Wearable arts collaboration: Outcomes
CP1002
Ellen & Megan at the Te Papa store
Teachers and students were pleased with the success of the costumes and window display, and appreciated the positive comments from members of the public about the project. Megan and Ellen note that despite the difficulties inherent in two people creating an artistic work together, their collaboration was successful and their outcome more than met the requirements. Megan, Ellen, and Kay agree that, despite not being able to meet very often, it was helpful being able to discuss various aspects of the project and share ideas together through email.
Jan also comments on the difficulties involved in working together. "It was a bit of a mistake having two students work on the same piece, it would have been better if they'd done a whole outfit each which would have made it easier for them to visualise the whole design. However, the students were very eager, with lots of nice, creative ideas and both teachers were lovely to work with."
Barbara is pleased with another successful Te Papa project, and notes that it was easier working with just one student this time. She says that the collaboration between students wasn't as extensive as she had thought it could be – she had hoped they might take the initiative to use available technology for more than email, such as some type of consultative blog. She concludes that more teacher direction was obviously required and that more sophisticated use of technology for communication is something future students might choose to do.
Kylie says that, in addition to the experience of working for a real client and the satisfaction of successfully meeting the challenge of the project, her students benefitted through being able to add the work to their portfolios and CV. She says the work was a great learning curve for them in some aspects and involved a lot of trial and error. "They did some great sampling and it was just a whole process looking at the materials, their properties, how they would work, and whether they were suitable. They even considered the different types of sticky tape to use with plastic and wire, and which worked best."
"It was quite amazing, the public was aware that something quite special was happening in the window at wearable arts time. The girls shared the four windows with Wellington City Council, which displayed costumes from past WOW events. Working with the students has been a delight to me – deadlines are always a bit white-knuckled but the girls shaped up and imposed discipline on themselves, so it was never really a concern. It was inspirational for me to be working with these lovely young people, to see the different way they approached things and their creativity."
Jan Morris, Te Papa Store
"The project is well set up so that students could take it to a scholarship level – they have lots of stakeholders and the opportunity for further consultation as they work through.
Barbara Knight
"It is fantastic, the biggest opportunity in the world. We're so lucky that Te Papa likes it and that they're promoting wearable art – they're so supportive of the school. It's a huge privilege because Te Papa is the most visited location in New Zealand. As the first two projects were so successful I was happy to go on – and Te Papa knew they could book those windows for September with confidence that the work would be completed in time for the World of Wearable Art walk."
"Their work was really intensive – it was great because there was a huge amount of problem solving, processing, thinking, and anticipation of problems.
Kylie Merrick
"It was just a wonderful experience for the students, to be able to showcase their work and creativity. It was a privilege to be involved and just a wonderful opportunity."
"Although it was fun working with someone else on a project, it required patience because you can't always have your own way, especially as Ellen and I have very different design styles. I learnt that you have to be very honest about your opinion; if we hid our thoughts on each other's designs we probably would have ended up with a garment that neither of us liked. I am pleased with how we worked together and think that our collaborative design has resulted in a costume with the 'wow' factor."
Megan Baxter
"Our work looked great in the window; I'm very happy with the final outcome."
Ellen Grazdowics