title: Whāia ngā pae o te māramatanga: our horizons of pursuit

authors: Ruru, Jacinta

abstract: In Aotearoa New Zealand there is a growing recognition that Māori engagement and leadership across the science and research sector is essential for addressing national challenges and realising the distinctive contribution of mātauranga Māori to innovation and knowledge creation (Ministry of Education 2013a). To reap the benefits of the nation’s changing demographics and to centre Te Tiriti o Waitangi in society, it is critical that Māori are engaged in research and decision making in all disciplines and in all sectors. This article considers how Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, is contributing towards addressing and developing challenges and opportunities at the interface between mātauranga Māori and science. The article traces the contribution of NPM as a positive transformative contributor to research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally

text: Whāia ngā pae o te māramatanga: our horizons of pursuit In Aotearoa New Zealand there is a growing recognition that Māori engagement and leadership across the science and research sector is essential for addressing national challenges and realising the distinctive contribution of mātauranga Māori to innovation and knowledge creation (Ministry of Education 2013a). To reap the benefits of the nation’s changing demographics and to centre Te Tiriti o Waitangi in society, it is critical that Māori are engaged in research and decision making in all disciplines and in all sectors. This article considers how Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence, is contributing towards addressing and developing challenges and opportunities at the interface between mātauranga Māori and science. The article traces the contribution of NPM as a positive transformative contributor to research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally

year: 2019

title: Pōuri: Two original screenplays

authors: Kohere, Anthony

subjects: Screenplays

abstract: Pōuri, as defined on Te Aka Māori Dictionary, means “regret, mournful, gloomy, in the dark.” It is an apt description of the following stories: Unprivate Moments, and Haytham; or, The Māori Gothic. A common thematic tie between the characters is that they regret past actions, have become disheartened, and experience severe distress. As a thesis, the aim is to expand on what a “Māori story” is beyond the familiar, or dare I say, expected.

'Unprivate Moments' is about an estranged father and son reconciling their differences, disguised as a low-level spy film. I see this as an opportunity to take a well-defined genre and treat it in a realistic fashion in terms of location and character, although not necessarily in believability. Set in Whanganui it can play with many tropes and preconceptions, almost with self-awareness without falling into parody or metacommentary. The formatting does not follow industry standards but inverts the layout of the scene descriptions and dialogue. While I cannot say for certain, Stanley Kubrick is the only one I am aware of that has done this when he adapted 'A Clockwork Orange'. His rationale for this break in style was to draw the eye to the visual storytelling rather than the dialogue.

'Haytham' is centred on a young Byronic Māori man during the late 1880s. Like the archetype he is derived from, Haytham is a tall, dark, and mysterious man. As he reveals himself both to the audience and to the other characters, we come to find someone who has been  damaged and corrupted. This issue of childhood trauma is the central crux of the story and is explored through his relationships with the women in his life. And finally, despite the script’s setting and intentional use of familial names, this is not a biographical work.

text: Pōuri: Two original screenplays Pōuri, as defined on Te Aka Māori Dictionary, means “regret, mournful, gloomy, in the dark.” It is an apt description of the following stories: Unprivate Moments, and Haytham; or, The Māori Gothic. A common thematic tie between the characters is that they regret past actions, have become disheartened, and experience severe distress. As a thesis, the aim is to expand on what a “Māori story” is beyond the familiar, or dare I say, expected.

'Unprivate Moments' is about an estranged father and son reconciling their differences, disguised as a low-level spy film. I see this as an opportunity to take a well-defined genre and treat it in a realistic fashion in terms of location and character, although not necessarily in believability. Set in Whanganui it can play with many tropes and preconceptions, almost with self-awareness without falling into parody or metacommentary. The formatting does not follow industry standards but inverts the layout of the scene descriptions and dialogue. While I cannot say for certain, Stanley Kubrick is the only one I am aware of that has done this when he adapted 'A Clockwork Orange'. His rationale for this break in style was to draw the eye to the visual storytelling rather than the dialogue.

'Haytham' is centred on a young Byronic Māori man during the late 1880s. Like the archetype he is derived from, Haytham is a tall, dark, and mysterious man. As he reveals himself both to the audience and to the other characters, we come to find someone who has been  damaged and corrupted. This issue of childhood trauma is the central crux of the story and is explored through his relationships with the women in his life. And finally, despite the script’s setting and intentional use of familial names, this is not a biographical work.

year: 2022

title: How mature adults view the effects of participation in a community visual arts class on their daily lives

authors: English, Helen

subjects: visual arts

abstract: The global population is ageing, due to a reduction in birth rate and increasing life expectancy.  As a country, New Zealand statistics predict that these changes will impact in the near future, and there is increasing pressure on the need for a functioning older population.  The social and educational wellbeing of mature adults is an vital area of research to identify solutions, thus reducing the impact on the generations which support the economy.    

Research has linked visual art participation to enhanced curriculum learning as well as benefits to social, mental and physical health.  Reported learning outcomes include skills, such as memory, imagination and fine motor skills, however research beyond the curriculum largely centres on wellbeing aspects.  Whilst this still has relevance in education, this study’s primary focus is the educational effects of visual art participation.

Specifically, the aims of this study are to explore mature adult’s perceptions of the changes which are created by learning in visual art, and the effects of these changes on their everyday lives.  This research investigates whether active participation in visual art classes may be of value to the mature population through the development of skills and social benefits.

The research question investigated in this thesis is:
How do mature adult participants view the effects of a visual arts class in a community setting on their daily lives?

Participants, who classified themselves as beginners in visual art, attended six weekly two-hour classes, which included drawing, design, printing and painting sessions.  They were encouraged to develop drawing skills, and given the choice of completing either a self-portrait or a portrait of someone close to them.  They then designed and made relief printing blocks to represent aspects of the person they had drawn, and used these to create a background for their portrait.  The end result, for the participants, was a complete artwork which demonstrated their progress in learning specific visual art skills.

I used qualitative methodology, including an open-ended questionnaire prior to the first of the visual art classes, a reflective journal to record my thoughts of the art classes and their flow (reflecting on how this relates to the planning) and semi-structured interviews with each participant following the completion of the six visual art classes.

The findings indicate that participation in a visual art class in a community setting effects a perceived increase in the visual and creative skills of participants, as well as their problem-solving and listening skills.  In addition to this, participants described growth in social bonds, both within and outside of the class, and self-concept.  Growth of skill and self-belief were key outcomes of this learning and appeared to improve through positive social interaction.  To use visual art participation as a tool in the wider community may benefit older members of the population and, in turn, benefit us all.

text: How mature adults view the effects of participation in a community visual arts class on their daily lives The global population is ageing, due to a reduction in birth rate and increasing life expectancy.  As a country, New Zealand statistics predict that these changes will impact in the near future, and there is increasing pressure on the need for a functioning older population.  The social and educational wellbeing of mature adults is an vital area of research to identify solutions, thus reducing the impact on the generations which support the economy.    

Research has linked visual art participation to enhanced curriculum learning as well as benefits to social, mental and physical health.  Reported learning outcomes include skills, such as memory, imagination and fine motor skills, however research beyond the curriculum largely centres on wellbeing aspects.  Whilst this still has relevance in education, this study’s primary focus is the educational effects of visual art participation.

Specifically, the aims of this study are to explore mature adult’s perceptions of the changes which are created by learning in visual art, and the effects of these changes on their everyday lives.  This research investigates whether active participation in visual art classes may be of value to the mature population through the development of skills and social benefits.

The research question investigated in this thesis is:
How do mature adult participants view the effects of a visual arts class in a community setting on their daily lives?

Participants, who classified themselves as beginners in visual art, attended six weekly two-hour classes, which included drawing, design, printing and painting sessions.  They were encouraged to develop drawing skills, and given the choice of completing either a self-portrait or a portrait of someone close to them.  They then designed and made relief printing blocks to represent aspects of the person they had drawn, and used these to create a background for their portrait.  The end result, for the participants, was a complete artwork which demonstrated their progress in learning specific visual art skills.

I used qualitative methodology, including an open-ended questionnaire prior to the first of the visual art classes, a reflective journal to record my thoughts of the art classes and their flow (reflecting on how this relates to the planning) and semi-structured interviews with each participant following the completion of the six visual art classes.

The findings indicate that participation in a visual art class in a community setting effects a perceived increase in the visual and creative skills of participants, as well as their problem-solving and listening skills.  In addition to this, participants described growth in social bonds, both within and outside of the class, and self-concept.  Growth of skill and self-belief were key outcomes of this learning and appeared to improve through positive social interaction.  To use visual art participation as a tool in the wider community may benefit older members of the population and, in turn, benefit us all.

year: 2019