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McCahon House are committed to fostering the growth of the arts in Aotearoa by ensuring ākonga are provided with opportunities to engage with our industry and gain knowledge about realistic career pathways within our sector. Creative Futures is a Practical Skill Development Workshop looking at pathways into possible careers in the Creative Industries. It is a 3-day programme arranged during the mid-year holiday targeted at year 12 and 13 students from West Auckland high schools.
Lucinda Bennett, McCahon House Education Programme Manager, has run the 2024 iteration of Creative Futures with students from Rutherford College in Te Atatū. Lucinda explains:
“I have heard firsthand from rangatahi how mysterious and impenetrable the art sector in Aotearoa can seem – they often have no idea how they would go about pursuing a career in the arts. Through the Creative Futures programme, McCahon House is offering something really tangible, pragmatic and inspiring to invite young people into the sector… It’s really important for our young people to see and hear stories from Aotearoa, to recognise that art is made here and it matters, that they too can make art here and have it matter.”
In 2024 McCahon House Trust also piloted a new programme called Works in Progress where we worked with our alumni to offer a mentoring programme for recent graduates. Graduating from art school is a critical juncture in an artist’s career. After the studio environment and critique sessions of art school, it can be challenging for emerging artists to continue to develop their own disciplines. The Works in Progress programme bridges the gap between graduation and professional practice by a series of facilitated meetings between emerging artists and McCahon House Parehuia alumni.
Posted in: Featured Donations 2024-2025
