North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Eye spy children’s work
Seven North Shore children will express what is most precious to them as artists in the Auckland Arts Festival.
The festival is an annual celebration of people and culture through the arts, on from March 8 till 26.
Whanui is a new feature of the festival, initiated to showcase the diversity and creativity of Auckland’s children.
Eye Spy is one of Whanui’s five projects, and gives 40 kids a chance to showcase their photographs in a professional arena.
Keir Beaman, 11, from Takapuna Normal Intermediate, is one of the kids who was enrolled in the North Shore’s Northcote workshop by his mother, who found the advert on Facebook.
‘‘It’s been really fun, and we get to use cameras a lot,’’ Keir says. ‘‘I’m excited to be exhibited.’’
Keir’s interest in photography has him taking pictures mostly of cricket pitches and Indian restaurants. While he doesn’t ever want to pursue professional photography, he says he really, really enjoys it as a hobby.
Children attended a workshop first and then were given cameras over the weekend to take photos that expressed the theme of ‘‘precious to me’’.
Following a weekend of photo-taking, the children returned to discuss with the professional photographers which were their three best photos. These will be hung on the Northart gallery walls.