Kia Ora Koutou, Jessica and Joshua here from Garden Music in Thames. As artists ourselves, as well as working professionally within the arts, we know first-hand the complexities, joys and exhaustion of it all. One of the best things that keeps us going and keeps us inspired is getting that fresh issue of Coromind.

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Recently Thames High School students were given the opportunity to participate in the 48 Hours Film Challenge, and what a fun opportunity it was! The challenge was to create a short film within just one weekend to the highest quality possible. 

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After completing a Fine Arts degree from Oxford University, I then spent 40 years teaching art – firstly as a secondary school art teacher in the UK and then as Teacher in Charge of art in NZ. More recently, I have taught art workshops at Toi Ako Community Centre and done relief teaching in primary schools.

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Ahuahu (named Great Mercury Island by Captain Cook) is unique in that it represents a snapshot of time, a snapshot of human interaction isolated from the influences of the mainland but a good representation of the human model. 

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When people visit our wood-cabin workshop in the heart of Thames, they often arrive carrying something precious – a memory, a milestone, a piece of family history, or a work of art that deserves to be seen and preserved. 

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I’ve just found a scrap of paper squashed at the back of my socks drawer. Must have been there a while. It’s a list of my favourite words. There are words to impress, some that sound silly, words of comfort and words that make me giggle. 

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In November last year, a few of your local Haheitians managed to finally make a trip happen that had been on the ‘Missions’ list for years – from the end of the road, Fletcher Bay, back home to Hahei Beach, via sea kayaks. 

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My own life began in a situation of dishonesty which I outlined in a previous Coromind article. My parents suddenly married and hightailed it to London so my mum could give birth to me free from prying eyes and wagging tongues and avoid the social stigma of falling pregnant before marriage. 

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When you scroll through your social media feeds – whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or even LinkedIn – what do you see? Probably a lot of carefully chosen selfies, success stories, and perfectly edited moments, but...

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Fiona Gates describes her journey to clay as both a homecoming and a rediscovery. Growing up in Tāmaki Makaurau before settling in Coroglen, she found in the Coromandel not just the beauty of beach and bush, but a stable foundation for her whānau and creative life.

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