Video: Dance and Art Therapy
https://youtu.be/s6xpfG7LqL0 The lives of thousands of New Zealanders are uplifted through creativity, with leading dance and arts therapists making a difference to those who need this specalised support the most. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Living Your Art
https://youtu.be/SlbweBSODrA An unrelenting dedication to his award-winning craft, Kalisolaite ‘Uhila gives us an insight into the sacrifice he makes to drive his performance art. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Arts Sector: The Student Perspective
https://youtu.be/7zAYVKSxWwo Arts education comes under fire from all quarters but what do those actually in the tertiary art system think about it - and their prospects of entering the industry? Published on The Big Idea
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Video: The Bigger Picture
https://youtu.be/uGRf0TfU_x0 This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Scott Lawrie has seen the world as a Gallerist. After years cutting his teeth as a Gallery Director in New Zealand, Lawrie moved his eponymous Gallery over to his native Scotland after needing to return home for family reasons. He remains deeply rooted in the art of Aotearoa and the Pacific, bringing the mahi of many artists across to the Northern Hemisphere to showcase their work. Lawrie’s always cut against the grain of a gallery owner, more fascinated with the works of emerging artists during his time in Aotearoa than established ones - and often combining both into the same show. Never one to hold back an opinion, Lawrie has key words of advice on
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The Big Idea: Arts At Full Speed
Organisations all over Aotearoa are beginning to hit the cruise control button and reach for the Christmas drinks trolley - but PANNZ didn't get the memo. The Performing Arts Network of New Zealand is ramping up their important mahi, as they bring forward a multitude of options for artists and producers to secure their 2025 creative plans nice and early. The always popular PANNZ Art Market has opened for registration - the 2025 event taking place in Tāmaki Makaurau between 5-7 March, taking place during the first week of the Auckland Arts Festival to give travelling creatives even more reason to make the trip. The three days curated programme of Pitches, performances and full-length showcases, along with invaluable networking opportunities and panels is always a pivota
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Video: For The Birds
https://youtu.be/8fiDwsr_sCI How a neighbourhood arts practice made it international - and what happens when your art becomes the target of copycat creations. Published on The Big Idea
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Video: Art Heals All
https://youtu.be/SOWdSTa4C1w This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Fiona Hayward has loved art most of her life. In recent years, that life has thrown a number of challenges at her, many which would seem insurmountable to most. Few people go into hospice care with stage four cancer and find a happy ending to their tale. But when she has felt at her lowest, her talent and her passion for painting and other creative outlets have played a crucial part in helping her heal - both physically and mentally. Hayward shared her courageous and extraordinary journey as part of The Big Idea's video series - and detailed how she found her creative path. Art class at high school was enjoyable and in 1979, I stopped creatin
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Video: Continuity of Creativity
https://youtu.be/rRBThFy5QEY This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. David McCracken has forged himself a strong reputation as an artist - quite literally. A noted fabricating sculptor, the Tāmaki Makaurau-based creative works in steel with large-scale metal sculptures, with his work enjoyed in public art displays around the country. But like many fellow successful contemporaries, it hasn't exactly been a cash cow. "I wouldn't recommend it for anyone thinking it's going to be a quick buck," McCracken quips dryly when interviewed for The Big Idea's video series. "It's been years - decades - of application and decades of financial insecurity. I've produced so much work, most of which ended up in the scrap heap
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Video: The Social Artist
https://youtu.be/VWgxm5xSDIw Sebastian Gower is living the dream. Passionate about painting from childhood, Gower has found a way to turn his talents into a full-time career. His skill set is traditional but his approach is a modern one. Across all social media platforms, Gower has amassed a following in excess of 350,000 - with Instagram (164K) and TikTok (132K) his biggest follower base. But it all happened by accident. Gower told The Big Idea “I was trying to set up a live stream for my brothers in the second COVID lockdown. I classically didn't quite know how the internet worked and set it to a public stream. “I looked back to the camera at one point and there's 20,000 people there watching me and I just I froze,
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Video: Stage Of Dreams
https://youtu.be/vdy9WpFIkb8 This video is made with the support of NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund. Opportunities like this don’t come around very often. In fact, being part of the biggest choral event on the planet - the World Choir Games - only became a reality for many New Zealand choirs because of its proximity, held in Tāmaki Makaurau for the first time. Among those taking that opportunity with both hands were Manurewa High School’s Rewaken Polycation Choir - a talented group who represent many different cultures and ethnicities, brought together by their shared love of music and a collective desire to express themselves. Student Charlie Miller explains “The choir represents the different, diverse cultures that connect together. We have people in fr
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