LUX light festival social media and marketing intern Mary-Jane Martin who is a second-year photographic design student at Massey's College of Creative Arts.
LUX light festival exhibitors are being supported by local and international interns who are helping with the organisational logistics of staging the annual extravaganza which illuminates the Wellington waterfront till May 27.
Massey University School of Design students from the College of Creative Arts are helping out as interns with production set up and scheduling, technical support, marketing and event management.
Massey University is a founding partner of the festival.
This year the interns include Margie Salvatore, an artist and technical intern at the festival. Having worked on a range of large scale events with artists and performers she says she became involved with LUX to further her understanding and experiences with art and performances.
Originally from New London, New Hampshire in the United States, she has previously worked for one of the largest American craft shows and attended World Stage Design, a four-yearly event for theatre designers, managers and performers.
“I’ll be working one-on-one with artists for some installations while helping with the general production of the festival,” she says.
The 25-year-old’s year-long stay in New Zealand to complete a postgraduate diploma in spatial design fulfils an ambition to visit the country and enjoy as many new experiences as possible – including her first light festival.
“What I hope to get out of this is new skills and tactics that can be applied to any event or project in the future.”
Artist and technical intern Margie Salvatore who has previously worked on large-scale craft fairs in her native United States and is helping set up exhibits at the LUX light festival on the Wellington waterfront.
Mary-Jane Martin has similar ambitions.
In her role as marketing, social media and documentation intern at the festival she will be providing social media content, photography and video for the festival.
The 19-year-old from Kaeo in the Far North, is in the second year of a photographic design degree and wants the internship to develop her skills documenting event and producing content for social media platforms.
“I also plan on expanding my network by meeting and working alongside other artists and designers.”
It’s a philosophy shared by Ms Salvatore.
“I love going to and participating in events. It’s a different form of performance and play. But like a performance it ends. It’s incredible to see how everyone interacts, makes connections and interprets – and that part doesn’t have to end.”