Industry partnerships: Enable lecturers to expand students’ experiences.

Over the last four years, Creative Industry lecturers have been partnered with Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) to grow student knowledge in mural creation. In the classroom, the students start with the basics for illustration and progress through to compositing larger scale options throughout year two and three. PNCC has involved UCOL students in mural and street-scape design in different projects over the past four years.

As part of the design of reinforcing lane-ways in the city centre, PNCC and UCOL engaged two graduate artists to mentor current students to develop a combined alleyway mural on the side of the UCOL Creative Block 2. PNCC paid for the supplies, gear, and mentors so that students could reflect on the creativity of the block from the inside out. UCOL graduates were also involved in the Street Prints Papaioea Festival, both as artists and in the youth mentorship programme. Many of these projects have led to other commercial and public commission work of UCOL graduates and students.

Additionally, students contributed to the road safety surfacing in an upgrade of Queen Street. This project engaged a student to design a pattern for a surface that would use a resin-based surfacing treatment on the raised sections of the street. The design referenced the Manawatū River and the education journey that a UCOL Te Pūkenga student takes in their course. The student worked with both  PNCC as the client and alongside the contractor tasked with applying their creation.