Eight teenagers can officially call themselves the first batch of Ignite graduates as of last night.

Ignite is a programme aimed at giving young Kiwis, aged 15 to 18, hands-on experience in music event management. Participants were paired up with music industry mentors for 15 weeks, during which they designed and delivered a wide range of projects from fundraising events to fan meet-ups and all-ages concerts. At the graduation event held at MAINZ in Auckland on June 23,  each of the teenagers gave a presentation on the outcomes of their projects. Eighteen-year-old Hunter Keane was awarded a scholarship to study a Diploma in Music and Event Management at MAINZ in 2017. On top of being part of Ignite, the Western Springs College student has been volunteering at 95bFM since he was underage. He was supported by his mentor Anthony Metcalf and ran an all-ages concert featuring local indie band The Leers.

“Hunter stood out from the application process as someone who was very passionate about music and he took up all the opportunities that Ignite had to offer. What impressed me the most was his sheer drive and independence in organising his event. He put so much thought into everything. He carefully researched and asked for opinions from trusted people and used this to make up his own mind.” – Ignite founder Savina Kim. Ignite will return next year in March with a new intake of ten participants between 15-18 years of age.