Visual Arts Kaupapa
The Visual Arts degree at AUT places great emphasis on aroha compassion, toi creativity and whanaungatanga community in every aspect of our programme. Our kaupapa or purpose is one of inclusivity and diversity, whereby tika integrity and pono respect are valued as part of our BVA culture. The Visual Arts staff have a strong commitment to kaitiakitanga, caring for the environment through sustainable practices. We believe that we are educating and working with Citizen-Artists, and that this education environment has a responsibility to encourage our students to be critically engaged citizens who will be our future critics and conscience of society. At the core of our programme is the ability to learn in a studio environment and it is in this learning environment that you will create connections, collaborate, share, reflect, generate, speak and listen – all important ways to learn and understand your art practice and other art practices. For this reason, the teaching team places a great emphasis on spending lots of time in the studio, as it is by making in this context that you will see your art practice fully develop and reach its potential. The BVA is a place for you to nurture your imagination, build resilience and agility, gain confidence in your unique voice and value where you come from and what you bring to this community as well as equip yourself with a set of practical and technical skills to produce your artwork.