Bringing Stories to Life

Raised in an environment that encompasses his stories and histories, Turanga Mahutonga scored himself a fully paid scholarship at Yoobee College Rotorua by bringing these stories to life through the art of animation.

Admitting that he has always struggled to express himself through speech, Mahutonga uses his digital abilities to explain everything in detail.

"I come from a creative family, so I guess that side of things comes naturally. I started with pen and paper but once I was introduced to digital, things became even easier and I could do more."

Mahutonga's submission for the Indigenous Legends Scholarship had to have a traditional cultural element in the form of design, animation (hand-drawn or digital), short video or series of photographs. His winning design, the personification of Matariki, describes who he is in relation to his culture and town, Rotorua.

Mahutonga spoke to Katee Shanks of Rotorua Daily Post regarding his recognition. Click here to read the full article on NZ Herald. 

The Indigenous Legends Scholarship is a premier Maori and Pasifika scholarship, that supports high achieving Maori and Pasifika people that are looking at starting a career in the Creative Industries.

Explore our Programmes

Meet our Alumni