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Newest interns learn the ropes

Every Friday for the 10 weeks of this school term, a group of students from Wairarapa College are visiting Aratoi to learn about and experience what it is like to work in a museum and to develop an exhibition. You could say they are our newest interns.

These teens are a resource we don’t often have access to, and our educators are keen to learn as much from them as they will from us. The main goal of Aratoi’s education team is to engage our young people and to connect them with the heritage of our region. And through our new Art Ambassadors programme, the young people involved will have a chance to see themselves and their stories represented within our exhibitions.

So far, a clear highlight of the programme has been taking the students backstage into our collection store to view and learn about the artworks and taonga in our collection.

Another highlight for the students was meeting and talking with one of Aotearoa’s leading Māori paper conservators, VickiAnne Heikell, from the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.

A CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

Conservator Vicki-Anne Heikell talks with Wairarapa students as part of Aratoi’s Art Ambassadors’ programme. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Not many teens see themselves working in the field of conservation, but meeting and talking to people who work within this industry gives the group a chance to consider different career paths. Most of our staff at Aratoi and many other people working to preserve and provide access to our cultural heritage, found their calling through unusual circumstances.

The students learnt that if they do choose to pursue their interest in objects and history, opportunities do come up that can lead to exciting and creative career prospects.

As part to the Art Ambassadors’ programme, the girls have been collaborating with our staff to create the first youthselected exhibition, we have had at Aratoi. Make sure you visit us during the July school holidays to view this special exhibition in our gallery foyer.

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Let’s reclaim our right to repair rather than replace

Anne Nelson

Many of you will have heard about the ‘three Rs’ of reducing waste: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

In addition to these, there are a few more ‘Rs’ that sit alongside ‘Reuse’ – such as Repair, Rebuild, Refurbish and Refinish.

You probably all know how expensive and difficult it can be to get goods repaired. Many just aren’t designed to be fixed - or are deliberately made nonrepairable with sealed-off components and nonstandard screws inside. Some are even built to malfunction or break after a period of time, so you’re forced to fork out for a replacement (this is called ‘planned obsolescence’). Some manufacturers won’t supply spare parts or repair manuals. And some goods are constructed from such low-quality components that there’s no point.

All goods we buy new have a carbon footprint - from the extraction and transport of raw materials to manufacturing, packaging and transportation to sale. If you imagine the massive volume of goods consumed in the world today, it’s easy to see how slowing down the supply chain is a very effective climate action. And this also helps reduce environmental damage from mining and production, and the massive waste problem we have in the world.

‘Right to Repair’ is a global movement by consumers who are reclaiming their right to buy durable products that can be easily repaired. It asks governments to hold producers and retailers responsible for the lifecycle costs of the products they put into the market.

In a growing number of countries, laws are being brought in to ensure that products sold meet basic standards of durability and repairability. Producers are required to offer spare parts and repair services - and cannot opt out of this with disclaimers. US President Joe Biden has initiated right to repair legislation, the Australian government is requiring car companies to share resources with independent garages, and appliance manufacturers in Britain now have to supply spare parts.

The repair movement is also about sustainable design, where some products are intentionally easy to repair and to disassemble at the end of their lives (so the components can be made into new stuff). ‘Fairphone’ is a great example - it’s a smartphone that is designed to be long lasting and easily repairable. It is made from materials responsibly sourced, as well as recycled materials. And it is electronic-waste neutral.

The repair movement has a local component, too. In this fast, busy world we live in, there are few things more grounding and satisfying than spending time fixing something. Community repair events – often called ‘Repair cafes’ – are popping up all around the motu. People go along to learn skills from volunteers, such as how to darn or hem clothing, sharpen scissors or a spade, or do some bike maintenance. They might get help with something that needs a carpentry, metal or electrical repair.

Most of us would rather get an item repaired than throw it out and buy a new one. So, what can you do?

Write to the Minister for the Environment, David Parker, and tell him we need right to repair legislation here in Aotearoa.

‘Buy less and buy better.’ If you’re buying new, choose a quality brand rather than a cheap one. If that’s unaffordable, consider buying a quality item second hand or sharing the cost and use of tools and appliances with friends and family.

Learn (or relearn) a repair skill, such as mending, woodwork or sharpening. The Men’s Shed is a great place for this, as are repair cafes and community craft groups.

The repair movement is also about sustainable design, where some products are intentionally easy to repair and to disassemble at the end of their lives (so the components can be made into new stuff). PHOTO/SUPPLIED