Study 2024
Contemporary art is of critical value to how we live, posing challenging and provocative questions about how we perceive our world. Elam is a diverse and supportive environment where students learn and experiment in a range of practices. The School’s footprint on the New Zealand creative community is substantial, with many of the country’s best-known artists, designers, researchers, and art commentators emerging from Elam. To find out more about our programmes view the information below.
Create, explore and disrupt
With a focus on conceptual and critical thinking, study at Elam will both extend and empower you according to your individual needs and ambitions. Our supportive interdisciplinary environment helps you to work in ways best suited to your making. Elam students have access to an extensive array of gallery, studio, workshop and digital resources including:
- Digital media hub with photographic, video, film and audio facilities and HD suite.
- Screen printing, intaglio and lithography facilities.
- Photography studios, darkrooms and processing facilities.
- Wood and metal workshops.
- Traditional machine shop.
- Digital and large format printing facilities.
- Vinyl cutting room and spray painting booth.
- Mould and casting areas for silicone, vacuum forming, slip casting, plaster, molochite, wax and resin work.
- Foundry and kiln spaces.
- Ceramic studio.
- Specialist book presses.
- Large shared studio spaces.
- A wide-ranging, constantly-growing collection of specialist books, catalogues, journals and databases.
- Three exhibiting galleries on campus: Elam Projectspace, Window and West Gallery.
Application requirements
Submitting your application is an easy-to-follow process. You are required to complete the University of Auckland’s Application for Admission. Applications are open.
To find out more about how to apply please view the information found here.
Elam is led by successful creative practitioners and technical staff. Their expertise and experience will help you achieve creative excellence, meaningful contributions to culture and society and successful careers within creative industries.
Demand a future with options
The diversity of career opportunities for Elam graduates continues to expand as the demand for critical and creative thinking across industries increases. Elam alumni are successful and highly regarded in a wide range of cultural and creative fields. Recent graduates include:
- Luke Willis Thompson, artist, Turner Prize finalist 2018
- Imogen Kerr, Head of Sale, Christie’s Auction House, London
- Kate Lill, Art Director, Pitchblack Partners
- Alex Davidson, Assistant Curator, 2015 Venice Biennale
- Mark William Dewes, Artist and Special Fx Technician, Weta Workshop
- Niamh Peren, filmmaker and environmental advocate
- Anna Starr, Design Strategist and Experience Designer, Pitch Studio
- Melanie Bell, Senior Digital Producer, Gladeye
- Salome Tanuvasa, artist and educator
- Ane Tonga, Curator of Pacific Art, Auckland Art Gallery
- Anna Gardner, Gallery Administrative Manager, Artspace
- James Lowe, fashion and art photographer
Elam graduates have found employment in diverse roles including:
- film and video makers
- designers
- artists
- cinematographers
- set and prop designers
- teachers
- community workers
- auction house directors
- curators
- gallery managers
- exhibition designers
- graphic designers
- fashion designers
- illustrators
- photographers
- journalists
- critics
- artistic directors
- advertising account managers
- entrepreneurial creatives
Find out more
We’d love to talk to you, answer any of your questions and show you around our studios, galleries, labs and workshops.
To contact us, please call:
0800 61 62 63 for student enquiries within New Zealand
+64 9 373 7513 for student enquiries from outside New Zealand
Or email: studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz
To find out more about how to apply to study at Elam, please view the information found here
Learn more about our Student Hubs