Rangatahi learn about art careers

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: OPINION Theo Coles Theo Coles is gallery assistant and peer leader of the Youth Art Ambassadors Programme at Hastings Art Gallery.
• Publication title: Hastings Leader, The

The Youth Art Ambassadors Programme is a free, peer-led programme for rangatahi (young people) aged 15-19 years with a keen interest in art. They meet like-minded people and gain insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the gallery and the career opportunities available in the GLAM (Gallery, Library, Art, and Museum) sector

Through workshops and studio visits, the rangatahi also learn what it means to be a gallery ambassador and meet local Hawke’s Bay artists.

My experience in the programme fostered my love for art and gallery spaces, and I returned to YAAP as a youth leader in the two years following my first year.

Seven years later, I have returned to Heretaunga after studying and now work as a gallery assistant at the Hastings Art Gallery. I have the pleasure of leading the re-launch of YAAP this year with the gallery’s manager of learning and audience, Elham Salari. This is the first year YAAP has returned after Covid-19.

The youth leaders selected for YAAP this year are Alisca Gray (Karamu High School), Sita FitzGerald (Taikura Rudolph Steiner School), Cushla Lambert (Havelock North High School), Stephanie Palmer (Havelock North High School), Ellamae Van Seventer (Hastings Christian School), Jemima Van Seventer (Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu Correspondence School) and Maggie Taylor-Matthews (Karamu High School).

We met and started our first session just last week.

If you’re a 15-19-year-old who loves art and is keen to participate in the programme, the applications for YAAP 2025 will open this November.

YAAP runs fortnightly over 10 sessions. Our first session kicked off...