October 2023 -Spring Newsletter
Cheril Barber
A warm welcome to our Spring Newsletter
The school workshop is full, busy and bustling with the final term of the 2023 Furniture Makers’ Programme and the 8-week Beginners Intensive Programme running side by side.
Of the fourteen students currently here with us it’s really heartwarming to see the make up of five women, five people who are under the age of 30 (including two eighteen year olds), people from all over Aotearoa and one overseas student. This gives an average age of forty years old for our current cohort, which demonstrates a definite shift in the sand.
Back in the early days when the school was getting going, the student demographic was quite a different picture and we continue to work hard to be able to make our courses accessible to people of every age and every walk of life. The common thread being that they all want to be the best they can be at woodworking – so they are in the right place here with us!
We are forever grateful for those of you who have been regular students here over the years, but we also acknowledge that the cost of our courses can prohibit young people from attending. We are working on projects with some secondary schools to upskill technology teachers who have turned to us for help. Keeping fine woodworking skills alive and kicking is our mission, and we need to ensure that these skills are passed on to future generations. Without the ability to offer ongoing opportunities to a younger generation of woodworkers coming through then our days could be numbered.
As a not for profit organisation and registered charity, running this place is always a juggle. Many other schools overseas have trust funds set up to offer scholarships for specific courses or with a specific criteria attached. Although this kind of opportunity is something we passionately want to offer to potential students on an onging basis it is not an easy task to make happen.
The 2024 Beginners Intensive Programme offers the Thorkild Hansen scholarship each year – a wonderful opportunity for a person aged between 18 and 25 who lives in the Top of the South / Te Tau Ihu who shows talent, determination and potential.
The recipient of the scholarship has the full fees of the 8-week programme paid for and a small travel allowance. The scholarship programme is now in it’s second year and was carefully planned in discussion with Thorkild and his family before he sadly passed away almost two years ago.
Our hope is that we continue to raise funds to keep this going for many years to come so we can continue to acknowledge the significant contribution Thorkild has given to the school in the almost fourteen years he was a teacher here. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of those people who contributed towards the scholarship fund – almost all of who had participated in one or more of Thorkild’s courses here over the years.
If you are able to help continue this legacy in the form of a donation – however much or little – will all help and we would be hugely appreciative of your contribution. If you would like to discuss this further then please do get in touch.
Alternatively, if you have any experience or involvement regarding the setting up and/or fundraising for scholarships (or any other fundraising activities) we would love to have your feedback, tips and hints. Contact us here.
Speaking of young people – let me introduce you to Valentin Botcazou
We are delighted to welcome Valentin to our team who is here as a full time intern as part of an Erasmus France (Education & Formation) Programme.
This wonderful opportunity for him is sponsored by the French government through Erasmus who have run a well established programme which supports the enrichment and opening of minds of young people from countries in the European Union.
Valentin has just completed a degree in furniture making and arrived here at the beginning of October and already is making himself very very useful. He will be with us for at least six months, possibly longer.
For us this is the first time we have taken on an intern, and we can see that it would be a wonderful ongoing mutually beneficial relationship with Erasmus to offer an opportunity to have an intern here with us and share the great Kiwi warmth and experience in return.
Win win, we say.
And speaking of young people .....there’s more.....
Cam Scott who is one of our current full time students is a very focussed 21 year old young man with the drive and desire to become a professional furniture maker.
To build on the skills he will take away from here at the end of the year, Cam has been accepted on a year long Bespoke Makers’ programme at the prestigious Williams & Cleal Fine Woodworking & Furniture School in Somerset, UK.
This programme will be tailor made Cam’s individual requirements, including portfolio development, building a design identity, advanced hand skills and machine techniques, and learning new complimentary skills like parquetry, marquetry and upholstery.
What an exciting future lies ahead of him; we are proud of you Cam and wish you well.
Furniture Makers’ Programme
A warm welcome to Brian Reid who returns to teach the final term of our 2023 Furniture Makers’ Programme. Students have created some amazing work so far under the guidance of tutors Lou Fuller and Stuart Faulkner which will all be part of the graduate exhibition that opens on 8th December at the Parker Gallery here in Nelson.
Applications and expressions of interest are open for the 2024 Furniture Makers’ Programme – full details are here on our website. You are welcome to get in touch if you would like to have any questions answered or would like to arrange a visit prior to your application.
2024 Short Course Programme
There has been some final shuffling around of the 2024 short course programme and the timetable has been updated and is now available on our website here.
You will notice that there are a few courses that say “New Course – TBC” which are mostly the new courses being under the umbrella of our mentoring programme generously funded through the Creative New Zealand Annual Arts Grant.
These courses will be finalised in the next month or so and the short course programme timetable will be updated in due course.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or want to discuss which course is the best fit.........look forward to seeing you here in the workshop next year.
As always - nice to catch up with you all!
Thanks for taking the time to read what's been and is happening here.
Kind regards from the small but MIGHTY team.