Auckland’s First Afterwork Academy Sold Out

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4th of May 2017

Auckland’s newest social outing with a crafted twist has proven so popular, it’s sold out.

Tonight marks the inaugural Afterwork Academy; a series of events aimed to get people together to create something great with their hands, learn something new, and make friends over wine and cheese.

The Afterwork Academy has been founded by Auckland designers Jess Mentis and Annabelle Rose who were tired of spending their days behind computer screens.

“As designers, so much of what we create these days is with computers,” Jess says.

“It’s easy to forget how satisfying it is to make something with your own two hands and we want to help people experience it. It’s amazing what you can create!”

Jess and Annabelle are no strangers to making amazing things. Jess has received widespread attention for her edible art as The Jellyologist, while Annabelle is the art director for Remix magazine and runs her own activewear brand Rose Road.

Tonight’s first Afterwork Academy event, at Jess and Annabelle’s Karangahape Road studio, is a workshop to make the newest trend taking Pinterest by storm: tassel earrings.

“It ain’t just for the ladies,” says Annabelle. “We’re keen for the lads to come earn some major brownie points and make some for their better half. The Afterwork Academy is definitely not a girls-only or designers-only club. We want people with all sorts of backgrounds and interests.”

And for the men who aren’t keen on making earrings (or who didn’t manage to snap up a ticket in time), the next six months is full of stimulating events: from nude life drawing to candle making; aerial yoga to leather crafting.

Afterwork Academy events will be run in small groups of no more than 40 people to ensure they stay intimate and lively. The wine (BYO) and cheese (provided) will help ensure that too.

Jess and Annabelle hope people will walk away from the events with new friends as much as new creative skills.

“The digital age has been amazing at connecting us to the rest of the world but not so great at connecting us to like-minded people in our own cities,” Annabelle says.

“The emphasis is equally on meeting new people over wine and cheese as it is on making something epic with your own two hands. No matter your skill level or how 'creative' you believe you are, there’s something here for everyone.”

The duo have been blown away by how popular tonight’s event has been with tickets selling out on the first day. They believe it’s indicative of a growing need for better social events that aren’t centred around drinking or screens.

“We feel that crafting is a bit of a lost art in our modern society,” Jess says.

“Culturally, there is a long history of people, especially women, making things together. Weaving, knitting, butter churning, embroidery, wood carving, and many others are all crafts that were made in family or social gatherings, not factories.

“Call us nostalgic and romantic, but this kind of face-to-face time while being productive is an important part of culture that’s dying out in our super-fast Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook-driven age.”

ENDS

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