About Us
In 2011, Ray and Maxine Nelson, together with their three children, Brianna, Joshua and Jacob, moved from Kansas City, USA to Cambridge, New Zealand, beginning a new chapter for both their family and their passion for arts education.
Ray had successfully operated his own performing arts studio in Kansas City for 13 years, working alongside several Performing Arts Centres throughout Kansas. Maxine, a Cambridge local, is an accomplished musician and vocalist who continues to play an active role in the leadership and development of Ignite.
What began as a vision to provide high-quality music, dance and drama education has grown into a thriving creative learning community. For more than 14 years, Ignite Arts Academy has provided thousands of children, young people and adults with opportunities to discover their talents, build confidence and experience the joy of creative expression.
Along the way, we have witnessed something powerful: the arts do far more than develop artistic skills. They nurture creativity, communication, collaboration, resilience and confidence—skills that support success in all areas of life.
These experiences continue to inspire our vision for the future as we explore new ways to place creativity and the arts at the heart of learning for our community.
We feel privileged to be part of the Cambridge community and remain committed to helping people of all ages discover, develop and share their creative potential.
Our Vision Is To:
To positively impact our community through the transformative power of the arts, one person, one family and one generation at a time.
To provide people of all ages with opportunities to discover, develop and express their creativity, confidence and potential through meaningful arts experiences.
To inspire and support passionate educators and artists as they nurture learning, creativity and connection within our community.
