Toi Ora Live Art Trust

13/11/2025

Congratulations to the Toi Ora Express and Paul Gurney who performed at the 17th annual October Gig at the Ponsonby Baptist Church. 🥳🥳

Always a highlight on the Toi Ora calendar, and raising important awareness about mental health. 💜

13/11/2025

💜30 years of creativity, connection and community 💜

Toi Ora started in 1995 when Carrington closed, and people with lived experience of mental health challenges missed the creative programme, and the boost it gave to their wellbeing.

30 years of creative pursuits, and countless lives transformed 🥰

06/11/2025

We had a blast last night celebrating our 30 anniversary! 🥳

30 years of creativity, connection and community 💜

Thank you to everyone who come along and helped us celebrate!

03/11/2025

Want to see what the team is so excited about? 👀

The winner of the 2025 t-shirt competition will be revealed at Toi Ora's 30th celebration! You can also buy some as Christmas pressies 🥳
Come along:
📆 Thursday 6 November, 5.30pm
📍Toi Ora, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland

See you there!

30/10/2025

“It doesn’t have to be great to be good.”

On The Seeds Podcast, Susanne shares how a Toi Ora artist realised perfectionism was getting in the way — in her art and her life. What she learnt in class became a metaphor for how to live with more ease and creativity.

A conversation many of us can relate to.

🎧 Listen here: https://theseeds.nz/podcast/susanne-ritzenhoff-on-creativity-art-and-toi-ora/

Toi Ora Director Susanne Ritzenhoff sat down with Seeds podcast host Steven Moe to talk about the transformative power of creativity, how perfection can lead to inaction, and how everyone can incorporate more creativity into their day to day. Listen to their interesting conversation on the Seeds web...

28/10/2025

✨💜30-year celebration 💜✨

Our artists have been creating special artworks to mark Toi Ora’s 30th year.

These unique pieces will be available for sale on the night. Don’t miss a chance to take home a piece of Toi Ora’s creative history.

📅 Thursday 6 November, 5.30pm
📍 Toi Ora, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland

Come celebrate and support our artists! It's free, all you have to do is show up!

Artwork in order of appearance:

1. Burnetta Van Stripraan
2. Andrew Blythe
3. Chris Mitchell
4. Maria Borissenko

22/10/2025

Look who's in the news! 🥹📰
Toi Ora director Susanne Ritzenhoff writes about the importance of creative spaces for mental health, and the transformational power of creativity in The Post.
Take a read 👀(article linked in the comments)

Artwork: Paul Martin

Welcome to Toi Ora – Enhance your wellbeing through creativity. At Toi Ora, we provide a supportive and inclusive environment for people experiencing mental distress. Discover over 20 free classes in visual and performing arts, soak up open studio time...

21/10/2025

🎉 Celebrate 30 years of Toi Ora!

From our humble beginnings — a small creative space run by people with lived experience above a spectacles shop — to the thriving arts community we are today.

Join us for an evening of live performances, art for sale, nibbles, and reflections on 30 years of creativity, connection, and community.

📅 Thursday 6 November, 5.30pm
📍 Toi Ora, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland

See you there! (It's free, all you have to do is show up!)

14/10/2025

Toi Ora collaborated with theatre professionals Ben Crowder, Dan Williams and Creative Arts Therapist Virginia Frankovich for a four-day Epic Stories workshop during the term break.

Through play, craft-making, drama, sound, script exploration, chorus work, and more the participants were invited to create epic stories. 💜

And that they did, leaving the workshop more confident, inspired and connected to each other.

It was an epic collaboration for everyone involved! ✨

13/10/2025

Our Mosaic Exhibition is on now in the Toi Ora Gallery until 22 October.

Featured works include Kororā and Pufferfish by Helen Cross. 🐧🐡

These beautiful mosaics are for sale, with proceeds donated to Waiheke Island Native Bird Rescue to help fund an Oxygen Therapy Machine.

Pop in, have a look, and support art that gives back. 💙

Check them out in our shop: https://toiora.org.nz/shop/

09/10/2025

It's Mental Health Awareness Week 💜

Today's theme is keep learning, and if you feel sucked into the vortex of social media, you can learn how to set an app timer.

This is Rose's wellbeing tip. She works behind the scenes at Toi Ora in communications and fundraising, and runs our social media pages (ironically!)

Ka pai Rose 🥳

08/10/2025

It's Mental Health Awareness Week 💜

Today's theme is take notice. Here are some ways Toi Ora Artist Liaison does just that ✨

Ka pai Joelle! 🙌