EIT’s ideaschool students are feeling the excitement and the stress as they gear up for iS3 – the end-of-year platform for showcasing their best creative efforts.

For visual arts and design, fashion, music and screen production students, the next few weeks are especially nerve-racking.   Not only will they be going public with their work, this exercise is the final push towards gaining their qualifications.

As Cheryl Downie, Certificate in Fashion Apparel programme coordinator, puts it: “Students have been climbing this mountain and they are getting to this pinnacle now.”

A mature student from Waipukurau, Margaret Bird is working on an evening wear collection featuring warm colours and pleated and folded details inspired by the landscapes of southern California where she lived for a time.

Margaret’s collection and those of 10 other final-year fashion students will be modelled at a sell-out show to be staged in EIT’s Trades Building on Wednesday, November 26.

The evening is very much a team effort with body and beauty and hairdressing students pitching in to help primp the models.

Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design programme coordinator Nigel Roberts says this time of year is about remembering to breathe. Academics also feel the stress as they ensure 33 final-year degree students are on track.  Right now, it’s looking good for a 100 percent pass rate.

From Havelock North, Eden Clarkson made moulds from cut glass bowls to create her porcelain lamp fittings. Accidents with the delicately executed forms are a setback, but she’s excited and looking forward to completing and exhibiting her work.

“The opening night will be a special event after three years of studying this course,” Eden says of the Graduate Exhibition which opens to the public on Friday, November 21.

Screen Production student Korina John’s final-year project is a film about a marionette who experiences the world after all but one of her strings are cut by a character representing life.

“Sometimes she is nice to the marionette and sometimes she’s mean. It’s all about how the audience sees it.”

Korina’s “quite steam punk style film” and other original short movies written and directed by her classmates will debut at the iS3 Film Screening at MTG on Monday, November 17.

Lecturer Tom Pierard feels his “inspiring” Certificate in Contemporary Music Performance students have found their voice in terms of composition as they prepare for the Music Performance evening to be held at Shed 2 on Friday, 28 November – “I’m looking forward to what they spit out.”

Guitarist Marcus Adams isn’t stressed just yet but admits he may be feeling that way

five minutes before going on stage. However, he’s confident he’ll perform well.   Writing his own material, he feels he can’t go wrong with the open entry audience.

“It can be way scary playing covers to a whole bunch of people,” the 21-year-old from Pirimai says.