Creative Waikato is giving Waikato creatives a chance to take their careers to the next level

Creative Waikato invites you to sign up for ELEVATE. Photo / Supplied.

Great at your creative mahi but haven't made it work as a fulfilling career yet?

Remove what's in your way by getting the extra skills you need to take the next step in lining up a solid career in the arts.

ELEVATE is supported by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and is a free nine-month programme delivered by Creative Waikato, which helps and supports Waikato's creative practitioners into achievable, financially viable, and sustainable creative careers.

Through weekly skill-building through interactive workshops, and expert one-on-one support from the people who get it. The workshop aims to develop those extra skills, knowledge and resources that help you carve a realistic pathway toward your career goals.

Freshly graduated or at it for years, there's no discrimination here. Whatever your background, ELEVATE warmly welcomes anyone open and willing to put in the mahi, and chase after their freelance, part/fulltime, or self-employment goals.

This is available to visual performing arts, craft and object, literature and writing, theatre, fringe, dance, film, television, media, music and production, Nga Toi Māori, Pasifika, community and cultural arts, including education, commercial arts, tattooing, illustration, architecture, design, production, editing, direction and management.

If what you do is something you could do in the creative industry, you are eligible for ELEVATE.

This workshop is for you if you are:

•A creatively driven human being who's committed to working hard.
•Have a demonstrated commitment to your creative practice and have been actively creating/sharing work.
•Have industry experience or tertiary qualification.
•Are aged between 18-64 years
•Are Waikato based
•Are excited at the thought of a creative career
•Are looking to develop powerful skills for your future
•May have lost work due to Covid-19

If this is you, be sure to strap in for some big career wins!

The next series of ELEVATE online workshops starting Wednesday, April 27 are designed especially for Toi Māori Artists.

Toi can be:

Raranga, whakairo, contemporary music, dance/hip hop, kapa haka, painting, photography, sculpture, uku, Korowai, poetry/writing, mixed media, tā moko, performing arts, graphic design and more.

Note that due to traffic light restrictions all current intakes will take place online via Zoom in the ELEVATE DIGITAL format. In-person workshops will resume once restrictions are lifted.

Once you've applied, our creative development team will be in touch to run you through a suitability interview to ensure this is the right fit for your creative practice.

If you're not sure whether what you do fits under 'creative practice' – apply anyway and we'll let you know.

Time, effort and self-motivation are expected as you actively work toward achieving your goals with individually focused guidance from creative development mentors. It's fully funded and there are zero fees, so you've got nothing to lose.

Over the nine months you'll:

•Attend one full day of workshops per week over 14 weeks
•Meet with an adviser once a month
•Develop goals and personal development plans with the cool and clued-up team of creative development experts
•Have the opportunity to form networks, gain feedback, promote your mahi and share your journey with a like-minded group of creatives also on the programme.

Take the next step….
apply at https://forms.monday.com/forms/57aa8f319bcaba772540c48d4133e5b7?r=use1