Each year hundreds of New Zealand's young creative minds arrive in Hawke's Bay for eight days of artistic learning at the National Youth Drama School.
Now in its 27th year, 270 students aged 14 to 19 descended upon Havelock North on Saturday to take part in a full range of performance arts workshops and programmes.
National Youth Drama School artistic director Claire Keys said students got the opportunity to work with people who were professionals in the film, television or theatre industry.
"They're not getting teacher experience, they're getting industry experience and I think it is probably the biggest collection of industry professionals in this kind of situation available to young people."
Nearly 30 tutors teach at the school and come from as far as the UK.