Facilitating Creative Pathways

As part of our ongoing series celebrating local creatives who go beyond their individual practice to support and build up others around them, positive outcomes through creative engagement continue to emerge; the ability to connect people, to spark joy, and in turn, enrich communities.

Two individuals who exemplify what it means to foster creative practice and make the arts more accessible are visual artist/gallery owner Claudia Aalderink and music/arts organiser Lauren Kerr-Bell. Through different mediums, both are proving that creativity facilitates multi-faceted value as a shared experience.

When Aalderink moved to New Zealand in 2005, she came with a background in floristry and a passion for photography which led her into fulltime study at Wintec. But her creative path took an unexpected turn one day when her husband arrived home with a ute full of old beehive boxes, expecting to use it as firewood. Claudia recalls her response. 

“No way, we’re not going to burn those beautiful boxes. I can probably make something with those.”

That experiment with salvaged wood sparked a new artistic direction. Claudia began making abstract artworks from beehives and selling them at local markets, quickly building a name for herself. By 2014, she had opened her own gallery, The Mandarin Tree, located in Gordonton. More than a decade later, the space is a vibrant creative hub representing 85 New Zealand-based artists.

Accessibility has always been central to her vision. “Everyone should be able to afford an original piece of art,” Claudia explains. “And that’s why we’re still here, because we’ve got something for everyone.” She never tires of seeing people leave with smiles and something beautiful for their homes. 

Beyond her own work, Aalderink has become a champion for other artists, welcoming new proposals with a genuine openness. She runs the gallery alongside her daughter Isa, who has grown into the role of manager. “We’re two peas in a pod. I always say she’s the responsible one of the two of us. We balance each other out very well.”

Lauren Kerr-Bell’s practice is about people and performance. As longtime trustee of the Hamilton Live Music Trust and an important contributor to the Riff Raff Public Art Trust, Lauren has spent years helping to shape the city’s alternative music and arts scene.

Her journey began in her teens attending metal, punk and hardcore gigs, and later grew through organising shows for student radio station Contact FM. Events like the Hamilton Circle Jerk helped cement her reputation as a trusted and valued organiser.

Kerr-Bell also co-founded the Festival of Weird, a local celebration of fringe arts and music. The festival often pairs emerging artists with seasoned creatives, offering mentorship and public exposure. “We had someone doing their first lighting installation and paired them up with a very seasoned local artist. To me that was just one example of an amazing experience to collaborate and work on creating something publicly.”

Collaboration is at the heart of Lauren’s ethos and she believes being part of a DIY community is really important. “A friend of mine calls it the giving circle, where you use your time to help somebody else on their project, and in return they do it for you. There’s no exchanging of money, you’re giving your time to make someone’s project work.”

For her, the impact of public arts events is profound. “Often, arts can be seen as a nice-to-have, or almost unaffordable. If you do something publicly, you’re giving people the opportunity who may not otherwise get to participate. And it brings people together.”

Despite their different mediums, Claudia and Lauren share a belief in the necessity of creativity for individual and community wellbeing. Claudia sees artmaking as “an outlet that gives artists joy in life,” and believes that completing a piece of work helps restore “the balance in life a little bit.”

Kerr-Bell echoes that sentiment through her dedication to Hamilton’s music scene. She sees herself as part of an ongoing chain of organisers, passing down knowledge and confidence to younger creatives. “You feel like you are part of keeping it going for the next generation,” she says. “Having somebody older who has been through the ropes is such a quick way to learn how to facilitate and put on your own things.”

Both also emphasise the importance of risk-taking. Claudia experiments with burning and stitching her wooden panels, pushing her medium in new directions. Lauren cites a favourite quote from former street art duo BMD: “safety is a place where creativity goes to die.” For her, creativity means “constantly pushing and challenging yourself to do something different.”

Together, Claudia and Lauren illustrate how creative practice can expand outward, helping shape not only individuals but also the wider community. In different ways, they are supporting spaces where creativity thrives, where people discover art, music, and collaborative experiences they might never have otherwise encountered.

Our interviews are ongoing and we are actively looking at delivering more stories featuring the local Waikato creative community. If you know someone who would be an excellent candidate to include in this initiative, contact hello@creativewaikato.co.nz for more information.

Written by: Scott Granville, Creative Waikato team member