This exhibition showcases the artworks of Year 5 and 6 ākonga from Porirua East School.
Toi Rama: Inspiring Tamariki Through Art was a pilot programme delivered by the Pātaka Education Team. The project draws on the connections between art, art-making and well-being. In the second half of the 2024 school year, ākonga from Porirua East School were invited to engage with different experiences, from engaging with artworks, taonga and exhibitions presented at Pātaka through to guided visit to significant cultural venues and environmental sites across Porirua.
Drawing on those experiences, tamariki from Porirua East School have produced a series of artworks. They demonstrate a range of techniques and processes. Significantly, they also celebrate art making as a vehicle for expressing themselves: who they are, where they live, their relation to the environment, the connections with each other, and they ways in which they understand their own identity.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Trust House Foundation for generously sponsoring this pilot, and our many partners for supporting this project including Porirua East School, Porirua City Council Riparian Planting Team, Te Papa, New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Tātai Aho Rau Core Education, Enviroschools, Bush Sprouts Nature School and Graley Plastics & Laser Cutting for their generous sponsorship of the cyanotype activity.
