Hungry Creek Art & Craft School, once based in Puhoi, is now well-established on the North Shore. It is recognised as a specialist art school, offering a range of NZQA-accredited Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diplomas, from which graduates can staircase to the Bachelor of Visual Arts delivered at Hungry Creek Art & Craft School in conjunction with the Dunedin School of Art at Otago Polytechnic.

The shift to Hillside Road in Wairau several years ago has been a real boon for students and the school, says marketing coordinator and administrator Clio Hartdegen. It is the only art school on the Shore, much closer to the city, has ample parking, and loft-style light-filled studios that create a collegial atmosphere and allow for intensive individual creative learning. The school has well equipped workshops including lost wax casting and stone-cutting areas.

One-year full-time programmes (Certificates and Diplomas in Jewellery or Arts and Design majoring in ceramics, sculpture, 3D model making and painting) delivered at Hungry Creek Art & Craft School (HCACS) are all approved for Studylink loans and allowances and Fees Free Study. There is a strong emphasis on hands-on learning backed by a sound basis in theory and contemporary arts thinking.

“We are the only contemporary jewellery school in Auckland and the only NZQA accredited art school on the Shore,” says Clio, and the only place in Auckland that teaches creative CAD (3D modelling) for artists. “Our focus is on offering creative, contemporary skills and perspectives, unique to the tertiary arts education sector.”

Shane Hartdegen, trained goldsmith, and a teacher and educator for 38 years, took over as Head of School in 2016 after 19 years as Head of Jewellery. “We are a small school with small class sizes, giving students one-on-one teaching from a team of highly qualified artist practitioners,” he says.

“We are a skills-based art school,” says Clio, Shane’s daughter. “Craft, in the context of making things by hand, is a core component of how we teach.”

Shane agrees. “The school has evolved since its inception,” he says, “but the one value that has remained constant is our belief that our students should be able to make work, with all the attendant skills required to support their concepts and ideas.”

While most students are domestic, HCACS welcomes international students, who appreciate the small classes, individual tutoring and the focus on creative excellence. This aspect of the school is looked after by the third member of the family, Thonia Brooks, making it a truly welcoming and supportive family-run organisation.

Hungry Creek Arts & Crafts School, 81 Hillside Road, Wairau

Currently accepting enrolments for students to begin their studies on 15 July 2019.

More info at www.hungrycreek.ac.nz, enquiries @hungrycreek.ac.nz or 09 414 7107