What is something you’re proud of?

Keaton | Tāmaki Makaurau

Keaton reflects on the importance of rebuilding creative communities after Covid-19, highlighting how shared spaces and events empower young Aotearoa artists to connect, express themselves, and thrive together.

“Last night after our fourth runway show of the week, where we pulled off one of the more stressful, more admin-heavy, more intense shows. And I just ran out backstage to all the models and the dressers and the production team, and I said ‘we pulled it off guys!’ And everyone just cheered and it was really awesome. I felt so full of aroha.

We need a way for our Aotearoa creatives to express themselves, especially when times seem quite bleak. It’s really nice to have an outlet for that kind of thing. And as I said earlier, to create a community for our young creatives to get themselves out there, to show their art off – and that’s why it’s really important.

A lot of us were really hindered during the times of Covid-19. A lot of us were just finishing up high school or just starting university and it meant that the new communities we were meant to be fostering as first-year university students and people just getting out into the world were kind of shut off from that. It was really hard to make friends and connections and express yourself creatively when you couldn’t leave the house.

And so now we’re actually able to put on these events and you meet a lot of really interesting and talented people this way. So that’s really important – to have that community with other creatives.”