Artist in Residence

Kia ora koutou katoa!

I’m Eliana Gray: poet, musician and Artist in Residence for 2020 here at St Hilda’s Collegiate School.

I am massively excited about the chance to become a part of this vibrant community, and absolutely honoured by the opportunity to work with the creative minds of the Year 10 Performing Arts class.

This year’s project is a timely one, as we will be exploring different ways of imagining worlds from within a bubble.

We are lucky to be able to use last year’s Artist in Residence Jerry Howlett’s ‘Dreamscapes’ project (where students created different landscapes inside miniature domes) as the starting point for our imaginings. From here, the students will choose between eight different artistic modes (such as: video-making, poetry, script-writing or radio plays) and use this context to tell the story of their world.

While this is happening, I will concurrently be working on a zine (a small printed object) that celebrates the creative journey we take together and the ‘cutting room floor’ (i.e. the wonderful ideas that don’t end up making it into the final project).

This project will be a celebration of creative freedom and experimentation. I am so inspired by the ideas and enthusiasm already brimming from the class.

Thank you to the St Hilda’s community for allowing me the privilege of working with these talented young people.

Nāku noa, nā

Eliana Gray