Since February I have been leading a project at Pukekohe High School as part of Creatives in Schools; an initiative currently in its fourth year which brings together schools and creatives to deliver inspiring learning experiences for students based around the arts. It’s led by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatū Taonga and Creative New Zealand.
I approached Head of Music Steve Granshaw last year to see if he’d be interested in collaborating on this project and together we came up with a proposal based around a two-term aiming to foster creativity and collaboration through songwriting. In December we found out our proposal was successful which was really exciting. We got off to a rocky start with the flooding in Auckland delaying the start of the school term, but as we’ve gained monentum it’s been rewarding to see the engagement of the students and their commitment to trying something new. In Term Two we’ll start recording their songs which is a process I’m very much looking forward to.
To see the full list of schools taking part in the initiative this year, click here.
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