Career Opportunities
The arts sector is increasingly one that provides job opportunities for graduates. Recent research shows that the creative industries (arts related businesses, etc) as a sector, had higher than average growth in employment rates in recent years and will continue to do so.
As a sector the creative industries have also been contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP, or economic wealth) at a rate that is higher than the national average.
Our graduates go into business on their own (as professional potters, web designers, jewellers); they are employed in the film, television, animation and advertising sector; they find employment as contract workers to fashion designers and interior designers; many (in fact about 30%) go into teacher training and become secondary art teachers; graduates also find work in art galleries and artist-run exhibition spaces; they begin establishing their professional careers as artists by doing residencies in hospitals, schools, prisons and other community organisations; there are graduates finding work in arts administration, libraries and museums; many go on to post-graduate study (Masters degree) here in Dunedin, elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas.
Graduates from our School are currently employed in the following areas:
Curatorial: Art Gallery curators, Education Officers, Arts administration
Museum: Museum Education, Exhibition technicians
Teaching: Tertiary, Secondary and Primary
Design Studio: Graphic designers, web designers, advertising (moving and still image)
Animation: Animation technicians for Weta Workshops, other animation and game development
Film industry: design roles- textiles, costumes, props; film production roles and post-production, advertising, music videos
Textiles: Digital Weaving, printing
Theatre: textiles, costumes, props
Ceramic production and artist studios
Jewellery Production: artist studios
Printmaking: for publication of artists prints, artists books
Book Publishing: illustration for books, newspapers and magazines, text writing and editing
Photography: Independent Studios, Free-lance photographers to various local and national bodies.
Many Dunedin School of Art graduates remain active in their art practice have exhibited their work nationally and internationally. Several have won national and international awards.