We are fortunate to work with an extraordinary whānau of craftspeople who are passionate about resourceful craft for the wellbeing of people and planet.

Our tutors are capable and experienced in their particular areas of practice and are committed to developing and extending their craft. They are mindful of the impacts of their practice, of the provenance of their techniques and materials, and of those who came before them, and of those to come.

Our tutors align themselves with our teaching and learning values of being self-aware, reflective, compassionate, kind, encouraging, patient, respectful, inclusive and non-judgemental, and are able to relate to people from a range of backgrounds and experiences.

Juliet Arnott

Juliet maintains a craft practice alongside her directorship of Rekindle. She has been working with undervalued materials & resourceful craft traditions for over 18 years. Her work includes green woodworking, willow, tī kōuka & other basketry, studies of the Orkney chair - this all leading her to establish the Resourceful Skills workshop programme in Ōtautahi Christchurch in 2017, & the festival of Necessary Traditions in 2018. Juliet's previous work includes founding the Whole House Reuse project 2012-2015 & Rekindle's furniture series 2010-2015.

Juliet teaches a number of greenwood-working and tī kōuka workshops within our Resourceful Skills workshop programme.  @rekindle_nz & @ju_and_pip

Images - Above: Juliet making a greenwood stool 2018, photographed by Justyn Denney. Below: Hazel nest woven in Clisset Wood, Herefordshire UK 2006.

Douglas Horrell

Douglas has taught spoon carving since 2017 and makes hand-carved useful items such as spoons and bowls, as well as pole-lathe turning and other green wood crafts. He forges some of his tools from repurposed steel. Douglas teaches spoon carving, sharpening, kuksas, and his carved wood bowl workshop is new in 2025. He also hosts the monthly spoon club sessions.  @cleftcraft

Gemma Stratton

Greg Quinn

Working with wood from fruit tree care to craft, Greg is a professional in home orchard care as well as a furniture maker. He makes beautiful greenwood furniture, rakes, pegs, food storage crates, brooms and other objects of use, using machine-free methods. Greg is teaching peg making and four of his sought-after two-day stool making workshops in 2025 - don’t miss out! @homeorchardcare

Images - Both by Kai Jonathan Lee. 

Diana Duncan

Having studied fashion design and worked in clothing repairs and alterations, Diana has always enjoyed creative design and problem solving. Her desire to tread lightly on this earth and conserve its resources has found a natural fit with the materials she grows and forages for her weaving practice. More recently, Diana has focussed on willow growing and weaving. Diana is teaching wreath making, hosting monthly basket sessions, and leads a group that looks after our basket willow coppice.  @diana.iama.maker

Images - Both by Kai Jonathan Lee.

Annie Mackenzie

A weaver and spinner, Annie is also a gardener, occasional dyer, and the recipient of the Blumhardt foundation’s Dame Doreen’s Gift for 2024. After studying sculpture at the University of Canterbury, she learnt her craft through the New Zealand Woolcrafts Society of Spinners and Weavers Guilds. She celebrates the beauty of wool from fleece to yarn to cloth. Annie is based on Te Tai o Poutini, the West Coast and will teach drop spindle spinning, as well as her new rag rug workshop in 2025.

Images - Both by Kai Jonathan Lee.

Mirabel Oliver

A longtime lover of many craft practices, Mirabel also studied sculpture at the University of Canterbury. She loves the domesticity associated with working with wool and its incredible uses, seeing it as an important feature of family life. Mirabel was given a spinning wheel by her mother-in-law and was taught to spin by Annie Mackenzie. This year Mirabel is teaching drop spindle spinning, darning, felt bowl making, and a new patchwork workshop, along with running our mending club.  @mira_bee

Images - Above: Portrait by Kai Jonathan Lee.

Sonia Barrish

With a passion for living simply and sustainably, Sonia enjoys and respects what the wilds can provide. She believes in making use of what can be found in nature to fulfil our everyday needs, cultivating and making by hand as much as she can on her urban section in Kaiapoi to support her growing family. Sonia is teaching workshops for soap making, natural body products and natural household cleaning products.  @backtothewildnz

Ayumi Hirata

Growing up in Osaka, Japan, Ayumi moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2010. During her studies, she started thinking about what it really means to be sustainable. This led her back to Japan, to the centuries-old practice of furoshiki. Ayumi now creates these traditional Japanese wrapping cloths from textiles diverted from landfill. Founder of FabWrap, she began teaching her workshops in 2023.   @fabwrap_nz

Images - Above: Portrait by Kai Jonathan Lee. Below: By Steven Junil Park.