Special launch creative scholarship for Māori rangatahi through AUT

Special Aotea, the culturally led, creative, strategic and business rōpū within Special has launched a fully paid scholarship, open for young Māori students with the goal to create more pathways into the creative industry. 

John Marshall, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Maniapoto, General Manager of Special says: “As an Aotearoa owned and founded organisation we understand it is our responsibility to live up to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to also provide more opportunities for young Māori. I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity in the creative industry at a young age, but believe that there still remains a lack of awareness or pathways for our young people. It is our hope that with the Special Pathways Programme and the scholarship with AUT we can help the next generation of rangatahi discover the amazing opportunities the advertising and marketing industry has to offer.”

The two year scholarship is for completion of a bachelor’s degree programme at AUT focussed on advertising, design and creative and is just one tenant of the Special Pathways Programme. The programme also includes mentorship with senior staff across the business at Special and will also include a paid internship during semester breaks to give students theoretical and practical experience during their study. 

Applications are open here.

Tony Bradbourne, Founder of Special says: “This is about us stepping forward and trying to do what we can to positively change the industry – to be more inclusive, to have more diversity – to be an industry we can all be even more proud to work in. These are the first steps, but hopefully we can look back after a decade and see the talent we have helped bring into our industry, and the impact they have created.”

Arnya Karaitiana, Rangitāne, Te Arawa, Creative Director and Cultural Lead of Special says: “Our cultural capability as an agency is growing, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Special Aotea over the past 12 months. Stronger connections amongst our communities and enduring partnerships are reflected in the work to date and propose an exciting future in a kaupapa Māori led space. The scholarship is just one of the many things we are doing as an organisation to help keep that space open for Māori participation and partnership, helping to create more opportunities and reflect te ao Māori authentically.”

Special Aotea has been involved in multiple Māori kaupapa projects – ranging from the highly successful Te Kākahu Hou and Tū Ngātahi campaigns for Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao, to the Kai Ika project, to currently rebranding and co-designing training facilities with mana whenua across the motu. 

“Whilst I am proud of the work we have done and continue to do, I am humbled that we have an opportunity to open up a scholarship for young Māori and thank AUT, all of the Special whānau, our clients and our mana whenua partners in helping contribute to an important kaupapa,” Marshall adds. “I also want to acknowledge and celebrate those who are already working hard to uplift the industry and provide more opportunities for our young people. Please share the link, tell your whānau and whanaunga as I believe the more Māori we have in the creative industry, the better we will all become – mauri ora!”

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