Yoobee Colleges

Last night, Yoobee City Road held our first 'Whānau Night' of the year – Whakato.

Whakato, meaning to plant the seed, was truly brought to life as our community came together and showed up for their whānau. There was laughter, stories, games, and good kai — a night filled with connection, creativity, and warmth.

By simply being there, you helped plant seeds of support, connection, and belonging. For some of our students — especially the quiet ones — this was a moment to be seen not just as learners, but as artists, creators, and part of a place where they truly belong.

We wanted to give families a window into life at Yoobee — to show how your ākonga are thriving, creating, and connecting. For some, it was the first time seeing their tamariki come alive — surrounded by peers, tutors, and a community that sees them, supports them, and believes in them.

When support is real and consistent, it goes a long way. And last night proved just how powerful it is to have whānau in the room. We’re so grateful you came — and we can’t wait to grow more of these moments together throughout the year. 💓

At Yoobee Colleges, we believe creativity should be seen, shared, and celebrated. That’s why we’re proud to be one of the sponsors for PIXelated, a showcase of cutting-edge digital art and fresh creative voices. During it's opening night a few weeks back, Tyson from the Yoobee team delivered one of the opening speeches — highlighting our ongoing commitment to supporting local creatives and fostering the future of Aotearoa New Zealand's art scene.

Exploring this year's theme 'DUALITY' through a vibrant mix of styles and different mediums, PIXelated celebrates creativity, technology, and diversity in all its forms. As we're dedicated to nurturing creative talents, we know acknowledge how important it is for emerging artists to have real-world opportunities to showcase their work, connect with industry, and grow their networks.

Visit the PIXelated Exhibition📍 The People’s Gallery, The Historic Village, Tauranga
Open to the public from 10am–3pm daily until 12th April.

📸 Photos by and the team at PIXelated

Massive turn out for our Yoobee Open Day last week, huge thank you to everyone who rocked up! 🙌🏻

If you missed it, you can still book a campus tour with us! We're still accepting enrolments for April and July 2025!

📣 1 Week Left! 📣

Come along to our Yoobee Open Day! Meet our academic staff, tutors, and current students to get a feel for studying with us. Take a campus tour and check out some incredible student projects. Sign up today!

https://info.yoobee.ac.nz/yoobee-national-open-day

🗓️ Wednesday, 26th of March 2025
📍 Auckland City, Christchurch, Wellington, and Online
⏰ On-Campus: 10am - 12pm | 5pm - 7pm
💻 Online: 6pm - 7pm

We hope to see you there! 👀

Our Yoobee Wellington Film Tutor Duo Michael Cox and Ebed Pihl are cooking up something in the works 🎥

Their latest project, Under the Willow Tree, is more than just a film—it's a collaboration with Yoobee graduates, including recent Diploma in Film and Television Production graduate Shelby Porter. This project bridges the gap between education and professional filmmaking, giving emerging talent the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.

As filmmakers, Michael and Ebed craft a deeply personal drama about connection, forgiveness, and change, weaving nuanced storytelling with rich visuals and sound. The project offered invaluable hands-on experience to emerging filmmakers, cultivating a new generation of talent while showcasing the power of mentorship and collaboration.

Watch out for 'Under the Willow Tree' as it prepares to make its mark at film festivals, showcasing fresh talent and a powerful story that resonates on a deeply human level.

Film Logline: When her mother dies, Willow is thrust into the care of her unknown alcoholic father, Hank. Struggling to connect with his daughter, Hank plans to send her into foster care. 🌳

It's your turn to create! 🫵🏻

Join us for our Yoobee Open Day — chat with our academic staff, tutors, and current students to learn more about what it's like studying with us! Enjoy a tour of our campus, and see some amazing student work.

🗓️ Wednesday, 26th of March 2025
📍 Auckland City, Christchurch, Wellington, and Online
⏰ On-Campus: 10am - 12pm | 5pm - 7pm
💻 Online: 6pm - 7pm

Register now at the link below!

https://info.yoobee.ac.nz/yoobee-national-open-day

We hope to see you there! 👀

This morning, our Yoobee College of Creative Innovation and New Zealand School of Tourism team in Ōtautahi, Christchurch had their campus Whakanoa/Whakarangimarie, Blessing. Matua Brian Lewis and Sharvarn Pearson from the local Ngāi Tahu iwi blessed our campus, our kaimahi (staff)
and our ākonga (students). This also kicked off the start of our Bachelor's programmes for the year. It's a proud time for our campus. Here's to shared and beautiful beginnings.

Huge congratulations to our Yoobee Wellington Graduating Class of 2024! 🎓

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrate our graduates as they embark on their new journey.

📸 by Aiden Dickens

Last 30th of January, our Yoobee Wellington campus hosted the IGNITE Graduate Exhibition where we showcase graduates from our Animation, Design, Film, Marketing, and Technology programmes.

The night was filled with incredible displays of talent, innovation, and creative passion. From cutting-edge Web & UX design to breathtaking Animation and inspiring Film & TV projects, our graduates truly set the stage for the future of the industry.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, supported, and celebrated with us—whether you were an industry guest, a proud family member, or a fellow creative. Your energy and enthusiasm made the event unforgettable! 🚀

If you've missed the event, you can still explore their amazing work by visiting the IGNITE website:

https://www.yoobeeignite.com/

🎓✨ Ignite 2025: Yoobee Wellington Graduate Exhibition ✨🎥

Join us for an open event showcasing the incredible work of our graduates across Web & UX, Film & TV Production, and Animation! 🎨🎬

📅 Thursday, 30th Jan 2025 @ 5PM
📍 Level 2, 2 Bunny St, Railway Station West Wing, Wellington

Explore their creativity, meet the talents, and celebrate the future of innovation. Food & drinks provided – everyone’s welcome! 🥂

🎨 Design shapes the world. Our Diploma in Digital Design - Web and Graphic Design are still accepting classes for this Feb 2025 intake.

Whether it’s graphic design, web design, or UX, we’ve got the perfect course to kickstart your design and creative journey.

Our design courses at Yoobee are filling up fast, but there’s still time to secure your spot. Enrol now!

https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/design/digital-design-diploma

Last week, Yoobee Colleges kicked off 2025 with our Research & Professional Development Symposium: "Bridging Gaps, Building Futures: Transformational Approaches in Research."

Over two days, inspiring keynotes, panels, and workshops explored cutting-edge research and innovative ideas. Highlights included:

✨ Keynotes by Dr. Frances Hughes, Te Oraiti Reedy, and Dr. Tanisha Jowsey delivered inspiring talks on roles of research in addressing issues of today, Te Ao Māori & Research, Ethical Rollercoasters, and Generative AI and Its Applications.
💡 A dynamic panel with Dr. Tanisha Jowsey, Dr. Lehan Stemmet, and Dr. Donna O'Donnell on innovation in research.
📚 Workshops on postgraduate supervision, Te Tiriti o Waitangi in research, and actionable pathways for research success.
📉 Staff and Student research presentations.

Staff, students, and guests shared ideas, sparked collaborations, and left inspired to shape the future.

🎥 We’ve had the pleasure of partnering with the New Zealand Youth Film Festival to inspire and connect students and young creatives with the film industry.

Day 1 at Yoobee Wellington was all about hands-on experiences—with campus tours, interactive workshops led by our tutors that are from the industry, and a behind-the-scenes look at life in production.

On Day 2, the excitement continued with the Awards Evening, where Sean, our Wellington Film Team Leader, proudly presented the Yoobee College of Creative Innovation Best Directing Award to Acacia Wong and the Dear Dad team!

We’re thrilled to play a role in fostering the next generation of filmmakers and can’t wait to see what these creatives achieve next! 🎬✨

📸 Photos 5, 6, 7 © the NZYFF Team.

Back in the day, being a creative has not always been the conventional route to make a career out of, but it can be with the right mix of passion and persistence. In this article from The Spinoff, they featured Mukpuddy Animation Studios co-founder and Yoobee graduate, Ryan Cooper. With over 20 years in the industry, he talks about how dedication to storytelling and adaptability can turn a creative dream into reality. Ryan shares how Mukpuddy started in a basement with one computer and grew into a studio employing up to 60 people, many of whom are Yoobee graduates. Read the full article in the link below:

https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/05-12-2024/from-classroom-to-studio-how-mukpuddys-ryan-cooper-made-it-in-animation

👾 If you’re ready to turn your creative passion into a lifelong career, Yoobee is here to guide you from dream to reality.

📸 Photos by: Isaiah Tour © The Spinoff

Cyber Weekend may be over, but did you know that Yoobee is still offering free* Certificate in IT with full-time and part-time options, or a Diploma in Cloud Engineering? It’s the perfect time to kickstart your tech career! Find out more below:

https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/technology/certificate-in-information-technology
https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/technology/cloud-engineering-diploma



*entry conditions apply

Massive thank you for everyone who attended our open day last week! 🙌🏻

If you missed it, you can still book a campus tour with us! Enrolments are ongoing for February 2025. 🎨

🚨 21ST JANUARY 2025 - LAST CHANCE AUDITIONS FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 🚨

If you're still thinking of joining, please click the link below to secure a spot for the last audition for our acting courses. This will take place at South sea's campus on Tuesday the 21st of January.

https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/film

📣 A MONTH TO GO, STUDYLINK REMINDER!! 📣

If you're studying in 2025, 16 December is a very important date. It's one you just can't miss.

Apply for your student allowance or loan before 16 December to give yourself the best chance of having everything sorted ready for the start of your course.

For more info, please visit the StudyLink website!

👩‍🎨 Do you know a budding young artist?

To celebrate , New Zealand Association for Environmental Education is hosting an art competition for preschoolers to 24 years olds 🎨.

The theme is ephemeral – artwork must contain material from the beach that could disappear back into nature with the tide, in the wind, or over time 🌊🌬️🕑.

📅 Entries close midnight on 13 March. To learn more and enter the competition 👉 bit.ly/3M2L28S.

Following the Government announcement today, New Zealand is moving to Alert Level 4 in response to COVID-19. This means all our campuses will be shut to students from tomorrow, Tuesday 24 March 2020 for four weeks.

We have invested in digital tools in order to stream the delivery of all of our programs and we foresee minimal disruption to our current and future students. Delivery of streamed online classes will begin from the 6th April.

Please go to our parent company, UP Education for further information. https://www.up.education/news/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/

Take your marks...get set... GO!
The April Secondary School Holiday programmes are now available for bookings - for ages 13-18 years, 18 courses on offer - let your family know 😀 👇
https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/school-holiday-programmes/?campus=1216&

School Holiday Programmes Yoobee Colleges is NZ's largest specialised creative and technical college. We've been operating for 30 years and represent the joined forces of South Seas Film and Television, AMES IT, Animation College and Yoobee School of Design.

Any students want to come and stuff some booklets into 270 envelopes for a movie voucher?
I only need two students and we start on Monday (morning preferred).
Comment below with " I LOVE MOVIES " and I will be in touch. Thanks, Lyndal Short Course Co-ordinator.

Have you heard?
We are running our School Holiday Programme in the last two weeks of January in Christchurch, if you know of any Secondary School students that may be interested.

Visual design
Creative Photography
2D Animation
Game Design
Character Design
Digital Painting
Python Programming

https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/school-holiday-programmes

Calling all budding creatives between 13-18 years old ... we have over 💥 32 secondary school holiday courses here in Christchurch, starting on 28 September! 💥

Did you know schools have STAR funding for school years 11-13 - so it may even be FREE for you...👏 ask your Careers/ Gateway/STAR co-ordinator at school.

👇 for the link to the list on the website
https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/courses/school-holiday-programmes/?campus=1216&

👇 for the link to the booklet outlining the programme
https://www.yoobee.ac.nz/media/1800/october-2019-christchurch-email.pdf

Have fun choosing.

School Holiday Programmes Yoobee Colleges is NZ's largest specialised creative and technical college. We've been operating for 30 years and represent the joined forces of South Seas Film and Television, AMES IT, Animation College and Yoobee School of Design.

Want to add photography or film skills to your Yoobee experience?

Yoobee College of Creative Innovation

Our July intakes will start soon! This is the last chance to enrol for 2019, so if you have any friends that are keen give them a heads up. If they enrol you'll receive a $100 prezzy card as a thank you!

Thanks 😁

33% off for current & past students - plus there’s also an early bird 🐦 price discount as well! ( which makes it under the student loan course related costs amount 😉)

Join our immersive Photography Training Package Inspire and be inspired

Creative Holiday Programmes Our School Holiday Programmes offer high school students a great opportunity to get creative, have fun and learn new skills in the ever-changing world of design.

Know of any family or friends that have some creative young people that might like to learn some new skills over the July school holidays ?🤔👍😁

Creative Holiday Programmes Our School Holiday Programmes offer high school students a great opportunity to get creative, have fun and learn new skills in the ever-changing world of design.

🎬 We have this awesome course running in Christchurch - twice a week 6-9pm for seven weeks 🎬 (plus there’s an early bird discount of $550 annnnd an additional 33% for current & past students 😮👍😉 on top of that - making it as cheap as 🍟!!!

The Best Part-Time Film Course In NZ Inspire and be inspired.

Christchurch partnership arts strategy a first in New Zealand A draft arts strategy for Christchurch is now open for consultation, setting out a bold plan to make Christchurch one of the best places in Aotearoa to live and be creative. 

The Light & Dark 2019 Secondary School Character competition is looking for New Zealand’s best young illustrator and due to open up for registrations this month! Find out more by visiting our website.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see previous Light & dark student artwork and engage with others just like you!

Register now to enter ~> https://bit.ly/2H96LMP

The Best Photography Course In NZ Inspire and be inspired.