A Journey of Resilience and Renewal: 2020-2025
Day One Hāpai te Haeata has navigated a transformative five-year period marked by significant challenges and remarkable achievements. Building on our 17-year legacy as The Outlook for Someday, we have emerged stronger and more focused on our mission to provide rangatahi filmmakers with the tools, guidance, and opportunities to share their screen stories.
Five years ago we were on the cusp of the global pandemic, following a period of leadership transition and funding reductions. Like many arts organisations, we were forced to adapt quickly, moving our operations remote and reimagining program delivery in a digital environment. Despite these challenges, this period catalysed innovation in our approach and reinforced our commitment to youth storytelling.
The organisational rebrand to Day One Hāpai te Haeata in 2024 marked a pivotal moment in our evolution, reflecting our expanded scope beyond sustainability to encompass the broader range of issues important to rangatahi today. "Day One" embodies the active, present-focused nature of our work, while "Hāpai te Haeata" (the dawn breaks) symbolises new beginnings and fresh opportunities.
Leadership transitions have been a defining feature of this period. Following the departure of our founder in 2018, we have developed a new collaborative leadership model, culminating in the partnership of Chris Widdup and Anna Duckworth as co-directors in early 2024. Concurrently, we have rebuilt our Trust Board with greater diversity to guide our strategic direction.
Our three cornerstone programs have each undergone significant development:
- Day One Challenge (formerly Someday Challenge) is experiencing renewed engagement following a comprehensive reinvention, with participation increasing dramatically from 72 participants in 2023 to 343 participants across both rounds in 2024.
- Day One How To (formerly Someday Workshops) has adapted to a hybrid delivery model, creating lasting educational resources while seeking innovative approaches to engagement.
- Day One Shorts (formerly Someday Stories) has expanded from 6 to 8 films annually, with all 50 films produced successfully completed and released since it’s inception. The program now offers a more intensive year-long support structure.
2024: A Year of Breakthrough
The past year has been transformative for our organisation. The successful rebrand to Day One Hāpai te Haeata has reinvigorated our identity and connection with young filmmakers. Strategic funding, particularly the Ministry of Culture and Heritage Regeneration Fund, provided critical financial stability and created space for strategic planning after a challenging period.
Our Day One Challenge has seen remarkable growth, with participation numbers nearly quintupling compared to the previous year. This success validates our reinvention of the program and signals renewed interest from young storytellers across Aotearoa.
Day One Shorts attracted 109 entries in 2024, a significant increase from previous years and we have continuing relationships with RNZ and Whakaata Māori.
Organisationally, we have established a more stable operating base at Click Studios, with plans to move to expanded facilities. The implementation of our co-leadership model between Chris and Anna has brought fresh energy and balanced perspectives to our strategic direction.
Looking Forward
As we move into the next phase of our journey, we are poised for growth and deepened impact. Our recently developed 5-Year Strategic Plan (2025-2030) provides a clear roadmap toward becoming New Zealand's leading provider of learning and practice opportunities for rangatahi to share their stories on screen.
The resilience demonstrated over the past five years has strengthened our foundations and clarified our purpose. With renewed funding relationships, program innovations, and organisational capability, Day One Hāpai te Haeata is well-positioned to amplify youth voices in New Zealand's screen culture and create meaningful pathways for the next generation of storytellers.