Ōpōtiki residents are being offered the opportunity to learn how to use technology to tell their stories through art.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaiako (tutor) Sid Thompson says art is an excellent way for people to tell their stories and express themselves and using technology can only enhance that ability.

“It’s another tool that adds to the strength of their story,” he says.

This is the first year the Toi Maruata L3 digital arts course is being offered in Ōpōtiki and Sid says it will help meet a need in the community.

“People have been asking for a course like it for a number of years.”

“The younger ones are looking for a different avenue to express themselves but it’s not just for young people, it’s for everybody, of any age.”

While some computer knowledge would be helpful, it’s not necessary, he says.

Students learn how to incorporate different digital mediums into their art and develop both their art and computing skills during the course, providing a pathway into further advancement in either subject.

“It could be video, photos, audio, words, anything really.”

He says it’s always interesting to see how students develop their stories and the emotions that can bring.

“It can be really powerful. A lot of stuff can come up, which is why we provide a safe space for them to learn in. We feel honoured in that space.”

The course uses industry-standard programmes such as Adobe Spark, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.