Thank you for joining us for INVOLVE 2023: The Stars that Guide Us
Thank you for joining us for INVOLVE 2023: The Stars that Guide Us
Woohoo thank you for joining us for our biggest INVOLVE yet with over 1,000 registered!
Ngā mihi nui to all that made INVOLVE 2023: The Stars That Guide Us possible! All the presenters that contributed to our diverse programme, our stall holders, our keynotes that inspired us and laid down wero, the amazing women in red team Composition who REALLY were the bomb.com, Bob and his crew on tech, the caterers that kept us full and fed esp to the brekkie crew Praxis and YouthTown, our amazing volunteers in teal helping guide us and host workshops, our vibe crew down in the connection hub Ōtara Status Youth Collective, Gemma from Epic Entertainment for their art piece and of course their vibe workers hosting the silent disco fun, our photographer Mele from Merle Photographs capturing those special moments, the theme artist Ehetere from Triple Violet Arts, the funders and supporters NZ Drug Foundation, The Electoral Commission, The Clare Foundation and Auckland Unlimited that allowed us to keep ticket costs the same from the past 2 conferences, the Ministry of Youth Development for sponsoring over 75 youth to attend, Hon Willow-Jean Prime + YAG for opening INVOLVE, Helen from Erupt Design for our signage and hardcopy programme, Bounce for a Cause for hosting all the competitive racers on the bouncy castle 👀 Prince’s Trust Aotearoa for hosting the Taiohi Traders our first ever market place at INVOLVE and of course all the people that registered!
A special shout out to the INVOLVE roopū members from YES Disability, SAYN Network, Te Hā Oranga, Rainbow Youth, Ranui 135, NZ Youth Mentoring Network, Ngāti Tamaoho Trust and Society for Youth Health Professionals Aotearoa for ALL the mahi and aroha poured into shaping INVOLVE. Our epic MC’s Mita Tupaea and Samora Kake for keeping it real and guiding us through the 3 days. Our amazing mana whenua partner Ngāti Tamaoho for having our backs and supporting this kaupapa! We did it teamies! We did it! ❤️
Last but not least, these epic humans in the photo (missing one of our vital teamies Maarie and our board member) the Ara Taiohi teamies! What a wild ride team! What a ride! But what a team to ride with!
Again all the aroha and warm fuzzies!
We hope your cup is as full as ours!
INVOLVE 2023: The Stars that Guide Us
Tukua kia tū takitahi ngā whetū i te rangi - Let each star in the sky shine its own light
The overall direction of the piece is a sense of forwards/upwards, with the top star representing the Taiohi (Youth), Leading the way. The star on the left represents the Whānau of the youth, the star to the right represents the Kaimahi (Support workers). This then connects to two more stars, the middle one being the Hāpori and wider community which then connects to Te Ao. The two parallel lines that circle and connect the starts represent the Seen and the Unseen realms of these connections and this line of Mahi.
The colours are Black/Blue; Rangi/Sky father - Expansiveness and transcendent nature of life, Gold/Brown; Papa/Earth Mother - Grounding, growing and illuminated nature of life/identity. White; Pure heart and intentions of the celestial/Ngā Whetu. All these elements come together as a synthesis of Knowledge (of), Desire (for) and Activation (towards) the successful succession of the next generation.
Kia ora, Ko Ehetere Pearse taku ingoa. I'm a Māori/European (Ngāi Te Rangi/ Ngāti Ranginui, Cornwall, Scotland) Tāmaki Makaurau based, multi-disciplinary artist.
My main creative languages are Painting, Dance, Design and Film, all my Mahi is an extension of me and what I care / think / experience with consistent themes of identity, Wairoa and the human / soul experience. You can find all my Mahi under my creative enterprise Triple Violet Arts.