The Crescendo Trust Of Aotearoa Information

The Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa (CTOA) is a mentorship program, working with young people from around Tāmaki Makaurau. Using music, film and photography, we connect with young people between the ages of 12-24, and help them build confidence, learn new skills and make industry connections. Since the trust’s inception in 2012 we have changed the lives of thousands of students. Whether helping artists like Church and AP or Disciple Pati to get their start in the industry, or simply giving a young person a space to express themselves during a difficult time in their lives, we are committed to making positive change in the lives of the rangatahi and the communities we work in. Our mentors use their years of industry experience, to guide students to grow as artists, and to find opportunities in employment and further education. Each student is unique, with this in mind we offer a range of teaching models. All young people get one-on-one time with mentors, and we also run group classes such as Rap School, where students learn the rudiments of writing and recording hip hop tracks. We work with youth from all backgrounds, and our students come to the trust through various channels including; community groups, local schools, alternative education providers, walk-ins and Oranga Tamariki. All CTOA hubs are drug and alcohol free, safe spaces where people feel comfortable to be themselves and work on their craft. At CTOA we create a whānau environment, with many of our students going on to become apprentices at the Trust. We offer professional development for all our staff and students, with a focus on wellbeing. We also help students to book performances, at both a corporate and local level, and we make sure they are paid fairly for their time and talents. Where possible we also employ CTOA students to design posters, run our social media and set up and run the shows themselves.