Creative ID: 784
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)
My focus in recent years has been digital art and virtual reality (VR). I create scenes and models using 3D computer modelling programmes and then animate and programme them in VR technology so that they can be projected on surfaces or viewed through VR headsets. A lot of my artwork incorporates science communication using immersive technology to allow the viewer to experience complex issues.
My strengths include the ability to learn new computer programmes and work with new technology which I combine with my strong art education and exhibition practice. With my teaching background, part of my creative practice is to provide opportunities for ākonga, kaiako and whānau to learn cutting-edge technology art in simple and engaging ways. One of the most exhilarating experiences was my computer animation which was featured in the Lux Festival in Wellington. It was projected onto an enormous water screen in Wellington Harbour where it was estimated that over 150,000 people viewed it. The theme was a light-hearted view of the big bang with diamonds and sapphires exploding and then dancing to reference quantum entanglement. The most effective part of the projection was the space time curve dancing in and out of the sea.
Previously I have worked in many mediums including printmaking, sculpture and painting. Currently I am exploring marionettes which I am making while simultaneously working with my models as computer animations and VR. Recently I have been exploring my cultural background as a first generation New Zealander. My parents had to leave their country of birth and this has given me a life-long interest in different cultures and the importance of celebrating every culture. My next exhibition will be on this theme and the work I have done with ākonga in recent times has helped me dig deeper into developing my own culture. For this Creatives in Schools proposal, I am offering 3D computer modelling, animation, 3D printing and VR with a cultural theme. The focus is on ākonga who are not engaging, but can build up an educational relationship while making a character of their own choice. I have run this programme with three schools in Christchurch in 2023 and wish to extend to up to six schools throughout New Zealand. The course is run online for an hour a week per student for 10 weeks. The models ākonga make are 3D printed and they receive a video of their animated model. I also assist in providing the opportunity to view this in VR and share with whānau and the community. Please see my webpage and CV (link available on request).
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner
My specialty training includes my practical-based PhD in Fine Arts, where I programmed in a virtual reality (VR) computer language to develop exhibitions to explore the use of VR technology in science communication. The culmination was a multimedia show, which was exhibited at Toi Poneke in Wellington, which involved entanglements between the virtual reality and the gallery space by use of projections and web cameras. Recently I collaborated with a New Zealand artist on a show where I animated his characters for people to view in the VR headset. This show toured New Zealand and was critically acclaimed, with radio (Arts on Sunday) and TV interviews and we won the Arts section of the Dunedin Fringe Festival.
My BFA Hons and MFA (Distinction) were in technical aspects of printmaking, sculpture and digital technology. My work has been exhibited in solo shows and touring group shows over the past 20 years. I have been a finalist in art competitions, including the prestigious Wallace Awards, CoCA Anthony Harper and the Parklane Painting Award. My works have been positively reviewed by Art NZ, Asia NZ and The Press among other media. I have been the recipient of five scholarships in recognition of my work, including the Robert McDougall Art Gallery Award. Additionally I have delivered successful programmes with kura in VR, 3D modelling and animation. These have a strong cultural component and I have curated exhibitions to share these with the wider community.
The methodology I use to build up an educational relationship with the ākonga online has been extremely successful and has been informed by my work with Te Kura Correspondence School. This programme can in total provide individualised tuition to 60 ākonga, who can then share this with more. I will work with six ākonga at a time online from different schools, so only one computer is needed at each school. I share my screen to instruct in small chunks and while the ākonga are working on their model I have them share their screen for individual attention. I make a slide show each week of images that the whole cohort has created and include artist models to stimulate their ideas. I email them every week with screen grabs of what they have achieved and positive comments and feed-forward. To further motivate the ākonga at different stages the school prints out the sheets I have sent them for the ākonga to keep and show friends and whānau. I organise hui and community exhibitions as an incentive and a celebration of their work.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes
I have extensive experience working with ākonga from year 1 – 13. Originally I trained as a primary teacher, however I have taught at all levels, in particular secondary maths and art. I have been a Dean, HOD of Art, NCEA National Art marker and have written NCEA programmes for schools. In these roles I also ran workshops for other kaiako. Many of my ākonga carried on to tertiary study and careers in art.
My creative practice has been informed and invigorated by two very successful projects using VR technology at Christchurch schools. These programmes focused on the cultural backgrounds and personal identities of ākonga. Te Aratai means ‘Pathways to the Sea’ and ākonga collaborated to make scenes with water and native plants which were based on their interpretation of their new school name. They added their own cultural motifs and interests to create engaging scenes that could be experienced by walking along the river to the sea. The other schools’ ākonga took one of their school cultural focuses of navigation and created 3D boats and birds from different cultures to portray historical navigation in their scenes with multiple islands and motifs. To engage ākonga in digital art and for them to succeed is one of my personal creative aims. Over 30 ākonga achieved NCEA art credits at these schools, some with excellences and merits. This was particularly rewarding as the programmes were aimed at ākonga who were not achieving in their other classes. Their attendance and completion was excellent. Their work was exhibited in a community gallery and as part of a major cultural evening so they could share with whānau and the community.
My passion in facilitating creative processes has led me to delivering a 3D computer modelling and animation course for year 7 & 8 ākonga from three Christchurch schools. I have been blown away by their achievements. We are using a computer programme that allows them to sculpt a 3D character to portray their cultural background, interests and identity. They used colours and animations for their characters, using movement and colour to add to the cultural richness of their model. The animations are made into videos and the ākonga also have the opportunity to view them as enormous models in VR headsets and show them off to whānau. Additionally the character is 3D printed and ākonga can paint the real model. Hui are being run to show their amazing work to the community. I find that 3D computer modelling and animation are ideal formats for engaging ākonga. I particularly like working with ākonga who may not be engaged in learning and are surprised at what they can achieve in a prestigious and cutting-edge course.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice
My experience with Creatives in Schools has been incredibly satisfying and I would rate it as some of the most exciting teaching I have done in my career. I feel that I have an enormous amount to offer, being one of the highest qualified digital VR artists in New Zealand, a practising artist and with a wealth of teaching experience. My aim is to create a sustainable network of cutting edge technology art courses throughout New Zealand, particularly targeting lower decile schools or ākonga who are not engaging in learning. Focussing on cultural identities has enriched my own art practice and I have learned a lot from ākonga. I believe my interest stimulates their pride in their culture and identity, while giving me a deeper understanding of the richness of cultures and insights into how I need to work at developing my own unique identity.
Creativity in education has been a fascinating part of my creative practice. Combining art and science communication in my PhD studies opened up significant research on the role of creativity in all education. This has been further developed by working with the former principal of one particular high school, who made creativity an integral part of the school. My aim is to involve more kaiako to enable confidence and enthusiasm in using art and technology in creative ways in all curriculum areas. Within 3D modelling, not only are creative skills of the ākonga being developed, including for those who may not have seen themselves as artistic, but mathematics is practically experienced. I purposely use the mathematical terms as ākonga manipulate their models in virtual 3D space, use xyz coordinates, scale and focus on proportions and rotate and duplicate.
Towards my goal of nationwide networks, this year I extended the programme from one school to three schools and I have done the majority of instruction online. Next year I propose six schools and a mentoring system to involve more ākonga not only within the school, but for each school to engage with other local schools. Using video calls allows the extension of the programme throughout New Zealand and the ability to provide for rural schools. It also means if a Covid wave comes, this can be an exciting part of the way ākonga can engage. In the first four weeks of the course this year, two ākonga logged in voluntarily from home while they were isolating with Covid. My art practice, my research into creativity in all curriculum areas and my personal exploration of cultural identity means that the Creatives in Schools is the ideal platform for developing my ideas further. I cannot see any other way to provide this very ambitious, innovative and pedagogically relevant network throughout New Zealand.