Artistic high school students with bold ideas on how to tackle gnarly social and global problems are being urged to take part in Massey University’s Create1World creative activism and global citizenship conferences next month in Auckland and Wellington.

Massey’s School of English and Media Studies, in conjunction with the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies, will host the conferences at the University’s Wellington campus on November 15, and the Auckland campus on November 22.

The popular event offers a day of workshops, performances and panel discussions that enable students to engage with the ways that the creative arts can address issues of social justice and foster a sense of global community, says co-organiser Dr Hannah August.

Registration, which closes on November 1, is free and open to all teachers and high school students from years nine to 13.

The conferences, held in Wellington for the third year running and in Auckland for the second time, also give students the opportunity to ask questions of both local and international artists who are engaged in creative activism, by attending a live panel discussion in which overseas-based practitioners join via video link.

Creative workshops run by Massey lecturers enable students to consider further how they themselves might address the conference’s themes through artistic practice. Workshop topics include creative writing, digital media production, devised theatre, and social issue campaigning. Activities align with NCEA achievement standards in media studies, social studies, English, drama and music.

In the lead-up to the conferences, students have been encouraged to enter the Create1World competition. Performances by finalists and judging of winners are among conference highlights.

“This national competition elicits creative works that encourage audiences to join together as a global community to solve some of the big problems that we face as a planet,” says co-organiser Associate Professor Elspeth Tilley.

“Entries might take the form of videos, songs, poems, short stories, speeches or theatre performances, and can be in English, te reo Māori, or NZ Sign Language,” says Dr Tilley. “Prizes will be awarded for those entries that best explore ways of collaborating for the betterment of humanity on issues such as peace, equality, sustainable development, diversity and climate change. Finalists will be invited to perform their entries at the conference day closest to them.”

For more information about Create1World, and to register, visit: http://masseyblogs.ac.nz/expressivearts/create1world-2018-competition-details-and-how-to-enter/

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