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Robyn Edie/Stuff
Teenage volunteer Alycia Baird says she usually comes into Murihiku Polyfest week a bit shy, but by the end of the week she wishes she didn’t have to go back to school.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous. But I think I’ve got it.”
Alycia Baird, 17, was concentrating intently on the screen in front of her in Murihiku Polyfest’s other nerve centre, decked out with computers, microphones and cameras.
She had been learning how to write the teleprompter script for the festival’s live broadcast, and from Wednesday she’ll be managing it on her own.
Baird was one of the 40 Murihiku high school teenagers taking part in Mīharo’s Whakamanahia te Rangatahi youth mentorship programme who would be putting their new skills into action when they take over running the festival this week.
A year 13 student at Verdon College, she was a volunteer before joining the programme, and was keen to pursue a career in production.
But for her, the experience had also been about connection.
“You’re part of a whānau that you didn’t know were going to be your whānau,” she said.
Hana Davis – a 15-year-old, year 11 student at Te Wharekura o Arowhenua – had nothing but love and praise for the Mīharo team who she said had created many opportunities for her.
“They kind of picked me up off the street,” she joked, referring to them approaching her to MC at polyfest after seeing her at a speech competition.
Robyn Edie/Stuff
Hana Davis has been presenting at Murihiku Polyfest since she was 10-years-old.
She was just 10-years-old at the time but wasn’t intimidated because she was joined by her dad and “I have always been the overconfident little kid”.
Davis had already been taking her presenting skills to festivals and competitions all over Southland, and had her heart set on studying broadcasting after school.
“Hopefully you’ll see me on Te Karere one day.”
Davis was just two the first time she performed at Polyfest and said it was awesome to see the festival’s growth.
“It’s a huge safety net for those of us who feel like we can’t fit in because of our different cultures.”
Mīharo general manager Tani Carran said Whakamanahia te Rangatahi was an opportunity to share knowledge and skills with the next generation who could then do things the way they saw it.
Participants from seven Southland schools attended workshops where they could learn about their culture, heritage and identity, along with skills in their chosen creative field, she said.
The festival was moving towards a “by youth for youth” model, Carran said, equipping young people with the tools to nurture their wellbeing and connection to their culture.
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