Auckland Council’s Music in Parks programme is providing six young people with the opportunity to learn how to become soundies, roadies and gaffers by running music events during the summer.
Incorporating three workshops and ten events, the internship programme will see the six 17-23-year olds learn the tricks of the trade from some of New Zealand’s best sound and lighting technicians before producing the youth stage at CultureFest on 28 March.
“This is a great opportunity for us to help our young people who are passionate about event production,” says Councillor Alf Filipaina, Chair of Auckland Council’s Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee.
“Our rangatahi (youth) across Tāmaki Makaurau are incredibly creative, so providing this internship is a really rewarding way of promoting future talent.”
Supporting young people to get into a career pathway and contributing to the development of the event production industry in Aotearoa are also part of the purpose, according to Christine Olsen, Community Empowerment Manager at Auckland Council whose team is running the internship.
“COVID-19 has hit young people hard, limiting their opportunities for employment and training. With this internship, we aim to test how we can incorporate bringing youth into existing council programmes.”
The internship provides more than just hands-on experience, with Te Karanga Charitable Trust and Youth Arts New Zealand offering mentoring and support to the interns throughout the programme.
“Our goal is to help the interns pursue their passion for event production and expand their networks to increase their chances to secure a job in the industry,” says Christine Olsen.
The end goal of producing the youth stage at CultureFest will be a fantastic reward for the hard work the interns are putting in already,” Christine says.
Councillor Filipaina agrees.
“Success will be seeing these rangatahi (youth) become more confident of their technical skills and put together fantastic shows at CultureFest that will wow those who attend.
“We are all looking forward to seeing them succeed and enjoy the creativity they will bring to the shows at the end of March.”
