The wintery school holidays of 2012 have come to a close, and the Auckland Tautai Fresh Horizons Workshop has wrapped for this year and by all reports it looks to have been a great success. The Fresh Horizon workshops are run for high school students by Tautai who has been running them since 2001. Originally, the courses ran twice a year for one day and now they run for three days four times a year.

The Fresh Horizons workshops are not ‘art classes’ but opportunities for students to experiment, try new art related ideas and hone their talents. Tertiary institutions have come to recognise the value in hosting Tautai’s Fresh Horizons workshops and the institutions have now become regular and supporters. In July 2012 it was the Media Design School in Auckland central who took the opportunity to host the workshops. Eighteen secondary students from across Auckland embarked on a three day journey of discovery at MDS.

This particular workshop for Auckland Fresh Horizons 2012 was run slightly differently this time. It has been the practice of the Fresh Horizons workshops to engage established artists of Pacific heritage as a tutors, this way the children get to meet and learn at first hand about those artists practices. By putting known artists in as tutors, backed up by senior tertiary students as assistants, Tautai gives the secondary students visible role models – people they can relate to who are successful.

This workshop was slightly different with tutors from The Media Design School acting as tutors and taking the students through some of the more specialised equipment that is on hand at MDS. Considering that the aim is to give the students a stimulating art experience under the eye of positive, enthusiastic role models, and reinforce the value of continued education, this can be called another success.

We thought that we would write up a small blog about the latest Tertiary Trip to Wellington and try to describe the trip for those that weren’t able to be there.

The road trip began in Auckland at 5:15am with Siliga Setoga and myself performing a dawn procession across the city to collect 20 tertiary art students from 5 different tertairy institutions, Whitecliffe, MSVA, ELAM, Unitec & AUT.

We were off to a slight disadvantage with someone sleeping in… Reina.  With our students still half asleep as we began our journey it was a quiet start to our day long road trip to the countries capital, but as the kilometres notched up, this group of strangers became a tight little whanau.

We stopped in the middle of the country, ate food and introduced ourselves properly.

We then arrived in the capital and it was off to the opening of ‘Poly Wants a Cracker’ at City Gallery Wellington where we were mesmerised by the opening performance by Ioane Ioane and collaborators.

On Saturday Ioane Ioane gave his artist talk (which was very much a highlight of the trip for alot of us) and John shared his thoughts, experiences and time with us in such a way that opened the floor up to dialogue and laughter.

Much of the trip was spent discussing and laughing from one gallery to the next.  From Pataka and the Nollywood exhibition, where Amiria and Forrester were lost in deep analysis and discussion of the work, then to Te Papa with laughter during the behind the scenes tour when we realised that Faafeu was missing.  We thought that he may still be at Pataka!

Imagine our surprise when we walked into Bowen Gallery (off Cuba Street) only to discover Ans Westra standing there!  On her birthday no less!  So our little whanau were more than happy to sing a rendition of Happy Birthday and take in her work.

So from being ‘blown away’ by Ioane Ioane’s stunning performance in Civic Square (for the opening of his show Poly Wants a Cracker), laughter, artists’ talk, more laughter and a chance encounter with Ans Westra, are but a few of the things that made this trip a real life road trip.

In 3 short days we have all created new friendships, through a love of art and by sharing our stories.

We went down to support Ioane Ioane’s exhibition ‘Poly Wants a Cracker’, but I think we all have taken away more than that.

Thanks for the memories Trish Ah Sam.

Tautai Fresh Horizons workshops at the EIT Eastern Institute of Technology from 12-14 October.

Artist Tutors were musician Matthew Salapu Faiumu aka Anyonmouz, fashion designer Lindah Lepou, Printmaker Nathan Suniula, and playwright Victor Rodger.

MUSIC PRODUCTION & SONG WRITING

These songs where composed, produced and arranged by students as part of Tautai’s Fresh Horizons programme on location at Otago Polytechnic – School of Art Department 27-29 April this year. Big thanks go to Mathew Salapu aka Anonymouz the tutor for this workshop.

‘Maumahara’ by the Maori Smurfs

Students: Alanette Burke, Nikki Burke and Juanita Walker

‘Take me back’ by Nezian Lipstikk

Students: Darcel Pese, Chantel Pese, Eden Iati, Lesina Perez, Riana Roy, Cherish Nielsen

‘Quiet Admiration’ Rexona

Students: Richie Ratahi, Makisua Tanuvasa, Junior

On the 27th, 28th, 29th April 2011 Tautai Trust ran workshops hosted by the Otago Polytechnic in their School of Art Department.  The Pacific artists who tutored the workshops were:

Bridget Inder: Samoan/Pakeha. Bridget is a printmaker who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2003 from Otago Polytechnic and went on to complete her Masters of Fine Art which she gained with Distinction in 2010. Bridget is the first student of Pacific heritage to gain a MFA from Otago Polytechnic. She lectures part time and manages an art studio for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Tusiata Avia: Samoa/Pakeha performance poet. Her poetry explores Pacifica and cross-cultural themes. She has toured both nationally and internationally performing her solo show Wild Dogs Under My Skirt which premiered at the 2002 Dunedin Fringe Festival. She has a book of poetry by the same name, and has written children’s books Mele and the Fofo, 2004 and The Song, 2002. Tusiata won the 2005 Fullbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer’s Residency at the University of Hawai’i.

Matthew Salapu Faiumu:  Samoan.  Aka ‘Anonymouz’.  Matthew is a classically trained musician and has been widely involved in the New Zealand music industry. He writes, composes, produces and arranges music, plays the piano and rap. 

Special thanks to co-ordinator Pip Laufiso and assistants Tere Moeroa and Hiliako Iaheto.

On the 18th, 19th and 20th April 2011, Tautai Trust ran workshops hosted by the University of Otago, College of Education at the Southland Campus in Invercargill.  The Pacific artists who tutored the workshops were:

Johnny Penisula:  Samoan artist who lives and works in Invercargill. “Stone is my favourite medium.” Inspired by oral tradition and story telling he hopes to provide future generations with a visual record of “where we have come from, to where we are now.” Johnny’s knowledge and expertise are unparalleled. In 2002 he was awarded Creative New Zealand’s Senior Pacific Artists award.

Victor Rodger:  Samoan/Scottish playwright. He was the first Pacific writer-in-residence at the University of Canterbury. The themes of race relations and identity inspire most of his work. Since 2000 he has been a storyliner and now dialogue writer for ‘Shortland Street’ – his “bread and butter” job.

Bridget Inder: Samoan/Pakeha is a printmaker who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2003 from Otago Polytechnic and went on to complete her Masters of Fine Art which she gained with Distinction in 2010. Bridget is the first student of Pacific heritage to gain a MFA from Otago Polytechnic. She lectures part time and manages an art studio for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Special thanks to co-ordinators Lisa Tou-McNaughton and Pauline Smith from Murihiku Maori and Pasifika Cultural Trust.

Radio Southland Podcast Kick your swag (outline for a one act play)

From April 7-9th 2010, we ran a Fresh Horizons workshop hosted by Northcote College.  The Pacific Artists who tutored the workhops were:

Courtney Meredith Samoan/Cook Island and Irish ancestry.  An English Major from the University of Auckland with a successful background in public speaking, composition and performance.  In 2008 she won the Going West Poetry Slam, and the Montana Poetry Slam.

Dagmar Dyck Tongan/German descent. She graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1996, and has been exhibiting since 1993. She is a painter and a printmaker.

Matthew Salapu Faiumu Samoan; producer, pianist, songwriter and rapper. Aka ‘Anonymouz’ he is a classically trained musician and has been widely involved in the NZ music industry.

Student compositions created in the music workshop with Matthew Salapu Faimu, Aka ’ANONYMOUZ’.

MICHAEL ESTER’S TRACK

MATT’S TRACK

FLORENCE’S TRACK

SETU’S TRACK

BENNY’S TRACK

From September 21-23^rd 2009 we ran a Fresh Horizons workshops hosted by Massey’s College of Education, Te Uru Maraurau in Palmerston North.  The theme for the three-day programme was story telling.  

Three outstanding Pacific Artists that tutored the workshops were:

Victor Rodger Samoan/Scottish playwright; he is the first Pacific writer in residence at the University of Canterbury. The themes of race relations and identity inspire most of his work. Since 2000 he has been a storyliner and now dialogue writer for ‘Shortland Street’; his “bread and butter” job.

Janet Lilo Niuean/Samoan/Maori; a graduate from AUT’s Master of Art and Design course. This young innovative video/digital artist has just returned from a residency in Sapporo Japan.

Matthew Salapu Faimu Samoan; producer, pianist, songwriter and rapper. Aka ‘Anonymouz’ he is a classically trained musician and has been widely involved in the NZ music industry.