Creative ID: 147
I can work in Rotorua and the surrounding area. However, I am also happy to travel throughout the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, and Hamilton, and may be able to travel further afield on request for some things.
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)
Primarily I am a pure silver jewellery designer. I work with a special type of silver that comes in a clay that once fired is 99.9% pure silver. This is a simple media for any age to work with and does not require expensive equipment. I am one of the very few qualified Silver Clay instructors teaching in New Zealand and have over 12 years of experience. I have a particular interest in making silver miniature jewellery. My second medium is glass and I am a long-term fused-glass artist making jewellery, bowls, art, and homewares. I run regular public workshops and have a great deal of experience working with school groups in and out of the classroom. In addition, for the last two years, I have also run programmes with a community centre for intellectually disabled people and the Cancer Society in our local area.
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
- I am a qualified Senior Instructor in Art Clay Silver with Ada Chemicals Japan.
- I have run programmes with the Cancer Society. A therapeutic programme that involved teaching glass, silver, and ceramic painting to patients and caregivers.
- For the last two years, I have worked with intellectually disabled adults delivering glass fusing programmes.
- I held a fused glass exhibition, which included my own work and work created by two classes from a local school.
- My work was featured in the Australian Jewellers Trade Magazine.
- I was an award winner at the Franklin arts festival.
- I have carried out numerous projects with local schools.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes
- Art Week at a school - a fused glass programme based on the theme of earth, wind, and fire and a ceramic painted bird garden project with year 5 and 6.
- School fused glass programme and exhibition - one class of year 1 and 2 children produced a fused glass village made up of free-standing houses and boats. They wrote a story about their village which was converted into a hardback book for display. A class of year 3 and 4 children made a fused glass underwater-themed picture decorated with sea creatures.
- Christmas gift project with year 6 young leaders - fused glass Christmas gifts were made for the elderly in the community by the young leaders.
- A number of other fused glass workshops throughout the years with a school, often at Christmas time.
- Private workshop in conjunction with an after-school programme - ceramic painting and glass fusing with a total of 65 children aged 6-13.
- Workshops delivered for end-of-term curriculum activities with children aged 12-15.
- Regular private works shops for families and children aged 5 upwards.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice
I am passionate about teaching children and sharing my skills and knowledge with the community. Providing a variety of art opportunities in schools is essential to the growth of our children's minds, encouraging creativity, motivation, pride, and self-esteem. It also provides skills and knowledge of art forms and materials they may otherwise never come to know about. Art in schools is all-inclusive, all children, of all abilities and backgrounds, can create. My philosophy is that no child should ever be excluded and my track record supports this. I want to be a part of the Creatives in Schools programme as it provides a platform for me to expand my work, allowing more schools in the community to learn of the work that can be done with them. Furthermore, it provides much-needed financial support to carry out projects on a larger scale. My experience so far has been with low-decile schools working with children from different cultural backgrounds, many of whom may not have the disposable income to attend my courses privately. Schemes such as this would help me provide opportunities usually not available to them and so build memories and knowledge for later in life.