2026 Internship Programme + Professional Mentorship
New Zealand Glassworks Te Whare Tūhua o Te Ao (NZG), with the support of Creative New Zealand, is pleased to announce the 2026 Internship Programme is open now for applications.
New Zealand Glassworks is the national centre for glass. NZG’s vision is to be the hub of glass practice in New Zealand and be renowned as a centre for innovation and glass excellence. We are New Zealand’s leading place for the community to access and experience all aspects of glass, to inspire and encourage glass artists and advocate for a sustainable sector.
New Zealand Glassworks is committed to providing an educational environment which will foster the professional development of those pursuing a career in glass. In 2026 we look forward to offering an intensive 6-month Internship Programme for two emerging artists to run from May through October. The Internship Programme will provide hands-on skill building and professional development opportunities for emerging artists pursuing a career in glass.
Professional Mentors:
NZG is seeking applications for one to two Professional Mentors to work directly with the two selected Interns. A Professional Mentor is considered an expert in the field of hot glass, with an eagerness to share and teach our selected Interns. The Professional Mentor(s) will be selected by an independent panel comprised of sector leaders. The selected Professional Mentor(s) will be expected to have a minimum of 10 years’ experience as practicing glass artists and to have gained tertiary qualifications in glass or equivalent.
Key dates:
Applications open: 15 September 2025
Deadline for submissions: 1pm 24 October 2025
Applicants notified: 10 November 2025
Internship Programme: 27 April – 30 October 2026
For all enquiries please email info@nzglassworks.com or phone us at 06 927 6803
Internship: Full programme details and application form can be found here
Professional Mentor: Full programme details and application form can be found here
To apply for the 2026 Internship Programme/Professional Mentorship, please complete the application form and send along with all supporting documents to:
Madeline Prowd
NZG Manager
madeline@nzglassworks.com
2 Rutland St
Whanganui 4500
Madeline Prowd – Manager, New Zealand Glassworks
Madeline Prowd, Manager of NZ Glassworks, has been a practicing glass artist for 16 years. Recieving her BVA from the Australian National University in '09, Prowd continued her training in the rigorous 2-year Associate Training Programme at JamFactory, SA. Prowd has been an invited instructor and a Craftsperson in Residence at the internationally renowned Pilchuck Glass School, USA. Prowd was Studio Technician at JamFactory for 10 years before relocating to New Zealand in 2023. In her role of Manager, NZ Glassworks, Prowd oversees the strategic operation and development of the facility. Prowd has a strong dedication to community engagement and sector development.
Prowd will be a panellist for the Internship Programme appointment.
Dr Kathryn Wightman - Artist & Senior Lecturer - Glass and Visual Arts - UCOL/Te Pūkenga
Kathryn Wightman began working with glass as a student at the University of Sunderland (UK) in 2000, where she obtained a degree in Glass and Ceramics followed by an MA in Glass in 2005. This led to Ph.D research undertaken at the University of Sunderland in 2012, focusing on the integration of glassmaking and printmaking processes, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, England.
In 2012 she relocated to New Zealand to take up the post of Glass Lecturer at the Wanganui Glass School. Over the past 14 years, Wightman has lectured in Glass and Ceramics at Te Pūkenga UCOL, Whanganui, gaining international recognition through numerous juried prizes such as the Emerge Glass Prize (2014), the Ranamok Glass Prize (2014), the Whanganui Arts Review (winner 2018 and 2019), as well as selection as a finalist in all five iterations of the biennial Fuse Glass Prize.
Wightman delivers workshops internationally and is currently relocating to Australia to take up a lecturing position in Glass and Ceramics at the Australian National University.
Wightman will be a panellist for the Internship + Professional Mentor appointment
Katie Brown - Artist
Katie Brown has been a practicing glass artist for three decades, creating and exhibiting her work throughout New Zealand and internationally. A graduate with a Diploma in Glass Blowing Production and Design, Brown spent three years in the United States blowing glass for artist Josh Simpson, followed by a year in England working with Neil Wilkin, gaining invaluable international experience.
From 2005 to 2016, Brown co-owned and operated Chronicle Glass Studio in Whanganui, a key hub for contemporary glass in Aotearoa. Now based in Whanganui, she runs her own gallery, Katie Brown & Co., showcasing a diverse range of artwork, homewares, and jewellery from artists across Aotearoa, supporting artists, fostering a vibrant creative community, and providing a space that celebrates both craft and design.
Brown will be a panellist for the Internship Programme appointment.
Andrew Clifford - Director, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery
Andrew Clifford is a writer, curator, and the Director of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui. He was director of Te Uru in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland from
2013-2023.
Clifford has produced music programmes for 95bFM and RNZ, and is a trustee
of the Len Lye Foundation, the Edith Collier Trust, and the Contemporary Art
Foundation.
Clifford is a panellist for the Professional Mentor appointment
Danielle Rickaby - Head of Glass Studio, JamFactory + Artist
Danielle Rickaby is Head of the Glass Studio at JamFactory and a practicing glass artist.
Trained in glassblowing and lampworking, she transforms traditional techniques into contemporary expressions through sculptural pieces and wearable glass. A graduate of the University of South Australia and
JamFactory’s intensive Associate Program, Rickaby has sustained a full-time glass practice for over 15 years, spanning exhibitions, production work,
collaborations, teaching, and workshops.
In 2016, she founded the glass brand
YO-DAN. Inspired by the everyday and driven by a deep respect for the medium’s beauty and complexity.
Rickaby is a panellist for the Professional Mentor appointment.
