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Don't forget the type

Design Assembly — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:40:31 +1300

By Carol Green, Courtesy of Design Assembly

The world wide web is no longer in its infancy, yet still I regularly visit websites whose typography is all up the wazzoo. Read More »

Feeling Alone?

Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi a Iwi (ART) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:09:57 +1300

No, this is not a lonely hearts club.

Freelancers or self-employed, many of us essentially work alone and sometimes that can be overwhelming.

Even in a busy work environment, surrounded by others, it is easy to feel isolated. Read More »

Isolation in the workplace

Sara Chatwin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:53:19 +1300

By Sara Chatwin, Registered Psychologist

Isolation in the workplace can be common, particularly with freelancers, sole practices and small businesses. Yet it can occur even in large work spaces, where productivity is at a premium and collegiality is not! Read More »

Reducing Isolation

Sara Chatwin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:41:32 +1300

It can be very disconcerting, whether you work with people or on your own, when feelings of isolation or marginalisation kick in.

There are things you can do to reduce the amount of negativity you experience - and help your stress levels, anxiety and feelings of helplessness subside. Read More »

Creating Balance

Sara Chatwin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:44:01 +1300

Isolation in the workplace can impact on you in many ways and whilst the emphasis for a psychological approach is to examine behaviour and attitudes, it’s necessary to factor physiological health into any equation of holistic health. Read More »

Special Feature: Festivals

The Big Idea Editor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:18:03 +1300

To make it easier for you to find festivals and ‘show ‘n tell’ your events, we are focusing on festivals in February and March. Read More »

Shifting Maori Stereotypes

Script To Screen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:09:33 +1300

Are Maori filmmakers guilty of perpetuating stereotypes of Maori characters? The guitar-playing Billy T James, the violence of Jake the Muss … do these stereotypical characters define Maori in today’s writing, or can they serve to highlight truths and move us beyond the world we think we know? Read More »

How to build a winning team?

The Big Idea Editor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:44:55 +1300

As a creative producer, Mark Westerby's role is to bring people together with a common purpose - to make projects that will excite, inspire and engage others.

Mark is available for the next week to answer your questions and chat about building winning teams, as part of the latest Generator. Read More »

Prose poetry wins Adam prize

International Institute of Modern Letters — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:07:16 +1300

A collection of prose poetry which explores love, science and the imagination, has won the prestigious Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing for 2011.

This year's winner is Hera Bradburn for And Together We Fight Crime. Read More »

UCOL Graphic Design students graduation

The Big Idea Editor — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:34:23 +1300

Forty seven Computer Graphic Design students will celebrate their graduation from the Whanganui School of Design on Friday 16 December.

The ceremony will have an international flavour. Half of the graduands are international students, representing Malaysia, India, China and Sri Lanka. Read More »

Building a winning team

Mark Westerby — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:06:37 +1300

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” Halford E Luccock

And just like an orchestra, teams need to work together effectively to create that symphony.

As a creative producer, Mark Westerby's role is to bring people together with a common purpose - to make a kick-ass project that will excite, inspire and engage others. Read More »

Team Purpose and Targets

Mark Westerby — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:01:10 +1300

Because your team is composed of individuals, your group goal-setting exercise will have to identify commonly held beliefs.

At your first meeting, have everyone share why it is they are in the group.

Ask, what motivated them to join and to remain. You'll get many different answers.

Exercise: Read More »

Leadership Attributes

Mark Westerby — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:58:52 +1300

In the book, Lessons From the Top: The Search for America's Best Business Leaders, Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, made the following observation: Read More »

It's all about team

Arts Regional Trust Te Taumata Toi a Iwi (ART) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:41:35 +1300

'Wearing the same shirts doesn't make you a team' - so say Buchholz and Roth, authors of Creating the High Performance Team. No project or event can come together without collaboration and there is an art to building and belonging to winning teams. Read More »

Spotlight on Whakairo students

NorthTec — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:47:55 +1300

The Art Beat festival at Whangarei’s Cafler Park Rose Gardens on Saturday was the perfect backdrop for this year’s NorthTec Certificate in Whakairo (Visual Arts) students to showcase some special work bringing extra attention to the institution’s Maori Arts programme Expo at Raumanga campus. Read More »