Houghton Valley School
Region: Wellington
Art form: Visual Arts
Project name: He Korero Haewai
Creative name:
Project Information:
The project tells the stories of Houghton Valley School and the rohe of Te Āti Awa through a series of nine panels that will form the front fence of the school. Each of the nine classrooms in the school will research, develop and produce a two-sided panel that tells one of the many stories of the rohe and the school. Stories will be drawn from Te Āti Awa histories of the area, and from elements of post-colonial history, such as the story of the school’s location on the site of the old rubbish dump. The school’s motto Ka Manaaki, Ka Rapu, Ka Whakamanwa tahi ai tatou will be woven throughout the painting, as will images of the kererū.
The project will contain opportunities for whānau involvement, through attendance and contribution to the initial research phase, through the development and production, and concluding with the hanging and celebration of the panels. The panels will be bold and eye-catching, featuring cut-outs that create interesting shapes and cut down wind resistance. The completion and presentation of the fence will coincide with the placement of two pou, gifted to the school by Te Āti Awa.
Students will gain experience working alongside an artist and gain insight into the creative process, from research to completion. The exploration of ideas, struggle to bring them to fruition and the completion of an art object they have all been involved in will allow students to experience a sense of pride in their individual and collective success and a sense of belonging with the school and the rohe.
The project will conclude with an opening event for whānau to celebrate the students’ work.
Project starting: February 2023
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