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By Matt Ealand
Next month, Te Reo heavy metal band Alien Weaponry start yet another European tour with a string of dates playing the biggest music festivals in the world.
From Download Festival in Derby, England, to Hellfest in Clisson, France, the fiery waiata of Kai Tangata and Rautapu will be heard by thousands of baying fans on the other side of the world.
The Northland trio – who are all still in their early 20s – has carved out an incredibly successful career by doing what they love and following their passion.
Yet too often jobs in the music, arts, and creative sectors are written off as solely a passion driven pursuit rather than an exciting, fulfilling, and sustainable career path.
Alien Weaponry are very loud proof that Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith is on to something when he suggested recently that New Zealand needs an arts policy.
Goldsmith proclaimed his vision for New Zealand as being as well known internationally for its arts and creativity as it is for its dairy products and beautiful scenery. While Alien Weaponry are not quite Aotearoa sauvignon blanc and milk powder, they do highlight how having an education that encouraged creativity and expression benefits young people.
Brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong were 10 and 8 years old when they started the band. They honed their craft while at school at Bream Bay College in Ruakākā, and through participating (and winning) events such as SmokefreeRockquest and SmokefreeTangataBeats. The rest is heavy metal history.
An arts policy is a grand plan and will provide robustness and momentum for the arts sector in the future. But the positive impact music and the creative arts has on young people is already clear to see in schools.
From encouraging self-expression and growing self-confidence, to keeping students engaged and motivated to stay at school – creative outlets, like being in a band or performing on stage, are helping tackle truancy, improve student wellbeing, and develop future career pathways.
Often, by the end of years 11 and 12 especially, some students are feeling fed up with the academic side of school. Key to keeping them at school and enabling them to continue their education are creative outlets such as dance, drama, or events like Smokefreerockquest where they can gain NZQA credits.
In turn, it can set them on a course for a career in the creative arts sector or into the many jobs and industries in the post pandemic economy requiring key skills such as collaboration, outside the box thinking, and adaptability.
This year demand is greater than ever from students taking part in Smokefreerockquest with around 70% of New Zealand secondary schools participating and more than 3,000 rangatahi performing in 45 events across 21 regions.
Similarly, schools theatre programme Showquest is at capacity with 7,500 kids taking part nationally across primary, intermediate, and secondary levels. Showquest involves 220 schools – that’s 10% of NZ schools.
In Alien Weaponry’s old stomping ground of Northland, school leaders report increased engagement at school, enhanced wellbeing, and greater self-confidence.
At Kamo High School, participation by students in Showquest has resulted in the reinvigoration of the school’s performing arts programme which, in the words of one teacher, had “died off significantly”.
The power of the performing arts changes lives. Be that Alien Weaponry storming the stages of Europe, or an incredibly brave young person from Kamo who pushed himself to learn about stage lighting by working with the professional lighting crew on ShowQuest.
That experience resulted in a significant increase in confidence and a stronger sense of belief in his future opportunities after school. That’s the true power of the arts right there. And this is why I fully support Minister Goldsmith’s call for a strong arts policy.
Matt Ealand is General Manager at Rockquest Promotions Group (RQP) which runs seven national music and arts programmes giving young people in Aotearoa a stage to create, develop and thrive.
