Interns try creative careers at Westfield Style Pasifika
When Westfield Style Pasifika kicks off on Friday 4 September, three members of the production team will be particularly proud. Keri Hickmott, Ying Liu and Sieda Tureia have been given the chance to work on Westfield Style Pasifika (“WSP”) as student interns, under a new partnership between the event and AUT University.
WSP is a two hour live and televised show of traditional and contemporary fashion, dance and music reflecting the theme of Mana Pasifika.
By introducing the intern programme, AUT will encourage Pasifika students to work in creative industries. Shanan Kiritea Halbert, AUT’s Customer and Industry Partnerships Manager, says that traditionally the Pasifika community has not thought of the creative industries as career paths for Pasifika youth. “This experience will show the interns that the creative industries do offer strong job opportunities. Those industries thrive on diversity and need to include Pasifika points of view,” says Halbert.
The three interns selected by AUT are:
Keri Hickmott (Event Management): Keri lives in Parnell and is in her final semester of a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Event Management at AUT. She will work with Westfield Style Pasifika producer Stan Wolfgramme on all aspects of event production, including scheduling, forecasting, budgeting and sponsorship.
- Ying Liu (Fashion): Ying is a year 13 student at McLeans College and lives in Bucklands Beach. She will work with the WSP head of wardrobe and will have a role in the prejudging of more than 300 garments by judges including Francis Hooper and Liz Mitchell.
- Sieda Tureia (Television): Sieda lives in Pakuranga and is studying towards a Bachelor of Communication Studies majoring in Video and Studio at AUT. She will work with TVNZ on all elements of the show, from format creation through to filming, post-production and delivery.
AUT will also host 25 secondary school students who are interested in fashion design, along with their families, at the WSP show on 4 September. “Those students will sit in the audience and see first hand what is possible when Pasifika ideas are invested in a creative career,” says Halbert.
Contact Details
For curriculum vitas and contact details for the interns:
Aimee Wilkins, Communications Manager, AUT University
Ph 09 921 9423 or 021 243 0255
aimee.wilkins@aut.ac.nz
or
Andrea Malcolm, Communications Manager, AUT University
Ph 09 921 9423 or 021 924314
andrea.malcolm@aut.ac.nz
For general information about WSP
Shelley Ashdown, GoodePR
Ph 09 481 0962 or 021 622 140
shelley@goodepr.co.nz