The Learning Connexion Graduation 2021 Programme Booklet

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