Programme Information

Initially the Kate Gray Memorial Trust was set up to support Maori students who demonstrated excellence, determination and skill in the visual arts.

This support was demonstrated by awarding a financial scholarship to a selected Māori student already enrolled in the Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Whanganui Regional Community Polytechnic, now known as UCOL.

In 2016 trustees redeveloped the way in which The Kate Gray Memorial Trust nurtures and supports young Māori artists within the area. Hence the Kate Gray Mentor Program was born.

Who is it for?

The challenge to refocus our energies towards secondary school students was presented as a means to support not one, but a small group, of potential young artists to explore the possibilities of their futures. From this discussion, we fleshed out the idea to establish a Mentor Programme for selected Māori secondary school students who are studying the arts in their final years at school and who may plan to continue their art studies at a tertiary level.

What the Mentor Programme includes

Whanaungatanga – relationships

The opportunity for students to meet like-minded students and create a supportive network within the group. The opportunity to create relationships and network with previous recipients of the scholarship, local established artists, tutors and lecturers within the arts.

Ngā mahi toi – practical workshops

There will be at least one group workshop created to provide students with practical skills underpinned with kaupapa Māori. There may also be the opportunity to pair students up with local artists, who can provide extra knowledge and specialised tutoring depending on the student’s needs and interests.

Ngā mahi whakakaha – building confidence

Experiences to build the students’ confidence and knowledge within the arts world, including: presentations by tutors from tertiary institutions and potential visits to these campuses (for example, Massey in Palmerston North and Wellington).

Exposure to relevant, strong exhibitions through attending openings, to guided tours within the local region, including Palmerston North – Te Manawa and/or New Plymouth – Govett Brewster. Opportunity to exhibit alongside established artists.

Manaakitanga – support and guidance

The Trustees will act as guides and referees to support students in preparing for, and applying to, tertiary institutions of the visual arts. Being selected as a recipient in the mentor programme does not obligate the student to go into tertiary visual arts study, but it is hoped that each recipient would be open to that possibility and would understand that that goal is our desired outcome.

We believe that, given the right support and guidance, we can help young Māori students who aspire to study and work within the visual arts world and we want to work alongside teachers in our local secondary schools to identify and nurture potential participants.