The Learning Connexion’s
Graduation 2 0 21
Welcome
Graduation Ceremony Programme Te whakanui i to tatou iwi
7:00 PM
Welcome (Joint MCs) Dan Wilkinson | Level 6 Diploma Mentor Donna Schofield | Programme Support Opening Address Jonathan Milne | Managing Director Graduands Presentation New Zealand Certificate in Creativity (Level 4) Speaker Campbell Barry | Mayor - Hutt City Council Graduands Presentation New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 5) Speaker Brendan Martin | Graduate, New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 5) Graduands Presentation New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 6) Graduands Presentation Diploma of Art & Creativity (Advanced) (Level 7) Special recognition for student exhibition co-ordinators Michelle Mainwaring, Suzanne Willis, Angela Spalding, Tamara Friedmann, Esperanza Querido, Mason Johnston Special recognition for student link representatives Ivy Lockyer, Saturn Murray, Sandra Wales Closing Address (Joint MCs) Dan Wilkinson | Level 6 Diploma Mentor Donna Schofield | Programme Support
Refreshments will be served at The Learning Connexion
For 30 minutes after the ceremony, staff will be stationed at The Learning Connexion taking portrait shots of people who request them*. These photographs will be available to view on TLC’s Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/thelearningconnexion If you would like to be emailed a copy of your graduation photo, please email the url (web address) of the photograph you want to Kiran at: k.gandhi@tlc.ac.nz
* Please note that while we will do our best to take quality photographs, it is not possible to guarantee that there will be no technical issues. While we will do our best to accommodate all photo requests, we cannot take responsibility for any that are missed.
The work featured on the cover is part of an art installation by Aleksandra Glumac–Alagh that was part of our 2020 end-of-year exhibition. Aleksandra is a mixed media artist graduating with a New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 6). The work is a mix of cameraless photography/photograms, shoebox pinhole camera, human body full-sized photograms and ceramics explored through connecting clay and sound, feelings, movement. “I wanted audiences to be able to touch, walk and engage with my mahi. Play and be curious. However, curating a whole room was one wonderful experience and one of my largest creations so far.”
Aleksandra says the most important thing she has learned at TLC is to “Go for it. Try. Play. Be curious and make mistakes.”
Aleksandra says the most important thing she has learned at TLC is to “Go for it. Try. Play. Be curious and make mistakes.” As Director of Artrageous Kids, her creativity keeps her busy, with much more planned for the future. “I love the process. No matter what the final outcome is, the process of making is what interests me. Materials excite me and get me in a curious state of mind and allow me to explore my creative thinking.”
The new age of ‘art thinking’ Article by Jonathan Milne
In January 2021, New Scientist magazine published an article of importance to our school and our graduates.
TLC has promoted the value of ‘art thinking’ ever since we started in 1988. These days we call it ‘creativity’.
“We’ve got intelligence all wrong and that’s endangering our future.’ Author Robert Sternberg, Professor of Human Development at Cornell University writes: “…we have developed a conception of intelligence that is narrow, questionably scientific, self-serving and ultimately selfdefeating.”
Sternberg uses the term ‘adaptive intelligence’ as another expression for creativity. “Adaptive intelligence – rather than intelligence as something you either have or don’t have, that is hardwired in your genes – is something you can learn, and that can change through life. It is constantly updated by your interactions with your environment.” That’s exactly how TLC views the exploration of art.
What does this mean for students and graduates? Nurture your creativity.
Creativity graduates put ‘art thinking’ to work. Further down the track we may become teachers, inventors, entrepreneurs, consultants, or indeed pick up roles that have been central to artists for thousands of years.
Embrace difficulties. Creativity relates to how you, your material, and your community discover ways to work positively in a particular context. This calls for patience and a It means being open to areas that haven’t always been popular willingness to keep on exploring. among artists. Think of several ‘right’ Pay attention to other so-called responses, as if you were ‘subjects’. I don’t like the word inventing a vaccine for Covid-19. ‘subjects’ because it makes it seem There are already several out there as if everything can be neatly and we’ll gradually discover which separated. The more you develop ones are best. Just as the virus itself your creativity, the clearer it will keeps adapting (because nature is become that everything is connected. endlessly flexible), so we need to Nature is one humongous bundle keep adapting our response, too. and we’re all in it. It is not that old ways of learning are wrong – it is that by deliberately Let’s work towards something sustainable, tolerant, positive and becoming more flexible, we are rather more fun than the stories that able to incorporate new ways of dominate the news. thinking.
Term 4, 2020 Student Exhibition
Amy Cook | New Zealand Certificate in Creativity (Level 4)
Jewellery display - Term 4, 2020 Student Exhibition
Matthew Bell | New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 6)
Graduands of
New Zealand Certificate in Creativity (Level 4) Victoria Armstrong
Arieanna Growcott
Lachlan Ash
Angela Hagger
Paul Ashford
Natasha Hapeta
Aimee Benson
Villia Hari
Sarah Bergen-Redwood
Alicia Harrop
Jessica Beveridge
Vaughan Harrop
Joanne Bissett
Karla Hawthorne
Brianna Boobyer
Emma Hercus
Sharon Booth
Petronella Hoefakker
Tess Braithwaite
Pippin Ibell
Alexis Bright
Jessica Johnson
Danielle Burdon
Amber Judd
Elizabeth Caldwell
Hayley Kernot
Curtis Charlton
Melissa Kerr
Serra Clark
Kerry Kidd
Deborah Collis
Penaia Kupa
Rhys Coneybeer
Shona-Leigh Kuvarji
Amy Cook
Jennifer Laurence
Jaydin Cross
Alyssa Lewis
Cherie Dodds
Elin Lloyd
Deanna Douglas
Ivy Lockyer
Sarah Duke
Adrienne Lopdell
Ruby-Jean Fielder
Andrea Lukin
Tamara Friedmann
Lusia Ma’Afu
Jasmine Gee
Mya Marsh
Ashley-Jeanne Gibson
Maxine McClenaghan
Patrick Greenaway
Jacqueline McCluggage
Emma Hercus | New Zealand Certificate in Creativity (Level 4) Glenn McGuire
Quanita Russo
Tracey McKeown
Kris Salanoa
Reece Medhurst
Roxanne Scheepers
Aura Mintrom
Morag Scott
Maata Moanaroa
Cheryl Smith
Michele Moore
Natalie Stewart
Emma Munro
Melissa Tester
Emma Nelson
Ezanne Theron
Paola Nigris
Diannella Thomas
Stacey Noel
Cheryl Tyler
Katja Oberhofer
Johanna Watkins
Rilee-Anne Owens
Ruby Watson
Raven Poole
Patrick Watt
Uri-Kapu Puia
Katrina Webster
Angela Ralfe
Monique Williams
Robyn Reynolds
Isabel Wilson
Alice Richardson
Angela Winder
Sarah Rogers
Claire Wolfe
Graduands of
New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 5) Tania-Gail Akehurst
Matthew Kooistra
Matthew Bell
Jennifer Lankshear
Waiariki Blackman
Xiaojun Lin
Michelle Bolger
Jessica Lines
Shirley Boyce
Michelle Mainwaring
Nicola Browne
Platon Malakhov
Rose Campbell
Ross Marriott
Jimi-Zac Carr
Brendan Martin
Georgia Carver
Glenn McKie
Hope Clark
Lauren McMahon
E’mere Dahm
Crystal McVicar
Raine Davies
Liliana Rosa Morande Alvarez
Jennifer Denston
Saturn Murray
Erin Draper
Pamela Prior
Lucy Dunce
Kelly Reichardt
Caroline Evans
Anthony Sims
Ruby-Jill Fitzmaurice
Lisa Sinclair
Lisa Foreman
Kelly Spence
Ashleigh Foster
Sara Tullett
Marcia Graham
Sandra Wales
Yaramin Grille
Kathleen Watkins
Jaclyn Harrop-Marriner
Dianne Wells
Darnia Hobson
Hoani Wihapi-Belmont
Angela James
Elizabeth Williams
Sophie Jenkins
Suzanne Willis
Jamie Kahui
Charlotte-Rose Willson
Isabella Knox
John Yeatman
Anne Komarkowski
Various jewellery and knife-making works by Matthew Bell, Serra Clark and Lisa Sinclair, top Sophie Jenkins | New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 5), bottom
Graduands of
New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 6) Aleksandra Alagh
Mark Peck
Pamela Christie
Ngaire Pene
Lacramioara Cotoros
Elizabeth Persico
Melissa Davidson
Kurtis Price
Brooke Duffield
Esperanza Querido
Megan Flutey
Shane Rikihana
Kathryn Gabriel
Donelle Scott
Alina Gane-Hurcomb
Jessica Sharp
Rebecca Gilling
Lisa Smith
Juan Javier
Denham Spicer
Mason Johnston
Ivan Toopi
Emry Kereru
Kylie Wardlaw
Adrienne Linney
Emily Waters
Helen Mays
Destiny Webster
Raven Middleton
Emma West
Shayne Nankivell
Krystal Whitty
Robyn O’Malley
Anneil Yeatman
Mark Peck | New Zealand Diploma in Creativity (Level 6)
Graduands of
Diploma of Art and Creativity (Advanced) (NZQA Level 7)
Simone Bensdorp
Keryn Pearson
Sarah Jane Board
Colin Petersen
Carolyn Corrin
Nicole Russell
Sarah Evans
Daniella Sasvari
Paula Marriner
Nicole Russell | Diploma of Art and Creativity (Advanced) (Level 7)
Isaac KerynBishara Pearson| |Diploma DiplomaofofArt Artand andCreativity Creativity(Advanced) (Advanced)(Level (Level7)7)
Congratulations to all of our newest graduates from all of us at
The Learning Connexion
The Learning Connexion 182 Eastern Hutt Road, Taita, Lower Hutt, 5019 0800 278 769 info@tlc.ac.nz tlc.ac.nz