time they have been to a theatre or performance of any kind — or welcomed into a space they may not have thought of as ‘for them’.
In 2025, we were proud to give out more than 1,400 FREE TICKETS to schools and community groups. For 2026, we’re aiming to double that by cracking the 3,000 mark.
How can I help?
By donating $20 towards a single ticket (or two, three, four or more!), you’ll be getting young people into our city’s iconic venues, in front of incredible local and international artists, who might just change the way they think and feel about their place in the world.
That’s the transformative power of CREATIVE LEARNING and why we do what we do for arts and culture in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Your contribution to this mahi will directly cover the cost of reserving seats, at the next Festival in March 2026, for school students and communities working with youth.
Donate today to boost the Festival’s FREE TICKETS initiative for schools and community groups for another year.
