What are the awards and what should you expect?
Summer Online Creativity building course where you learn or enhance the following skills:
- Device/cellphone visual storytelling - Cellphonography
- Composition skills to increase your ability to tell scroll-stopping stories.
- If you have a fancy camera, you can beef up your knowledge of Manual Settings
- Creative Wellbeing course about using art challenges to help with mental well-being.
- Youth-led interviews with NZ's top photographers
- A chance to have your work featured in a book
- A chance to photograph or illustrate for Create Happy Magazine
- Join a national creative community of compassionate young creatives.
What do you need to be part of the program?
- A tablet or a cellphone
- Wifi access or data
- A telegram account (you may need to get your parent's permission or help for this)
When does it happen
- Informally from 1 January.
- There is a do-at-your-own-pace intro to cellphonography workshop.
- This is to help you get used to our telegram chat rooms and learning platform before the program kicks off.
- you can share your work and get feedback during this time.
- The actual masterclasses and workshops will start on the 16th of January and run for two weeks.
- Mini workshops and daily creativity challenges released.
- You pick what you want to learn and contribute.
- Zoom Wednesday nights at 7 pm to ask questions.
- After the ACA awards
- There is a year of creative mentorship available for free
- Wednesday night zooms and photography challenge rooms
- Live community workshops (optional)
- A national community of creative collaborators / cheering squad. (it is a deeply caring and fun group)
Where does it happen?
- The program is run online but some of the friendships made will meet up in groups offline to create together
- Some of the mentors will lead community meet ups but these will be decided in the local chat rooms.
- Chat rooms available
- National casual chat to discuss anything you feel like
- Regional groups
- Te Reo chat
- LGBQT+ channel
- Indigenous chat
Jumana13
I've become more confident in my photography skills. I am grittier. I am not afraid to fail forward, and I have met a lot of new people who are passionate about the same things I am.
Jumana - 13 - Hamilton Girls' High School
Hazel12
Now when I take photos I think more about the story, angles, composition and lots more that makes a good photo instead of just pushing down the button.
Hazel - 12 - Royal Oak Intermediate
Scarlett13
I feel that I have became more confident in taking photos in general. It used to be quite scary taking photos in public but I have grown the confidence to that now.
Scarlett - 13 - Nga Tawa
Dani16
I’m more confident in my control over the outcome of an image through using manual settings and have become more free in the way I make my images.
Dani - 16 - Homeschooler
Amber13
I've of course become more confident in my photography skills but also I have learned persistence and becoming a more strong and independent person.
Amber - 13 - Caramel College
Jun18
Thanks to Click Happy, I'm not afraid to be myself, and to express my creativity through photography.
Jun - 18 - Graduate of Papakura Highschool
Skyler11
I had a wonderful experience with the Click Happy Program , I didn't expect it would be like this at all , there's a lot of learning and I need to go back to my presentation files and read them again to grasp all the learning as its not just about photography but it teaches you important life skills
Skyler - 11 - Royal Oak Intermediate
Humaira16
I've developed my creativity and grit and learned more about some important concepts in photography.
Humaira - 16 - Zayed College for Girls
ArianaJones12
Everyone there is so kind with great positive feedback also to help improve, and i've learnt so much about photography since the beginning
Ariana - 12 - Chilton St. James
Sariah16
I am more confident in my photography skills and less afraid to step out of my comfort zone, to make mistakes and take risks.
Sariah - 16 - TKKM ō Te Kotuku
Sydney15
My skills have definitely gotten better. I found out a way that I can sorta tell a story within photography which I find really useful.
Sydney - 15 - Taupo Nui-a-Tia College
Kriya14
For me Click happy was a great way to extend further outside my comfort zone. I have never really been somebody who liked posting pictures of myself but Click Happy has been a really great space in experimenting with self portraits and other various skills. I have learned that perfection isn’t everything and that even if I don’t finish something, tomorrow gives me reason to try harder and create something new and inspiring. I am not afraid to fail, I am more experimental and I have gained more experience through this course.
Kriya - 14 - Carmel College
Jessie12
I used to be a very shy and nonindependent person, Click Happy helped me learn that I can be myself, I know that i have Definitely grown as a person this summer. I enjoyed Meeting new people, having such a great teacher and student mentors (Mandi you are always so supportive and positive. You give me feedback that makes me so happy and feel like I have accomplished something). I also really liked doing new challenges eg things u would never do.
Jessie - 12 - St Josephs (2021) St Kevins College (2022)
Gin15
I am grittier and am more confident that I can complete long term goals and tasks like this course. It made me persevere and find new ways to problem solve and think outside the box. I liked the PAD challenge, & even though sometimes I edited all my photos at once I’m very very proud of myself for taking a photo every single day - 42/42!!
Gin - 15 - Waiopehu College
Jayden13
"Getting me into the community a lot more than what I'm used to and I loved how it made you more aware of the beautiful scenes around us that we don't realize on a day to day basis. I also like the way Click Happy along with Mandi was so helpful when I was at the bottom of the grit pit"
Jayden - 13 - Te Kura Kaupapa O Pohutukawa MSWA
("the grit pit" is when you stretch out of your comfort zone and find yourself struggling or in a free fall as you transition between what you know and what is unknown but where good growth lies. I showed this in a diagram but the kids labeled it themselves "the Grit Pit")
Nico Febery – 11 – Waikato
I liked how we had difficult tasks but they weren't super difficult. It has let me start volunteering to take photos for kids greening taupo and made me love photography even more.
Mary Londt – 16 – Waikato
Click Happy is an inspiring course, not only encouraging students to face their fears about photography and art, but also helping them to understand what makes them think and feel, and how they can show that through art. Thank you so much.
Neha Arunkumar – 17 – Lower Hutt
If I could describe this course in one word, I'd have to say, "inspiring". Mandi really opened our eyes to the wider world of photography and how it's more than just "taking a picture". Furthermore, we have learnt skills that allow us to adapt our thoughts and ideas, allowing us to create art that we were passionate about. All I can say is, THANK YOU 🙂
Senna Watson – 13 – Waikato
I loved the passion that was put into all of our teaching, and the way you made sure all of us were on the same page. I loved the way you made our mental wellbeing a big part of it! 🙂
Khanya Ndebele – 16 – Rodney/North Shore District
Click Happy is a really good course that has really gotten me to open my eyes in terms of photography! I've learnt an extraordinary amount during this course. I appreciate how everyone involved is so kind and welcoming. The constructive criticism is very helpful and makes me think about how I could improve my work in many different aspects. The amount of creativity I have encountered in these people is phenomenal. I really value the opportunity I received to take part in this scholarship course.
Elsie Palmer year 10 – New Plymouth
Elsie was in our post COVID intake where we ran our first Click Happy Plus Scholarship program
"Hi Mandi,
This is Elsie, and I was just emailing to tell you that I just had my first successful art gallery exhibition! I sold 5 of my flower prints at an art exhibition at a local gallery called The Collaboration. Thank you so much for helping with my photography I don’t think I would have made it this far without your guidance."
Te Kahariki Waitai – 15 – Otaki
I loved the mentor and the environment she created. I really enjoyed having a purpose for my photos, like I take lots of photos but this cause has given them a background story. I want people to be able to feel my images. I feel like I have learnt a lot about how to achieve that during this course.
Chris Pigott, Manager Libraries & Museum
"The workshops in three of our libraries were well-facilitated and well-attended. Mandi Lynn was confident and professional with the participants. The sessions were an appropriate mix of some theory and proportionately more activity – students learning through doing, with an expert hand to guide them.
There would be real value in Click-Happy courses continuing, particularly in areas like the Far North, where there are high levels of social deprivation and limited access to quality equipment and instruction. These sessions also have the potential to flick a switch for some of the participants and open up potential career pathways that they may not have realized existed.
We recommend the Click-Happy, and hope that it continues and grows."
Yahvi Dhabuwala – 13 – Wellington
“These 8 weeks have been a fantastic new experience for me. I was a little nervous at first to meet new people but I am very happy I got over that. There was definitely no reason to be
nervous! The contents of the coarse was great for a beginner like me, we learnt the basic techniques of photography and had a good amount of time to master them. The homework for
the coarse was challenging at times but it took up just the right amount of time. It taught me commitment and grit. Moreover this coarse wasn't just about photography, we talked a lot
about body image and compassion and we learnt to be kind to ourselves and others. Over all I am very glad to have participated, everyone was very welcoming and kind. Mandi, it was an
honour to learn from you, you are an amazing mentor! Thank you so much!”
Kelly
“Great course with an high energy, very talented photographer. My daughter started to think out of
the box and loved the practical side to it. She learnt a lot. Wish I had that opportunity at her age.”
Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity…
Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity you gave my daughter to participate at your Click Happy course!
In your course she met other girls of similar age and interest and explored her creativity in a very kind and safe environment. Not only did she learn the basics of photography, composition and presentation in a fun and playful manner, moreover the course concentrated on topics like self compassion , body compassion, emotional literacy, mindfulness and resilience. The participants explored emotional needs, learned how to express them artistically and how to present their work without fear of being exposed. Doing this they sometimes had to push through feelings of frustration with grit and tenacity and even ventured outside their comfort zone. The girls learned how to support each other and how to give and receive kind and constructive critique.
What a great tool for kids to learn at this age! I wished this could be part of every school curriculum.
At all times we parents were well informed and included. Several times you contacted us via phone to ensure the girls’ well-being especially when you touched on some more sensitive topics during your course. My daughter and I both felt very well looked after, cared for and safe throughout your course.
Mandi, I think you are an amazing mentor both for creativity and well-being and we hope that you will be able to continue with your great work.
Thank you!