Creative ID: 131
Wellington-wide and the greater Wellington region.
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)
Every time a child walks into an arts workshop or classroom there is the possibility that they will have a powerful learning experience. We strive to make this happen by following the most important precept we know: TO MOVE AT THE SPEED OF CREATIVITY. In order to do this we focus on student engagement, process, exploration, ownership, and most importantly, FUN. When our students are engaged they are happy and learning and we are too! Our sessions provide a space for all children to explore at their own pace; chaotic or careful, gingerly or with gusto, tiptoeing or tromping. Our aim is to draw out their creativity, not stuff things in! We provide a range of tools and mediums designed to foster your child’s interests, to affirm who they are, how they like to see the world, and to stimulate their passion for learning and for life. We believe, art is for everybody. We embrace each child for who they are, working with their individuality to promote exploration and build self-esteem. We provide a stimulating atmosphere that is safe, supports creative risk-taking and invites self-discovery.
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with
All of our creative practitioners are practicing artists as well as trained/experienced facilitators. We are very committed to delivering creativity using a strength-based positive guidance methodology. We have a team of 3–10 practitioners/creativity facilitators. All our facilitators are police vetted yearly. Our main three facilitators have a range of creative practices that they use to make their own art covering photography, ceramics, 3D casting, drawing, painting, print making, sewing, craft, jewellery, environmental, and digital arts. Our team have successfully delivered over the last eight years creative programmes in schools in the Wellington region. We have had great success through collaborating positive guidance methodology and creative exploration.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes
We have 10 years of collaborative work together through the company kids developing and running programmes for in-school, after-school and holiday programmes. Individually, one of our co-creators trained as a teacher and has worked in education for over 30 years from early childhood, primary and tertiary education and is currently delivering a parent programme. The other co-creator established an NGO overseas using creative thinking and processes for reconciliation. Since emigrating to New Zealand she has worked with children as a teacher aide and had 10 years of experience in Playcentre and has for the last three years has been exploring her own creative practices through studying at an art school. One of our facilitators has worked with children and adults in education through many creative projects. She has studied Ceramics at Otago Polytechnic and Glass and Ceramics at Whanaganui Polytechnic. She has also delivered art and creativity practices at a prison and worked full-time as an educator at an art school for eight years.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice
We are so excited that this opportunity has arisen and that the government has allocated funding for this very important area. We have been delivering creative programmes for several Wellington schools over the last eight years. Financially this was very challenging and we often worked for very little or donated our time skills and resources. It became really clear to us the benefits of child-led creative processes and thinking were far-reaching. We believe that creativity and arts education should be available to all children. This initiative from the well-being budget is a massive step forward and we are so excited about how far reaching the effects of these opportunities will flow.