Throughout June, the Bay of Plenty community is being asked to give its thoughts on a draft Arts & Culture Strategy, which will see the region embrace a three-year action plan for arts and culture. In this mini-series, Rosie Dawson-Hewes talks to locals about what arts and culture means to them, and for their city
Lyndon Sheehan grew up in Wanaka, surrounded by snow.
His love of the outdoors led him to skiing, which eventually led him to Sochi, Russia, and representing New Zealand in the free-skiing super-pipe at the Olympics.
But now the 28-year-old is based in the Bay of Plenty, completing his thirdyear of a Bachelor of Creative Industries at Toi Ohomai, majoring in fashion.
What made you decide to study fashion? From a young age I was always interested in design and products. I've had a few knee injuries in my professional skiing career, which gave me time to develop my passion for design while recovering for months after surgeries. Also being involved with sponsors and regularly getting free outerwear products meant I was always seeing, and influenced by, new fashion trends - which I found exciting. Throughout my skiing career I often dreamed of being a part of these design teams in the future. I also previously studied graphic design and thought this would pair together nicely, which I have found it has greatly.
And what made you choose the Bay of Plenty? I was planning to study product design down in Dunedin but chose fashion in the Bay after spending the summer here. I fell in love with the place and really felt at home. Also, after 10 years of back-to-back winters I was really keen to have some sunshine and develop my love for surfing! Meeting the tutors at Toi Ohomai helped me make the final decision - they were experienced in their fields of expertise and still practising professionally, which I really admired. Not only that, but the course included the practical business side of being a creative and having a creative business.
Have you had any unique opportunities to progress your career due to being based here? I have had the opportunity to work, doing sample cutting, at Blak, an international fashion brand stocked in TopShop London, which is based in Mount Maunganui. I have also had opportunities to make products for local businesses, such as industrial aprons.
What does arts and culture mean to you? It's a sense of belonging and about being connected and inspired by my environments. It's more than just the mundane of life - it brings the heartbeat to it.
Why do you think arts and culture is important for any city? And why do you think it's important for the Bay, specifically? It brings people together and creates the essence and flavour of a community. It makes a place more inspiring to live in and makes you proud of your city. The Bay has a huge opportunity, with the rapid growth it's experiencing, to develop a really unique arts scene and create its own culture. It would be amazing to see the Bay become a place that's recognised throughout New Zealand for its arts and culture. I think that would help attract other creatives to the city, too.
What would you like to see the Bay do better in future? It would be amazing to see more international art and performances in the Bay. With the growth in the region, it would also be cool to see how we can bring in some creative, easily accessible transport options, ideas such as trams that link events, arts and restaurants together in key areas.
To read the Arts & Culture Strategy and have your say, visit www.creativebop.org.nz, email artsandculturestrategy@gmail.com or pop in to the Creative Bay of Plenty office on Willow St. Submissions close 5pm June 30.
One of the models from Lyndon's second year collection at a Toi Ohomai collective runway show at Tauranga Art Gallery last year. Photo/Richard Robinson
