Creative Arts & Music 6-week Course

SESSION Abstract: Your Voice Has Power: Breath, Sound, and Everyday Wellbeing:

This talk reveals what is happening in the body and brain when we breathe and use the voice, and why it has a direct impact on mood, perception, and control. Drawing on operatic practice and transformational breathwork, it examines the neurology and physiology of vocal mechanics, showing how breath and sound can actively shift internal state. The session is not about learning to sing, but about recognising the voice as a powerful, underused system for regulation, awareness, and self-management.

Sinead Hegarty (she/they) is a NZ Registered Music Therapist at Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, she completed her masters in Music Therapy at Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University) in 2023 and now works part time at the Hawkes Bay regional centre. Sinead has as deep love for community-focused approaches and promoting social justice in her practice.

SESSION Abstract: Music and your mind: How music reflects and influences our emotional world from a neuroscientific and cultural perspective. Exploring the idea that to be human is to be musical where music is perhaps an essential element for meaningful connection and belonging in our communities.

Svetlana Eliason is a professional musician and dedicated educator with over two decades of experience in performance and tertiary education. Originally from Bulgaria, she enjoyed a stellar international career based in London, touring globally as a bass player for Moby - including a memorable headline set at Glastonbury 2003 - and recording at Abbey Road Studios with Right Said Fred.

After serving as Head of Live Performance and Course Leader at the prestigious BIMM Institute in London, Svetlana relocated to Hawke’s Bay in 2022. Now a Music Lecturer at EIT’s IDEAschool, she brings her world-class expertise, academic credentials, and passion for creativity to inspire the next generation of artists.

Helen Dynes has a lifelong passion for art, knowing from childhood she would become an artist. Born in Ireland, she earned her MA in 1983 and has taught art in the UK and New Zealand for over 30 years, including Art as Therapy.

Emigrating to Napier in 2003, Helen is an accomplished artist known for her naturalistic, light-focused paintings of the human figure. Her work is held internationally.

Beyond her own practice, Helen generously shares her expertise through tutoring. Believing deeply in art’s therapeutic value, she recently launched The Pandora Project to help others discover their creativity.

SESSION ABSTRACT: In this session, Helen invites you on a journey of 'Self-Realisation through Art'.

Christina is a lifelong learner with a profound passion for exploring diverse cultures and disciplines. Her curiosity has inspired extensive global travel, from teaching English to Buddhist monks in Laos and volunteering at a Thai orphanage to visiting museums across Europe, the UK, and Asia. A highlight of her travels is the Bishop Museum in Hawai'i, which she visits frequently, including during the 2014 World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education.

Her academic journey began with law and politics at Waikato University, where she discovered dispute resolution. She subsequently earned a Master’s in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from Strathclyde University, UK. This period included an exchange at the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai and research in Hong Kong on the ombudsman's role.

Currently a Learning Facilitator for Love Heart Social Learning, Christina also teaches the Restorative Practices microcredential at Victoria University. A fully accredited restorative justice facilitator and assessor, she recently delivered mediation training in Micronesia. Previously, she served as Director of Employee Assistance Resolution Services at Victoria University.

Outside of work, Christina enjoys connecting with loved ones and attending international events, such as the 2025 Restorative Practices conference in Singapore, to continually expand her expertise.