Nelio and Duncan Passmore

Property partner: Nidus Properties Ltd

Cnr Torrens and Webb Street (Upper Cuba)

28 March - 4 April 2015. Saturday 2pm - 8pm, Sunday 2pm - 6pm, Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6 pm.

Images: Gabrielle McKone

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Mixing the worlds of the gallery and the street, Laou is the result of a collaboration between French artist Nelio and British artist Duncan Passmore, working with the local creative community.

This internal display of artists known for their street and gallery artwork joins the vibrant collaborative street art culture visible externally on walls in Torrens and Cuba Streets - around the corner from the occupied space. This is an exhibition of collaborative works created as part of a residency program held at Th'ink Studios, Lyall Bay during March.

The name Laou comes from the book Papalagi, written by Eric Scheurmann in the 1920s. It refers to an alleged text written by Tuiavii, a Samoan chief, regarding the concept that there is no individual ownership within their culture, and words such as “mine” and “yours” do not exist. Nelio and Passmore have used this as a reference point for their work. 

Nelio and Passmore have collaborated on murals and studio works for over six years, with their first official collaborative residency last summer in Lyon, France. This year Laou has also seen contributions from renowned Wellington street artists Ed Bats and Jon Drypnz.
 

Site: Bowen House, Cnr Bowen St & Lambton Quay, October 2013 

Property Partner: Bowen House Holdings Ltd. 

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Creating exchanges with both passersby and visitors,Tane Moleta (Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Digital Design, Victoria University) and his team demonstrated ways to engage with nature through new technology. Works discussed the boundary between nature, technology and the systems of representation and simulation. The installation took its name from Edward O Wilson’s 1884 work Biophilia, which describes the human being as possessing an intrinsic bond with the natural world.

Property partner: Grand Complex Properties Ltd / Jones Lang LeSalle.

Site: Grand Arcade, Willis Street. 

Photographer: Fraser Crichton.

“Before we felt very isolated. The time we were at The Grand Arcade was invaluable. By the end of six months we were all ready to commit to what we had created. We couldn't have predicted the deep effect being so open to the public has had on our work. We felt able to take a personal and professional risk and it really felt like we were breaking down the barrier to contemporary art practice.” – Sarah Read, Artist

A group of artists worked and presented jewellery and object-making together in Grand Arcade, Willis St, inviting the community to pop into their open studio and public workshop. Becoming a loved part of the Grand Arcade’s businesses, the group has now gone on to rent another space. The UDB site, which had been vacant for some time previously, is now tenanted again thanks to the life this project brought.  

Property Partner: Prime Property Group.

Site: 86-96 Victoria Street, CBD.

A giant lit jewel-like paper ice shelf interrupted the street frontages of Victoria Street, devised by artist Gabby O’Connor with the public and students from Miramar Central School. Cleave showed nature on a knife-edge,

a reminder of the fragility of our environment, with the community invited to contribute to the sculpture’s growth. For more information on this art project go here.

Site: Tory Street, Wellington

Property partner: Reading Cinema & Care Park

Photographer: Mark Amery

Offering a strip of colour, surrealism and magic to the everyday pedestrian stroll, this poster-wall project by artist Tessa Laird in Tory Street presented a series of screen-printed posters reflecting a diversity of cultures, ideas and opinions. They were pasted in layers to the wall and ripped back, like a genuine street poster wall, but bore the handmade mark of the artist.

Property Owner: Wellington Company

Venue: Manners Street

Photographer: Fraser Crichton

“Before the UDB this was just a dream, and now it’s just the norm. I like it how people can enjoy the city without buying anything, without a commercial experience.” – Jonathan King, People’s Cinema

Originally envisaged as a place for groups to share the screening of non-commercial films for little or no cost, this space in Manners Street has blossomed into an important ongoing central city multi-purpose community space, where screenings, performances, talks,workshops are held.

Property partner: Grand Complex Properties / Jones Lang LeSalle.

Site: Level One, Grand Arcade, Willis Street.

Images: Fraser Crichton

A casual chat looking at personal stories from around Wellington. This interactive installation encourages you to relate to your personal history from different locations around the city, sharing a variety of stories that make up the living and evolving history of our community. Using a variety of maps and coding systems, we will create an evolving geographic art piece in the Grand Arcade. All of this is part of A Slightly Isolated Dog’s process for creating a new performance work over the next couple of years.

Property Partner: Oyster Group. 

Site: Eagle Technology House, Victoria Street. 

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Broken River brought both a theatre performance and a public artwork and installation into a vacant space. It married the visual arts with live performance, tackling environmental and political issues.

Inspired by conflict over water rights and water usage, the heart of the work was a metal sculpture: a tangled disc of pipes and nozzles; a nightmare vision of irrigation. Visitors interacted with the work as installation – turning taps, causing cogs to turn and water to fall. It also formed the heart of nightly performances. Vacant space became studio, rehearsal and performance venue combined. 

Property Owner: Bowen Holdings

Site: Bowen House, Corner Lambton Quay and Bowen Street

Photographer: Mark Amery

On the eve of the passing of the Marriage Equality Bill, Barbarian Productions took over the former Bennetts’ Bookstore, opposite Parliament to present an alternative bridal salon: 80 bridal dresses, performances and the filming of diverse community reflections on the significance of marriage.

Property partner: Frank Wong

Site: Courtenay Place, Wellington

Absurd but poignant, three kinetic artworks by artist James R Ford played out in a small window in Wellington's entertainment district. This small vacant site has since been filled by the property owner. The artworks all paired an item of play with a motorised household object as metaphors for our everyday existence and work-life balance: a pull-along toy on a treadmill, an inscribed cricket bat on a record player and a pair of dice in a foot spa. More information here.

In the second Urban Dream Brokerage public art project artist Daniel Webby invited the public to sit down with him in a vacant Wellington retail space in Victoria Street for an "identifying statement" consultation. Webby explored and workshopped ideas put forward by visitors to distil a specific phrase, and the phrase was then hand stamped onto a t-shirt for them to take home. A record of the encounters can be found at http://yourmessagehere.weebly.com/wgtn.html

"While I do see this as a service being offered," Webby says, "participants are showing a great deal of generosity by sitting down to speak with me. The process is collaborative - I start with my own set of ideas, participants enter with theirs - what is produced is something where these ideas meet."

"In this project the conversations are in themselves an outcome. The t-shirts are really just a way of documenting the encounter."

Property Partner: Shoreline Property Group

Site: Victoria Street, CBD

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Vanessa Crowe

Website: https://www.moodbank.co/

Insight into how New Zealand's capital city feels and an enormous amount of off-the-street participation was the result of a pop-up bank and art project led by Victoria University researcher Dr Sarah Elsie Baker and Wellington based artist Vanessa Crowe. Moodbank was a collaborative project, believed to be a world first, documenting the collective mood of Wellington and allow people to consider how complex factors influence how we feel. At the ‘Moodbank’, in the old ASB bank at 29 Manners Street in March 2014, visitors visualised, deposited and exchanged emotions creating walls of creative expression of their feelings as a giant map, and contributing their data online to help document the public's mood in the city. 

For a short documentary on the Moodbank go here. The Moodbank website can be found here.

Victoria Singh

Location: 123 Cuba Street, Cuba Mall, Wellington

Property Partner: Anonymous

Dates: 9-30 March, 2014

Images: Gabrielle McKone

From ages five to 82 they came in off the street and waited in this waiting room off Cuba Mall, recording their thoughts on camera and on the wall about waiting. Created by performance artist Victoria Singh The Waiting Room was a site specific public art project. The room was installed to look like a waiting room "locked in time".  Everything in the room reflected time, patience and waiting -  knitted toys, TIME magazines,  a large clock and  paintings that depicted the tides of time.... The public were invited to contemplate how long they have had to wait, and how waiting may have changed their life for better or for worse.

Footage from video interviews played in the space and was updated daily,  the wall papered in hand written "waiting stories" grew. The space itself was also in waiting - for its new occupant. 100s of people waited, representing a diverse cross-section of culture and ethnicity. The duration of this project was 200 hours. The artist "waited" everyday during this period.

 For a short Dominion Post documentary on the project visit here and for further information visit Singh's website  www.waitingroom.info. A review of the project can found online at leading critical art website eyecontactsite.com here.

Space: Corner of Torrens Terrace and Webb Street

Times: 28 May - 14 June, 12pm–5pm Wednesday to Friday, and 11am-4pm Saturdays.

Producer: Elbowroom

Property Partner: Nidus Porperties

Photography: Sophi Karin Reinholt and Gabrielle McKone

Website: www.elbowroomgallery.org.nz

Elbowroom is a new concept for contemporary art in Wellington, a mobile exhibition space beginning with 'Nothing but Precious' on the corner of Webb and Torrens Streets. Bringing life to a long vacant space, the opening of this show was attended by over 100 people and this smart exhibition featuring work by Wendelien Bakker, Rebecca Fisher, James R Ford and Mary Whalley has gained lots of attention.  

Elbowroom seeks to create unusual experiences and challenge viewers on what their perception of art is, while sparking their curiosity about the potential of art in transforming non-gallery spaces.

We wish to experiment with the model of our gallery to make it accessible and open to anyone. By introducing our audience to a range of unused spaces across Wellington City we aim to facilitate interesting dialogues through a mixed series of art exhibitions, workshops and other experimental 'happenings'.

Elbowroom looks to engage the community and create discussion around contemporary art practices and exhibition making, as well as offer to their artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work through curated exhibitions with strong conceptual context and high standards of presentation.
 

Space: 114 Cuba Street (Left Bank)

Property Partner - The Wellington Company

Dates: 1st August - 20th September 2014

Transforming a vacant urban space into a corner of a ruined city, Battle Hymn looks to transform the relationship between an audience and theatre. Produced in association with Victoria University of Wellington, the play is by Cassandra Tse, the music Bruno Shirley. Unsuitable for standard theatre spaces, the production takes place over at least four separate playing spaces, the audience moving with it. In the play a decade of war has left the world in chaos and disarray. A small group of survivors have banded together in a tiny settlement, sheltering from disease and conflict. When a group of mysterious, silent beings appear in the settlement, the group must decide just how much change they can learn to live with; and how far they will go to survive. Artists website here.

The Mountebank

Property Partner: Overton Holdings Ltd and Baileys Property Services Ltd

Dates: 4 – 12 September.  

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Mark Amery

The Mountebank is Long Cloud Youth Theatre's original devised work; an interactive and immersive piece of promenade theatre bringing together characters and audience like never before. 

In Long Cloud’s unique production the stage bleeds into an entire building. Travel through an expansive, unfolding venue of endless hallways and secret doors to meet characters of the hotel and help solve the unravelling mystery of why you were brought here— and by whom.

"You are invited to a party. A party in the conference room of The Mountebank Hotel. There are several other guests attending, each unaware of the identity of the host who has brought them together. The party is explicitly formal dress. A formal dress party, but make sure you wear comfortable shoes: you may get taken for a ride". 

Space: Reading Cinemas, Courtenay Place.

Property Partner: Reading Courtenay Central/ CBRE. 

Times: 23 August - 6 September. 12-6pm Wednesday - Sunday.

Photography: Gabrielle McKone and Imaginarium

Get creative in the city! Be collaborative! Imaginarium is a free form space for play for all ages: sculpture, craft, painting, music, play, dance, drama… whatever gets your creative juices flowing. Beginning in its first weekend with 100s of people building box forts of many shapes and sizes, you're invited to join in. Exploring your creativity and bring your own ideas and unique personal flair, employing a large, warm open space, and varied resources to hand in the former high profile Whitcoulls site as part of the Reading Cinemas complex on Courtenay Place.

Imaginarium is essentially an interactive and community generated art installation, organically developing over its time in residence. The producers provide a space for undervalued ideas and for the public to play, without the demand to buy anything. The idea was conceived by Amy Church and Hayley Jeffrey after a successful 'Boxfort' fundraiser with the Wellington public in the central city in 2013.

Amy Church is an environment designer and life-long explorer, crafter and painter. She has spent the past year in Uganda designing and building playgrounds and is very invested in building up individuals, communities and finding peoples hidden talents. Hayley Jeffrey is a facilitator, artist, musician, builder, poet and clown. She also has a  background in development studies and event management with a passion for building connections between people to allow for community building.

Web of Laughs

Nigel Jackson

Property Partner: Reading Courtenay central/CBRE

Dates: 23 August - 14 September 

A unique experience in the retail and corporate jungle. Web of Laughs is an interactive and fun free project spreading its web across a vacant space, to “show people that the city is not just about shopping, work, mobile phones and coffee.” The public are invited to work their way through a giant spider’s web made out of ribbon of approximately five metres square in size, without touching the ribbon and sounding the alarm. The project is open to all, from corporate groups who want a team building exercise, to mum or dad and the kids out for the afternoon. It mixes low level physical activity with a lot of fun. A similar web concept was trialled, with participants including the Police Force, at Africa Day celebrations sponsored by Wellington City Council in May 2014. Jackson first presented Web of Laughs to children and parents at the kindergarten he managed in Seoul, South Korea.

Political Cuts

Property Partner - Positively Wellington Tourism

Site: 101 Wakefield Street (across from Lido Cafe)

Dates Monday 1st - Friday 5th September

Times 10am-4pm Monday-Wednesday, Friday. 11am-6pm Thursday.

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Wellington's first political hair salon and pop coffee shop, in the lead up to the general election Political Cuts offers cheap coffee and free professional haircuts for young people who are prepared to engage in political discussion in the lead up to the General Election.

A professional barista and hairdresser provoke political thought while providing personal service. This non-partisan project targets a younger (and potentially disengaged) audience in an attempt to give them a platform for conversation. Each cut will be shared online with a personal summary of thought by the newly coiffed/caffeinated visitor. 

Political Cuts is a collaboration between Barbarian Productions (Jo Randerson) and Jason Muir (Cirque and Haight Ashbury). Barbarian Productions previously worked with the Urban Dream Brokerage in 2013 to present Brides. Political Cuts enables young people to engage in political discussion in a fun and theatrical way.

Link to further information about the project: http://www.barbarian.co.nz/political-cuts

Tomas Richards

14-20 September 2014

Property Partner - Positively Wellington Tourism

Site: 101 Wakefield Street (across from Lido Cafe)

Images: Initial documentation of vacant space by the artist.

A discreet intervention into a vacant space, Urban Bodies, Morphic Assemblies is an art-based project exploring the presence and potentiality of neglected everyday objects and spaces in central Wellington streets. Inspired by the shifting form of a city under constant reconstruction (on-going earthquake strengthening, road-works etc.) artist Tomas Richards is interested in generating new attention and discussion around the shifting identity of the simple spaces we often take for granted. As a project it is an extra pairing with another UDB project running Julieanna Preston's Sounding Out Vacancy.

Part of Tomas interest is how when a tool (or any other object) breaks and displays a lack of function, we become more aware of it as a thing in itself. How even the most humble objects – such as a pile of bricks, a cracked pavement – may be seen as strange bodies. Searching out fascinating forgotten objects and incidental quirks of urban spaces, Tomas promotes looking closer at the 'ordinary', to find affecting beauty in their subtle details. Gradually transforming and reinvigorating this vacant space into an evolving installation, he aims to draw attention to potentials for fresh engagement. He is considering the vacant interior itself as an artwork – earnestly appreciating and highlighting its unique details and traces of its history.

With each visit the public can follow the space's growth, becoming part of the event, and helping build a conversation about the 'hidden gems' of our city.

Tomas has created a Tumblr blog documenting the work here.

Tomas Richards is currently in the first year of a two year MFA at Massey University, Wellington, his work revolves around carefully cultivating attentiveness toward pre-existing details of particular public locations, their accumulated traces and detritus. Recent projects include A Material Return; Torrens-Palmer-ReSitu. No.5 (Exposure13, Massey, 2013) and in collaboration, contributing the aural component for Katherine Joyce-Kellaway's immersive installation Within Outside (30Upstairs, 2013).

Artist: Julieanna Preston

1 Grey Street, Wellington CBD, New Zealand

Property Partner: DNZ Property Fund Ltd.

16 - 23 September 2014

Images: Julieanna Preston, Mark Amery and Helen Kirlew-Smith

Sounding Out Vacancy is a performative installation by spatial artist and architectural designer at Massey University's College of Creative Arts Julieanna Preston.

Rather than occupy a vacant space with brash pop-up energy, Preston as an artist drew attention to the vacancy, and brought it some warmth - something we noticed from the return warmth expressed for the installation by passersby.

This performance did what no ‘for-lease’ or ‘for sale’ sign could do. The storefront window was obscured by a film of soap, a customary gesture for a shop space under construction and renovation or assuming new tenants. During the performance, a spectrum of soundings were produced from within the space ranging from very subtle whispers, creaks and shuffles to more articulate and seemingly purposeful sounds associated with building repair and maintenance. This live feed sound work served as a sign of the transitory state of the space. The effect of robbing visual access aimed to heighten acoustic expression, in this case, making audibly present the sounds of vacancy.

The performance suggests interior space is always full and contingent, evidencing the life lingering in its material surfaces, and reconfirming the value of silence as famously asserted in John Cage’s 4’33” (1952).

Address:  1 Grey Street

Property Partner: DNZ Property Ltd

Dates: 27 September - 5th October

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Terri Te Tau

AuraSecure engages with ideas around security and surveillance space within the Wellington CBD. A humorous parody of surveillance culture, visitors are encouraged to play and interact with the project in order to activate a performance and generate discussion.

The vacant commercial space in Grey Street across from the Intercontinental Hotel has been temporarily set up to resemble an airport security station where participants can have their aura read and obtain security clearance before being permitted to enter a Seclusion Zone. The Seclusion Zone is a surveillance free area where participants can take a momentary break from the bustling CBD. 

Within the Seclusion Zone participants have the option of listening to meditation music or watching a relaxing meditation video. The premise behind necessitating security clearance for the Seclusion Zone is to ensure that participants can be ‘trusted’ within a surveillance free zone.  Security clearance is obtained through a positive aura reading. A photograph is taken of the participant and their aura generated with aura reading software. A less then positive aura reading might require the participant to spend time in the Aura Reconditioning Unit if they would like to gain access to the Seclusion Zone.

Terri Te Tau is an artist of Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu descent and grew up in the Wairarapa. She is working towards a Doctorate in Fine Arts at Te Pūtahi a Toi, Massey University and is a current recipient of the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) scholarship. She is a member of the Mata Aho Collective (http://mataaho.webs.com) and also performs in an on-going collaborative music project The Live Jukebox. She has participated in group shows within public galleries and project spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand, Denmark and New York.

The Hori 

Vanue: 101 Wakefield Street

Property Partner: Positively Wellington Tourism

Dates: 27 September - 12 October

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Dirty Laundry is a show of art and design by HORI, a fashion and design label established in 2012 to draw attention to significant Maori and New Zealand issues that the artist/designer feels close to. This Urban Dream Brokerage project’s goal is to open up conversations about difficult subjects. Subjects the artist senses people often feel it is to politically correct to talk about.

Dirty Laundry features art pieces by HORI from past and present including street art, installation, digital based imagery and print. The artist is interested in pushing traditional boundaries, asking "the hard questions of Maori in Aotearoa today", and aims to look at tikanga in a new light.

Originally from Wellingon, Hohepa Thompson aka The Hori ( Ngati Kahungunu) is now resident in Byron Bay, Australia. This project represents a homecoming. The artist’s first solo exhibition, he has been part of other art/design projects and major fashion shows, including three NZ Fashion Week appearances. Thompson is also high school teacher who teaches art and design.

http://www.thehori.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thehori
http://instagram.com/thehori”

Naomi Smith.

Property Partner: Standard 806 Ltd.

Venue: 90 Manners Street.

Dates: From 6 October 2014. 10am - midnight, seven days.

Homies is a project cafe, designed to bring the Wellington cafe culture into a new era. With a principle of financial equality, the cafe is run by young volunteers and nothing on the menu has a set price. The cafe is a place for people to take time out in the city, with lots of space, a library, film screenings and performances.

Following a growth internationally of the Gift Economy, Homies is “putting Wellington customers to the test and asking the tough questions: are we ready to take responsibility for our share in the market? What is preventing young people from taking action for the future we want? Is 'caring' a commodity?”

 
Following five years in the hospitality experience, organiser Naomi Smith is looking to connect quality service and community growth. Operating as a Social Enterprise, all proceeds earned at the cafe go back into stimulating projects and commissioning artists. Volunteers are being given the chance to create their own role in the project, whose experience crosses hospitality, journalism, film and music management. “Growing a community takes more than the people,” says Naomi, “it takes active nourishment. Within the umbrella of Homies Cosy Teahouse, everything is catered for.”

For more information visit the Homies Facebook page here. 

Property Partner: The Wellington Company 

Venue: Left Bank, Cuba Mall
Open Dates:  17 October - 1 November

Photography: CarrollVisual Photography

A showcase of homegrown Wellington talent, creativity, and local businesses, The Vaudevillains Clubhouse bills itself as a performance arcade, hosting a diverse programme of events. Situated in a once dark spot of The Left Bank off Cuba Mall, The Clubhouse includes The Black Rabbit, a speakeasy nightclub featuring singing, swing, circus, dancing girls and burlesque. It also plays host to local bands, poetry slams, glamour photoshoots, life drawing classes, Halloween face-painting, and charity events for animal sanctuaries and children's charities. The aim of the Clubhouse to showcase the many diverse uses that such a central space can be put to, and bring a variety of people through the space.

“Come in for a bottomless cuppa, get your hair done, crochet a quilt for charity, or dance the night away as we spend two weeks churning out a villainous variety of diversions.  There's plenty to do, see and take part in, so come on down, join the club.”

Clubhouse information can be found here.

Property Partner: DNZ Property Ltd

Venue: 1 Grey Street

Labour Day, 27 October 2014, 7:30am - 9:30pm

Yoga enthusiasts Amber Sturtz and Claire Baker have voluntarily organised a yoga awareness building project in collaboration with local yoga studios and instructors. Their use of a high profile vacant inner city space at 1 Grey Street makes a vital layer of community well-being activity in the city more visible, offering over the day both scheduled yoga sessions with different teachers (see schedule here) and 'drop in' sessions.

Wellington Free Yoga Day provides accessible and free yoga classes to the people of Wellington in collaboration with our local yoga studios and instructors. The aim is to widely share the benefits and fun of yoga by making it as accessible as possible.  Free Day of Yoga started in Austin, Texas, USA in 1999.

For more information: 
Website: http://freeyogaday.wix.com/wellington2014
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wlgfreeyogaday

Producer: Elbowroom - The Moving Gallery.

Property partner: Prime Property

Space: 17 Whitmore Street.

Times: 7 - 14 December 2014. Wednesday - Friday 12-5pm and Saturday - Sunday 11-4pm.

Website: www.elbowroomgallery.org.nz

An experimental collaboration between food and art, this is the second innovative take on the exhibition format by moving gallery Elbowroom. The first Nothing But Precious (see here for images) led to the tenancy of Peter McLeavey Pop Up Gallery at the corner of Webb Street and Torrens Terrace.   

Concoction works across arts disciplines to provide a playful and interactive dining experience. Elbowroom brings together emerging and established artists, designers and chefs to deliver contemporary artworks, furniture design and food. It's a platform to explore critical discussion about food and power. This discussion ranges from the lighter issues of our daily rituals around eating and the characters and narratives of the dining table, to the heavier social implications of how we consider food and the complex issues of distribution, power and agency.

Concoction consists of emerging to established artists, designers and chefs from Wellington and abroad. They include artists Kathryn Tulloch, Samin Son, Riah King-Wall and Cedric Barford; furniture designers Duncan Sargent, Matt Fanning, Tim Larkin, Derek Winwood and David Aravena and Chris Winwood; with chefs Maria Hunt, Amber Sturtz.

The opening of Concoction on December 6 is for a limited number of people and revolves around the dinner table, with multiple ‘courses’ that work alongside, or exist as an artwork. See the project website for more information.

Producer: The Wellington Boys' and Girls’ Institute (BGI)

Location: Chaffers Dock, 22 Herd Street. 

Dates: December 1 2014 – ongoing. Monday-Friday, 9-5pm.  

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Ka Puta is a youth gallery and workshop space housing an 11-metre tōtara log that over six months is being carved into a poutokomanawa (carved post) in a space on Chaffers Wharf. The carver (pictured) is artist Ihaia Puketapu.The pou honours the 135 year history of BGI and will be at the front of their refurbished headquarters. 

This is a unique project involving a group Māori youth, many from a mentoring group called ‘Te Mangōpare o Taita'. The space is also operating as a gallery space, with street art by the young and contributions from other artists. Ka Puta will grow as the project grows.

BGI is an organisation that was founded by young people in 1883. BGI strives to be a place where Pākehā and Māori rangatahi participate meaningfuly in making Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) a better region for all. Their focus is that young people and their whānau benefit from both the youth groups they run and the genuine relationships they have with Mana Whenua and with te Matua, te Tamaiti me te Wairua Tapu.

For 6 months the group tramped through the bush looking for a fallen over tree, and didn't find one. Finally the carver, five Māori boys and Ross Davis (Director) found their perfect log, in a garden in Upper Hutt.

The BGI’s newly earthquake strengthened and renovated space they run and operate from on Macdonald Crescent is due to reopen by July 2015.

Sophia McKinnon

Property partner: Prime Property

Space: Greenock House, 108 Lambton Quay

15-20 December 2014, 10-11am (ages 4-7), 2-4pm (ages 8-12)

Project website/bookings: Go here  

A series of sensory colour workshops for kids led by leading local artists, The Colourists sees children actively and visibly contribute to the visual fabric of the Wellington CBD. An art workshop and installation space with a difference, it is located on Lambton Quay during the school holidays lead up to Christmas, providing workshops for children aged 4 to 12.

The goal of the workshop is to create an installation through this community participation. As shop window, the workshop space becomes an installation space, and the workshops are artist and production focused, giving children the opportunity to meet and converse with active local artists, learning about their practice, and creating an artwork through collaboration.

 Sophia McKinnon is a Wellingtonian and arts educator who has lived and worked in China for eight years. She has run a wide variety of cross-cultural workshops for museums and government organisations which link artists, children, creativity and experimentation. Previously she managed public programs at a museum in Beijing, as well as workshops for expat teenagers in the city. She has identified a format of workshops not yet seen before in Wellington and is excited to see them come to fruition.

Property Partner: Prime Property

Site: Greenock House, 108 Lambton Quay

Dates: 23 December 2014 - 25 January 2015 

Will you swim in a pool, river or stream this summer? Andrea Selwood's installation Flow Chart brings together different perspectives on our need to take care of Wellington’s streams - from the Kumutoto, close underground to where this work is sited in Lambton Quay, to that flowing through Houghton Bay on the South Coast of Wellington, from which this artwork takes it source. The work explores the often awkward disconnect and sense of loss we have today in regards to our natural environment, stressed by its placement in an office and retail space close to a stream site in the heart of the CBD.

Flow Chart evolved from an art collective project within the Houghton Bay community exploring the universal theme of water and the local pollution issue. In the installation the artist’s personal response to the common backyard stream is brought together with an objective, general chart and data based response through what she describes as ‘tactical cartography’, physically mapping Wellington’s steep valley geography and its sometimes lost underground waterways. These different approaches are deliberately presented at odds with each other.

A fax machine provides a facsimile of water data interpretations of a nameless or ‘lost river’ piped underground in the city. More than 20 metres of fax paper flows out at a rate of 20cm per day over four weeks. Running unchecked, this piles high, filling the shallow confines of the shop front window like old mail accumulating over the long holiday period... no one is at home, the space left vacant.

Public viewing from street level only.

Related Community Project Links

http://houghtonvalley.org.nz/

http://water-wheel.net/media-centre   

www.vimeo.com/album/86393

Performance Arcade

Property Partner: Prime Property

22 December 2014 - 28 February 2015.

17 Whitmore Street

A creative studio, a production office, and a display and walk-in presentation space all in one, The Performance Laboratory provides a space for the artists and crew of The Performance Arcade to be part of the city during the lead-up to its celebrated innovative arts event on Wellington Waterfront.

Here three different communities come together around the creation of new works and experiences in Live Art: participating artists, the passing public, and the Arcade production team. The project seeks to blur the lines between creative processes, production and reception. The interaction helps the exploration of new methods, relationships, and perspectives between artists, producers and the public. Through Performance Lab the Arcade community get to involve the broader public in their vision for Live Art.

For more information on the Performance Arcade go here.

Kedron Parker and Bruce McNaught

Property partner: Cornerstone Properties

11 Woodward Street

From 16 February 2015

Images: Denise Batchelor, Gabrielle McKone, Bruce Mcnaught, Leo Ryan and Kedron Parker

The Wet Index is a rain curtain that displays water collected from the source of the Kumutoto Stream, which flows in storm water pipes underneath Woodward Street to the harbour.

In a small shop window at 11 Woodward Street, passers by can enjoy a glimpse of the elegance of fresh stream water before it hit the storm drain. Another window displays images of the stream, its pathway, and Te Atiawa tupuna.

Rain is fresh water, but in the city it often becomes storm water, instead of streams.

Near Victoria University, conservation biology students are restoring a hillside known as Kumutoto Forrest, where the source of the stream remains beautiful and wild for a short stretch just before it enters a stormwater culvert.

The Wet Index plays on the thin and sometimes arbitrary line between fresh water and waste water in the urban context.

The Wet Index joins Kedron Parker’s Kumutoto Stream, a permanent sound installation in the pedestrian tunnel running under The Terrace from Woodward Street. That installation (the first permanent media based public artwork in the city) imagines the experience of walking along the stream before cement took over the Terrace, and is adjacent to the original site of Te Atiawa’s Kumutoto Pa.

Both works ask questions about how we value water, and when is it worthy of our stewardship?

Taken together, they consider the past, present and future state of Wellington in relationship to the land and waterways upon which it is built.

Producer: Modelab

27 May to 13 June 2015

1 Grey Street

Property Partner: DNZ Property Partner Limited.

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Modelab, courtesy of Modelab and the artists.

Project website: www.modelab.info

The Surveillance Awareness Bureau creates a space for critical discussion about systems of surveillance, and awareness of the issues around privacy, liberty, control and abuse they raise.

Featuring some of the alternatives proposed by artists, designers, scholars and journalists, this temporary office aims to highlight the tension and risks between seeing and not seeing the effects of technologies, and the vulnerability of humans in being in a space of "control framed by usual unawareness". 

Produced and curated by Modelab, the project brings together an exciting range of international and New Zealand contributors with a public programme: Simon Denny (whose Secret Power on this subject is currently representing NZ at the Venice Biennale), Hemi Macgregor (NZ), Terri Te Tau (NZ), Zach Blas (USA), James Bridle (UK), Paolo Cirio (IT/USA), Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (MEX), and Ruben Pater (NL). 

"Not a single day passes without news of trust breaches and information misuse of data in all levels, from the common individual to states and international organizations," writes curator Claudia Arozqueta. "But while certain technologies can be considered even as predators for privacy, there is already counterarguments that choose the same technologies and deploy them as tool of resistance or as a crucial democratic element that can link individuals with the wider social and political environment they live in.”

The Surveillance Awareness Bureau will provide the audience with on-site bibliographical resources and other media on the subject of state and commercial vigilance. Also, panels on mass surveillance and civil liberties in the digital age. A workshop on enhancing privacy tools will be held to draw attention to the multiple ambiguous forms of surveillance that could be positioned along a spectrum from 'care' to 'control'.

Funding has been provided by the Wellington City Creative Communities.

Amnesty International New Zealand.

Property Partner: Vicinity Ltd.

307 Willis Street, Wellington.

6 - 7 June 2015

Images: Helen Kirlew Smith

The Wheel of Justice is a 12 hour call to action in support of torture survivors in the Philippines by Amnesty International. Featuring displays and actions, it provides an interactive space for people to learn more about torture, encouraging them to participate in a photo petition to be sent to President Aquino. Their aim is to collect 1000 photos, messages and signatures from the Wellington community, encouraging effective investigations, robust prosecutions, and an independent police complaints commission established to help end the use of torture. 

The Wheel of Justice project is run by the Wellington Regional Amnesty International team. “We  volunteer our time because the Amnesty International movement believes "it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness".” More information here.

Property Partner: DNZ Property Fund Ltd

Johnsonville Shopping Centre

From 2 June, 2015

Website for more details

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Sub Urban Co-working is a start-up social enterprise with a mission is to become a catalyst for collaboration, enterprise and innovation in the suburbs.

New Zealand’s first suburban based shared working space located in the Johnsonville Mall, the space is available for all ages of people. Sub Urban provide business profile, desks for rent, bookable meeting rooms, and a wider enterprise community to belong to.

Johnsonville has the benefits of free parking, being right by the railway/bus station, motorway, near shops, schools and a public swimming pool. See here for further details.

Porirua Community Arts Council.

Property partner: Kiwi Properties.

Hartham Place. 1 - 16 October 2015.

Pop d'Art was an interactive Pop-up Gallery Experience for Porirua City's 50th Birthday Celebrations. The project was far more than just an exhibition space - although in that it was very busy with displays from the Mana Arts Society, Kapiti Camera Club and many artists and artist groups. The space featured the Can Do Wall, a mural of tins of food collected from and painted by the community to then be gifted to nine Porirua schools. Also in the space was a projection room where the public caould create their own transparencies of visions for Porirua, some 'selfies dress-ups' in the former clothing store's dressing rooms and lots of art activities for the kids. Every day during the pop-up, artists were in residence creating work and interacting with the public.  

The Old McDonalds (1 Cobham Court) is a pop-up shared community space, created by the community for the community with Letting Space, trialing new ideas and bringing people to the Porirua CBD.

The space has been open for use for all kinds of events to stimulate growth and local connections: exchanges, discussions, gatherings, exhibits, workshops, meetings, classes, services, or just taking time out - this space is only limited by people’s imagination.  

In its pilot time the space was host to large number of events, some of which have their own project pages here. Beyond these though is a long list of workshops and meetings for all ages captured in images on this page.

An important element of the work is that it is run collectively so that everyone shares in decisionmaking and people are empowered to develop their own ventures in the future together.

This community-run model is inspired by 17 Tory Street, the open source community gallery in Wellington City that is also managed through Loomio.

Hyunbae Lee and Whitireia.

Property partner: Ludlum Corporation.

1 Cobham Court. 14- 28 September 2015.

The 2015 Whitireia NZ creative artist in residence Hyunbae Lee, who hails from Seoul, South Korea, held an exhibition and series of workshops at The Old McDonalds . Lee, a fine arts painter trained in the Netherlands and Korea, was sponsored by the Asia New Zealand Foundation for a three month residency at Whitireia. The project at OMD involved mentoring painting students on the Bachelor of Applied Arts programme. Lee created a series of oil paintings which took shape in the Fale studio at the Whitireia Visual Arts department and then journeyed to the heart of Porirua in the old McDonald’s space in Cobham Court.

Alicia Rich and School Garden Club.

Property partner: Ludlum Corporation.

1 Cobham Court. 7 September - 25 October.

20 - 31 October 2015

The Old McDonalds, 1 Cobham Court

Property partner: Ludlam Corporation

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Mark Amery

Students and tutors from Te Wananga o Aotearoa created an exhibition and workshop space in The Old McDonalds space for two weeks alongside other workshop and meeting events. The project created a lot of positive public engagement, with an ever-changing exhibition programme and artists working on site.

19 - 31 October

10 Hartham Place, Porirua

Property partner: Kiwi Properties

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Linda Lee

Porirua People's Library set up for two weeks as a workshop space engaging the public in telling their stories through zine making and aural recording (in partnership with Access Radio). More information on the Porirua People's Library project may be found here.

Letting Space

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

10-29 November 2015

Lydney Place South, Porirua

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Andrew Matautia

A festival exploring different ways of working together the TEZA Hub provided a home for 14 art projects working with community groups and was host over nine days to a wide range of busy workshops, presentations and meetings, which saw 1000s of people through the doors into a specially designed refit of an old bar space, with several different project spaces - including the Porirua People's Library and All Good hairdressing salon.

19 October - 28 November 2015

10 Hartham Place, Porirua

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

Images: Lorna Kanavatoa and Gabrielle McKone

This exhibition and Pacific village workshop space over six weeks celebrates and brings together the heritage of the Pacific Islands groups in Porirua, both living and past. It marks the tenth anniversary of outstanding Porirua organisation Strong Pacific Families. As as an exhibition representing all of the islands each week the space is hosted by a different set of island groups, who open with a blessing on the Monday and then hold workshops and gather over the week. This is the first time a Pacific village of this kind has been presented in the Porirua CBD. The last week of the exhibition (coinciding with TEZA) features a nightly Film Festival.

Vanessa Crowe and Jennifer Whitty

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

November 2-29 2015

10 Hartham Place

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Vanessa Crowe

More information: website here

A clothing store with a difference. Artist Vanessa Crowe (Moodbank), designer Jennifer Whitty and Space Between, a social enterprise for fashion, upcycle fabrics for new migrants with textile excess fromuniforms no longer in use. Sharemart works with the community to mend, upcycle and swap clothing, exploring how clothing can be re-purposed, and how the sharing of skills, stories and experience through the conduit of clothing/ textiles can drive an alternate model that turns our ideas about shopping for clothes on their head.

Property Partner: Cook Strait Property Limited

8 Kent Terrace

From 1st December, 2015

Images: Robbie Whyte

A creative studio, a production office, and a display and walk-in presentation space all in one, The Performance Laboratory provided a space for the artists and crew of The Performance Arcade to be part of the city during the lead-up to its celebrated innovative arts event on Wellington Waterfront.

Here three different communities come together around the creation of new works and experiences in Live Art: participating artists, the passing public, and the Arcade production team. The project seeks to blur the lines between creative processes, production and reception. The interaction helps the exploration of new methods, relationships, and perspectives between artists, producers and the public. Through Performance Lab the Arcade community get to involve the broader public in their vision for Live Art.

For more information on the Performance Arcade go here.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/performancearcade/?fref=ts

twitter: https://twitter.com/arcade_2016

instagram: https://instagram.com/arcade_2016

Property Partner: Prime Property

Co-Operative Bank House

From 3rd December, 2015

Images: Robbie Whyte, Andrew Matautia - Saint Andrew Photography. Website: http://www.saintandrew-matautia.com

Aotearoa’s first and only Hawai’i Cultural Centre. A place of learning, a space for culture, and a presentation space all in one, the Hawai'i Culture Centre provides a space for the local Hawai'i community and supporters to be part of the city.  Here, the local Hawai'i community engages the public with educational programming and unforgettable experiences.  A unique opportunity to experience Hawai'i language, dance, and art without leaving New Zealand.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawaiiculturecentre

The Big Wee Book of Dunedin

Property Partner Oakwood Properties

187 George Street

December 4th - 23rd 2015

Images: Justin Spiers

Website: http://weebook.nz/

The BIG wee book of Dunedin is working alongside the Urban Dream Brokerage to create a new interactive cultural experience for the Dunedin community and for Dunedin’s authors.

It is a conglomerate of eclectic literary work that captures the cultural community of Dunedin in one BIG book. The BIG wee book of Dunedin is based at 187 George Street, Dunedin and will run for  just under a month in December.

The goal is to have 100 of Dunedin’s published and unpublished authors contribute to the

BIG wee book within this time period. Each author is allocated a two page spread to contribute an original poem, short story, illustration, thought, words of wisdom or lyric on the topic of Dunedin.

Wee Book Dunedin Facebook

Xoe Hall, Sian Montgomery-Neutze, Miriama Grace-Smith, Keri-Mei Zagrobelna, Rangimarie Sophie Jolley, Taryn Beri and Pikihuia Haenga

December 2015 - April 2017

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

10 Hartham Place, Porirua

Images: Tash Hellasdottir-Cole, Pikihuia Haenga and Mark Amery

Events information: website here

This exhibition and workshop space is an exciting mix of seven young Māori female artists connected to Porirua, bringing the presence of a new creative indigenous energy to its CBD. Included are female painters, moko artists, a writer, a jewellery designer and a film maker, all accomplished young visionaries in their fields with reputations beyond Porirua.

The idea was born from seeing a call for proposals put out by Letting Space's service Urban Dream Brokerage which saw the artists gather in wananga over several months.

Toi Wahine features an exciting programme of events, including live ta moko sessions and workshops, with each artist hosting the space on different days giving it diverse energy and flavours.
 

David Cook, Leala Falesuega and Russell and Discover Schools.

Property partner: Ludlam Corporation.

1 Cobham Court.

26 November 2015 onwards.

Link: to view the work

Bridging the suburbs of Cannon’s Creek and Whitby, photographic artists David Cook and Leala Falesuega have worked with students of two schools and their local communities to offer new views of each, and articulate their shared visions for the future – 2020. Installed in the windows of The Old McDonalds the children and their visions stare out from a tivaevae like set of prints, which was accompanied for three nights of a projection of their eyes looking out.

Building on Cook and Tim J Velling’s acclaimed Freeville School Project (TEZA 2013) Cook and Falesuega explore a collective documentary process with the merging of photographs, moving image, words and drawings, producing large public presentations of the work, culminating in its presentation in the windows of The Old McDonalds, 1 Cobham Court.

Andrea Selwood with Graeme Perry

10-20 December 2015

Lydney Place South

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

Following in the wake of TEZA (Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa), this artist led, art-for-environment initiative is aimed at activating the community to recover its lost memory of the original Porirua Stream/ Kenupuru Stream, which changed its course radically with the earthworks that built the current CBD 50 years ago.

The imagery used spans changing environmental extremes from stream diversion and reclamation of the harbour basin to establishment of present day Porirua City, suburbs and transport network.

By overlaying historic record with Google map technology, simplified information is delivered to your handheld device, allowing your to trace in real time, the path of the “ghost stream” superimposed within the current streetscape.

Rediscover the stream as it was before the development of Porirua City;  before the rail tracks were laid; before the motorway was built; before the concrete and the asphalt was poured.

With GoogleEarth loaded on your smartphone or tablet, you can click on the path file and view the file on your device in Google Earth.

To load Google Earth on your device (it’s free), visit the Google Earth download site and follow the instructions here. 

To download the path of the stream, click on this link.

Walk the line…

Individual members of the public and community groups are invited to participate in a guided workshop where we will walk the old/new stream to “join the dots” and mark in paint a temporary record. 8-9.30am Sunday, 13th December

Meeting point: 10 Lydney Place South (former Aqua Bar)

Please register interest and confirm your commitment to attend session/s by RSVP to selwoodandrea@gmail.com

Acknowledgements

Historic maps and aerial photographs kindly loaned by Pataka Museum/ Porirua City Council Archives

Special Thanks to

Andrea Selwood (Visual Artist), Graeme Perry (Technical Collaboration), Ruth Barratt, Keith Calder, Stuart Farrant (Morphum)/ Mark Amery, Sophie Jerram and Helen Kirlew Smith (Urban Dream Brokerage)

Liana Leiataua, Pamela Ann Johnston, Robert Johnston, Jack Karifi, Onyx Karati, Leon Hohepa and Sinbad Timoteo.

Property partner: Kiwi Property Group

Hartham Place North, Porirua

7 December 2015 onwards, 9am-4pm Monday to Friday, 9am-12noon Saturday

Images: Mark Amery

A living artist studio and exhibition space, The Living Room responds to the need in Porirua for more independent local art space. Pop in, engage and consider getting involved. Enquiries: Leiataualiana@gmail.com

117 George Street

January-February 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

Upcycles is a project working alongside the Urban Dream Brokerage to provide a vintage bicycle library in central Dunedin, combined with an upcycle concept store to showcase creative ideas for reusing often discarded items.

The public are able to take a vintage bicycle for a cruise through the streets on Dunedin for up to a day for free - all they will need to do in return is produce a valid form of photo id.

People can also learn what upcycling is, how to get involved and see (and buy) some lovingly handcrafted upcycled items on show.

For a great wee view of the project go to the Otago Daily Times film about the project here

Property Partner: Mark Horsfall Properties

88 Riddiford Street, Newtown.

17 - 22 February 2016

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Celebrating their latest music video crafted by Joel Fear, musicians Groeni put together an interactive event in a Newtown vacant space that saw public engage with a traditional exhibition poised to pique curiosity and enhance online interaction. The space exhibited the artwork both as printed and digital media alongside the music, whilst online, the project teased the very same images and sections of videos to encourage local people into the physical space. The artwork was then handed out at the final video/album release as a gesture in generosity following the teasing launch.

As proud recipients of a collaborative grant initiative between NZ On Air and Red Bull Sound Select Groeni's song 'Hinde' was offered to artist Joel Fear to respond with his unique, and delicate visual treatment. The official music video premiered online on 22 February and screened in the space throughout the week ahead of this along side the printed matter and prequel video "Hedre".

On the final night the space hosted an official video release function followed by a live DJ set from Groeni's Alexander Green.

For more on Groeni go to their website here

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groeniband

Twitter: https://twitter.com/groeniband

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groenimusic

Property Partner: Wellington City Council

1 Clyde Quay Wharf

From 22 - 27 February 2016

An artstravaganza celebrating the risky bits! Scratch Nacht threw open its doors to the wider Arts Community during the Fringe Festival 2016. 

Scratch Nacht hosted a week long residency in the incredible Clyde Quay Wharf retail space, where artists could exhibit, create work, and rehearse. Interested public were able to pop in and see exhibited work and creativity in progress. 

On Saturday 27th of February Scratch Noon celebrated new artistic ventures with live performances. Beginning at the Clyde Quay space the event progressed into a curated arts trail spanning multiple venues. Scratch Noon will provide an adaptable platform for artists from various disciplines to test the boundaries of their form.  

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/scratchnacht/?ref=hl

TWITTER: @scratchnacht

SNAPCHAT: scratchnightnz

INSTAGRAM: scratchnacht

WEBSITE: Scratch Nights in Wellington were originally started by Binge Culture Collective. Find out the history behind the events here: http://www.bingeculture.co.nz/scratch-nacht.html

Level 1, 7 Dixon St. 

From 1st March 2016.

http://www.lightninglab.co.nz/xx/

Lightning Lab XX is a 3-month mentorship-driven business acceleration programme focused on fast-tracking 8 women-led companies. Urban Dream Brokerage assisted Lightning Lab with initial brokering of vacant space for this innovative programme.  Lightning Lab makes entrepreneurship accessible by opening doors to capital, mentorship, business development, customer acquisition and leadership skills with a focus here on women-led companies (meaning, at least one co-founder is a woman).

Property Partner: Cook Strait Property Limited

8 Kent Terrace

From 8th - 9th March 2016

Images: Gabrielle McKone, Mick Douglas, Mark Amery.

The Idleness Labouritory, a 24-hour occupation took place from 6:30pm Tuesday the 8th through to 9pm Wednesday the 9th of March.

“Reading Labours” was a participatory durational performance that inhabited the interior space of Wellington’s Performance Lab for a continuous 24-hour period.

Twelve participants committed to inhabiting the Lab, locked in, to undertake acts of vocalised reading of selected published texts on topics of idleness, labour, durational performance, oration and poetry, and performance writing and reading. Jointly the participants committed to ensure that the act of reading would always be present and continuous over the 24-hour duration.

he space was active as a display case of literary and artistic exercise. Affording the public an opportunity to engage passively with the act of performance inside the space. 

Concerned Citizen’s Collective
Property partner: Michael Baker
17 Tory Street
To apply to use or see current events go to: www.concerncitizens.co.nz

The first space brokered by Letting Space for another independent organisation occurred prior to the formal establishment of the service Urban Dream Brokerage, but its a vital part of the Letting Space and Urban Dream Brokerage story.

17 Tory Street is an open source community gallery space which opened in April 2012 and has since seen 100s of events, performances, workshops, swaps and discussions pass through.

Now over four years old it has become a vital part of Wellington’s creative ecology, and has had particular importance as providing an open space for vital collectives to grow. Decisions on use are made collectively using the online decisions making tool Loomio Letting Space had its office at Tory Street from late 2012 to early 2015.

From the website: “We get excited by words like participation, diversity, engagement, collaboration, inclusion, and community. 17 Tory St is not a traditional gallery or venue for people to deposit art or performances into. We want to get to know you! We hope for it to be a space where you can share your passion with other creative people. We’re going to say ‘yes’ to as many proposals as we possibly can.

Our Whakatauākī enriches our identity. It describes Sir Paul’s vision, our mission, and the values we look for in the businesses we work with.

Property partner: Dunedin City Council

Wall St Mall, Dunedin

May 13 - 27 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

Nine energetic dance works  took place in and around the Wall St Mall, including the spectacular glass display box high above the Mall plaza, an empty retail shop and in spaces found amongst the hectic hustle of Friday night shoppers. These performances were the final works of Otago University Dance students, lead by Dance Studies lecturer Ali East.

The student project involved researching the history and uses of the site along with its architectural features, then creating a short choreographic response. For two weeks leading up to the event shoppers also witnessed the explorations and rehearsals by the students.

For the final performance, the public paused to watch the dancers filling the mall with an unexpected energy and adding surprise to an otherwise normal Friday night’s shopping.

Property partner: Dunedin City Council

19 George St, Dunedin

April 18 - 24 2016

Images: Justin Speirs

“Unstitched” created a colourful and unique experience in the heart of the city to engage the community in socially and environmentally positive fashion initiatives.

To coincide with Fashion Revolution celebrations around the world, in the first week of the April school holidays Urban Dream Brokerage supported Just Atelier  to design a pop up space to explore, create and share ideas about contemporary fashion in the CBD. The event included free workshops open to all ages by local Dunedin textile artists, Designers, Craftivists, Senorita AweSUMO, Desi Liversage; Just Atelier Trust including Mend and Make Awesome, Re:Fashion Upcycling, lunchtime BYO crafting and a photo booth.

The team at Just Atelier shared their skills and gave people the chance to get hands-on with the processes involved in creating, personalising and repurposing contemporary fashion.

The project was created to demonstrate  fashion can be made in a safe, clean and beautiful way. Where creativity, quality, environment and people are valued equally.

The event encouraged Dunedin public to participate in creating a Fashion Revolution in Dunedin!  

W:  justatelier.org.nz | fashionrevolution.org

Insta: @Just_Atelier | @Fash_Rev_Aus_NZ

Property partner: Oakwood Properties 

177 George St, Dunedin

June 3 - 19 2016

For the culmination of a six month creative project as the Caroline Plummer Fellow at the University of Otago This Cloud is Queering! choreographic artist Val Smith occupied George Street’s Underground Market for two weeks. The project explores the experience of queer, trans and gender diverse people in public space, with one-on-one walks with the public, conversations, community building experiments, workshops, research and performances

For Dunedin this offers the public multiple ways to engage with new innovative forms of art, and new ways of digitally mapping people's  experience of the Underground Market as a public space. The project also features a roaming performance installation event on June 19, with contributions by local performers and artists, including sound artist Eves, who returns from Melbourne to perform live.

Property Partner: Wellington City Council.

1 Clyde Quay Wharf. 

17 June - 17 July 2016.

More information here.

Photographs: Gabrielle McKone (key group night image Vanessa Rushton)

The Lucid Dream Bicycle Laboratory is established as a creative space on the Wellington waterfront, engaging with local artists, schools and collaborators of all ages to build seven bicycle floats for a spectacular series of night bicycle parades. Lucid Dream Bicycle Laboratory is a project developed and curated by the supremely creative Lucid Dream Bike team, a collaboration between Bicycle Junction, Erika Grant, Dan Mikkelson, Kelvin Aris, Gerard Crewdson and Stephen Templer - along with a plethora of artists, performers and musicians.

The Lucid Dream team have engaged local artists, businesses, schools and the public of Wellington for a collaborative adventure in light, sound and movement in the middle of winter - The Bicycle Carnival of Lights and Motion. An extravaganza in bicycle art and performance, D.I.Y bicycle float building, decorating your own as well as parading along the picturesque Wellington waterfront. The Lucid Dream Bike Laboratory has offered a unique experience to the Wellington community. Showing what is possible when you combine an unwavering love of fun with some real ingenuity.

Lucid Dream Bike was an interactive bicycle performance experience, which won “Most Innovative Work” at the 2016 Wellington Fringe Festival. Lucid Dream Bike is a night bike adventure that opened up a whole new means of moving, experiencing, and ­most importantly­ interacting with the city landscape in a new way. This Laboratory iteration of the project offers the public a chance to be involved in the creation and presentation of bicycle art and performance. Innovating the communication of positive bicycle safety and benefits of bicycle use through art, performance, hands on making and FUN!

See: https://vimeo.com/155766776

Property Partner: Wellington City Council.

1 Clyde Quay Wharf.

20 July - 20 August, 2016

Images: Andrea Selwood and Gabrielle McKone

Holding up a lens to our environment, two artists and a scientist collaborate in an exchange project (Taiwan/NZ) which invites the public into workshops and discussions to create work and display on the waterfront to explore a future shock reality and shared interpretation of climate change. This “what will happen when” diorama of rising sea levels offers a miniature view of our coastline as if submerged underwater.

Recent extreme weather events have flipped our perception of “normal”. Unseasonal Change re-imagines an alien arboreal landscape of tomorrow. DIY artmaking is combined with science experiment to help us learn in a fun way to situate our own backyard within the wider issue of global warming.

Responding to rising sea levels we ask the question; how will plants cope with increased saltwater absorption and what are the impacts on our human food chain?

Kids and all comers are invited to participate in make-and-grow crystal tree workshops activating the same transformative properties as ‘Mystical Garden’ toy chemistry sets. The resulting arboretums-in-a jar relate the idea of the greenhouse effect and also form a miniature mass plantation of an art installation.  These strange trees can be understood as an individual keepsake reminder of the difficult truth (climate change) and portion of a colourful “unseasonal Christmas” lit display.

Find this installation incubating within the microclimate of shopfront windows at two sites situated close to the waterfront and marina. Here, visitors can observe the changing states of the trees through the salt crystallization process, which develops over the time of the exhibition.

A forum closes the event with public invited to listen to “experts-in-the field” to inform deeper discussion at a community level, of the specific effects of climatic changes impacting on our Wellington coastal communities.

https://m.facebook.com/unseasonalchange/

Property Partner: Mt Iron Investments Ltd, C/O Anaro Investments Ltd

Level 2, 111 Customhouse Quay, Wellington

31st July, 2016 - ongoing

Website: coliberate.co.nz

CoLiberate is a Wellington based wellness centre creating a thriving community of wellbeing, empowerment and equality. A place where you are invited to participate in a range of facilitated sessions  to collaboratively and creatively help you prioritise your wellbeing.

”As live performance artists, we are experts in people care. We develop ways to nurture confidence, self-worth and meaningful existence in our casts because if our people don’t feel safe, supported and empowered, then they can’t go out onstage and perform."

The programme is extensive http://coliberate.co.nz/programme/ - from yoga and meditation to  talking circles and wellness wananga, movement, drawing and clay workshops .

Co-Liberate is made up of Sarah Tuck, Jody Burrell and Bop Murdoch

The programme provides innovative intellectual stimulation, reflection, expression, action and kanohi ki te kanohi connection.

Property partner: Dunedin City Council 

Wall St Mall, Dunedin

From August 5, 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

An installation in a shopping mall allowing the people of Dunedin to become immersed in - and contribute to - the echoes of people, time, and place, that construct what Dunedin is today. Echoes was a Gigcity commission.

The Echoes installation is a space for contemplation, reflection, and a sense of grounding within time and place.

The installation features an interactive digital mirror - thousands of images from decades' worth of photographic archives all swirl and shuffle to form a reflection of participants. The image of the present is constructed from the echoes of the past.

However, the installation is very much a living piece. By uploading images to Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #echoesdunedin, people can feed back into the pool of archives and have their own images appear within the installation. Joe Dixon the artist behind the work is looking forward to see how Echoes evolves “Our hope is that as time passes the balance of the old and new images begins to mingle, creating a bunch of new Echoes connecting us to our past.”

Echoes is also a showcase of the potential of Gigcity and online resources like Otago University Hocken Collection which the imagery in the work is sourced from.

Echoes has been created by creative coder Joe Dixon and Storybox a Wellington creative studio. Thanks to Otago University Library Hocken Collection.

This project was made possible by the 'Chorus and Digital Community Trust'

www.storybox.co.nz

www.digl.co.nz

The Retro Games Lounge

Property Partner NKI Trust

125 George Street

September 14 - 25 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

For television and newspaper media items go here.

Attended by over 3500 people over 10 days in the Dunedin CBD, The Retro Gaming Lounge was an interactive display of iconic 80s and 90s home computer games. You could walk in off the street, free of charge, and play classics such as Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, and Space Invaders on the original machines set-up in one of eight gaming stations. These games, consoles and computers have been selected from what is arguably the biggest retro gaming collection in New Zealand. The owner's collection fills two houses - and in this beautifully designed project he shares it with the public.

Property Partner: Wellington City Council

6/22 Herd Street (meeting place)  

30 September - 9 October 2016

See a video of the experience here.

Website: www.lux.org.nz

Images: Gabrielle McKone, Mark Amery.

Over 5000 people were guided to a series of two secret locations (previously vacant spaces) for an indoor light and theatre experience on the Wellington waterfront. Wellington's celebrated light festival producers LUX experimented in partnership with Urban Dream Brokerage in innovating with light sculpture for the public inside interior vacant space.

Weird nature bloomed and oozed in an experimental ecosystem of light. Audiences were invited to be immersed in the collision of art and science fiction that until now "only lived in your imagination".

"The LUX team has always dream't of creating an indoor experience like Glade. When we had the opportunity to pilot such a project, it was our collaboration with Urban Dream Brokerage that turned that dream into reality.  The support we received from UDB was integral to the realisation of Glade.  Their commitment to the greater Wellington mission of enabling high quality, accessible arts made them a perfect partner for LUX, and it was the sharing in that vision that ensured our path to success." Mary Laine, Producer

Partners:  Massey University, Metro, WRAF, Creature Design, Multi-Media, Sputnik, Museum Hotel, Enormous Crocodile Company, No 1 Family Estate, Wellington Airport, Capture Studios

Locations: Various
28th September - 14th October, 2016

Website here: kollektivgallery.com/lokalstories

An Urban Dream Brokerage assisted project

Occupying spaces throuhgout the city, Lokal Stories's presents Cyber Nectar, a series of pop up exhibitions and events taking place during 28 September - 16 October, 2016 in Wellington. Facilitated by artist Jordana Bragg, writer Hana Pera Aoake, designer Sean Burn and director Sophie Margaret Gerta Giblin.

"Our collaboration confronts digital hate towards marginalised groups and looks closely at how neo-colonialism has changed online identities today," says Giblin.

On Cyber Nectar: "How does our apparent reliance upon technologies affect the way we feel about our bodies and our productivity? The cyborg is a matter of fiction and lived experience (i).

"Cyber Nectar references warm, alive bodies interacting with cold, dry pieces of technology. Roy Ascott theorised the term ‘moist media’ as a way of describing, ‘where wet living biologies meet dry computational systems’. Cyber Nectar responds and critiques issues raised by both Roy Ascott and other early cyber feminists by examining the psychological and physical experience of proto-digital life."

An interview about Lokal Stories can be found here.

(i) Donna Haraway, A Cyborg Manifesto in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The reinvention of nature (New York; Routledge, 1991), pp. 149-181

Twin City Productions

Property partner: Maurice and Kaye Clark

Grand Hall, Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay

23 November - 3 December 2016

Images: Gabrielle McKone

Dominion Post Review

Located in one of Wellington's most significant spaces, the Grand hall at the Public Trust Building, Galathea: Into the Bush is a reinvention of an old play provided a suitably Shakepearian venue. Working with leading youth group InsideOUT, it provides both a community space and a theatre, celebrating Wellington's vibrant LGBT community today.

Galathea was originally written in 1588 by Shakespeare's contemporary John Lyly. The 1588 version has a focus on lesbian desire that was radical for its time. Twin City Productions have decided to use the original play as inspiration for a new show.

Director Ania Upstill says, “As a queer director, I have found that Wellington theatre tends to neglects the experiences of LGBT people. At the start of our project we held public forums for Wellington's LGBT community to tell us what representation they would like to see on stage. We also held a forum with local LGBT youth group InsideOUT. The dominant message from these voices was 'we want more'.”

In addition to being the performance space, during the run of the show from 1pm– 5pm Twin Cities open up the venue as a space for the public. Activities in the space will encourage people to play with their ideas of gender before seeing the performance in the evening.

Property Partner: Harada Investments Ltd

23 George Street

November 17 - 20 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

JPalm Presents’ is a showcase of contemporary Dunedin-based practitioners collaborating through interdisciplinary modes of production including fashion, art, music and film. This showcase is a snapshot of an active subculture within the city that present multiple intersections through a collision of disciplines. The showcase includes works by Julia Palm, Kelly O’Shea, Ella Harrington-Knapton, Ted Whitaker, Esta de Jong, Lance Strickland and Élan Vital.

Property partner: Harada Investments Ltd.

23 Princes Street

2 - 4 December 2016

Images: Justin Spiers

A space for display, photography, collaboration and experimentation, Citizen Stylist is an experiment in disrupting the fashion designers' purist intentions through public participation: exploring and celebrating disruptions and diversity. This is a short pilot project with the hope that this project can be repeated.

In Citizen Stylist traditional purist fashion graduate creative photographs will be augmented with second and third opportunities to mix up collections and individual stylists through photography. The designers will be invited to submit their clothes for this creative experiment and they may also be the stylists. The stylists will be in full control of selecting the clothes from those available and the way the clothes are worn, and the stylist can mix the outfits with their own existing clothes.

The stylists are people with an interest in fashion and associated with fashion schools internationally. Once dressed the stylist will be photographed by Margo Barton, and the resultant images will become part of an ongoing record exhibited online and physically.

Erica Sklenars & Nikolai Sim
Property Partner: Harada Investment Ltd
23 Princes Street
8th -25th February 2017 Mon – Sat 10am – 4pm

Planet Obsolescence – is an audio visual installation allowing the people of Dunedin to become immersed in an interactive sci-fi-esque experience using ultra-fast broadband alongside radio wave technologies in a re-imagined afterlife for obsolete technology.

The Planet Obsolescence installation has been built with over 60 discarded LCD monitors and other electronics to create an immersive environment.  Via the use of ultra-fast broadband, the user is a key participant. Interacting with “stealth screens” in a zone that is at once performative and isolating, the experience will be remarkably magical.

This project was made possible through: GigCity Community Fund / Chorus and Digital Community Trust

An interactive audio visual Installation that reimagines an afterlife for obsolete technology. More information on the artist: www.ericasklenars.com

Stella Reid

Property partner: Wellington City Council

10 -13 February 2017

Clyde Quay Wharf

Images: Maxwell Gutterman

A multi-award winner at the 2017 New Zealand Fringe, this multimedia theatre work made beautiful use of a large vacant space to help evoke the mood of the work..

"Production company Chapel Perilous have found an ideal performance venue in the Urban Dream Brokerage-provided Clyde Quay wharf apartments," writes Cassandre Tse at Theatreview." The unadorned concrete has the appearance of an actual storage space, and Reid makes use of the visible fusebox when, as they are wont to do in spooky stories, the lights suddenly go out."

Cleaning out her dead grandmother’s basement, a girl finds recordings her grandmother made. While listening to the tapes she begins to question who her grandmother really was. But can the grandmother on the tapes be trusted as a reliable narrator? Not to mention the girl herself…
 
Both the audience and the solo performer fight to stay afloat among the waves of secrets and memories in grandma’s basement.
 
The Basement Tapes explores how the things we leave behind outlive us. Part audio work, part live performance, the production brings the past into the present through mixed media, actively utilising elements of its site to strong effect.
 
The Basement Tapes sets itself in the nation’s capital and proudly celebrates the Wellington character. While adding to the increasing amount of sophisticated mixed-media work, Tapes also proudly boasts a 50% female identifying production team.

James Nokise
Clyde Quay
Property Partner: Wellington City Council
Feb 21-25 8.30pm

From the mind behind Rukahu (Best Theatre Solo Fringe 2015), We Built This City (with Adam Page), and also the guy who does Samuel L Jackson's Puppet in Puppet Fiction – comes a 45 minute poem on everyone's favourite subject; Pacific Imperialism.

Faovale Imperium looks to (with a slight tongue in cheek) use spoken word and poetry, along with a couple of candles and a costume, to recreate the sense of fun, adventure, and wonder of those first voyaging from the English Channel into the Pacific Currents. At the same time it looks to vocalise the often suppressed voices of the Pacific Nations, as the coming of the European powers lead to a suppression of Pacific Culture still being oppressed today.

Award Winning Stand-Up Comedian James Nokise has developed a cult following in the NZ Fringe over the past few years by purposefully experimenting with non-stand-up shows. These have included Puppetry, Sing A Long's, Solo Theatre, Social Discussions, and now Spoken Word / Poetry. This art form is not chosen at random, but pays homage to the Oratory Chiefs of Nokise's Samoan culture. Nokise's Fringe shows are always Koha as he looks to have audiences of all backgrounds, and grow his shows by encouraging feedback.

About James
Skuxologist James Nokise – Thespian, Cultural Commentator, Guest Lecturer, occasional Joke teller – has composed a Poem of Captain Cook's voyage through the Pacific Region. He will humbly navigate the many Pacific cultures, as Cook himself did, as he looks at the spread of the Enlightenment ... to people who knew how to sail without compasses and live in ecologically sound structures.

Fouvale Imperium features original Poetry by Nokise, and guest works by several Pacific Artists.... performed also by Nokise. It's like the Disney film Moana... told by one guy, who doesn't look like The Rock, and doesn't appropriate Pacific Culture for environmentally unfriendly merchandise.

Frankenfoot - The Redux

Property Partner: Haranda Investments Ltd.

165 George Street

9 - 19 March 2017 Weds - Sun 11-2pm

Images: Justin Spiers and Louise Clifton (second image)

ADULT WORKSHOPS Friday 10th, 17th March Saturday 11th, 18th March $20 / $18, 10-3pm

KIDS WORKSHOPS Sunday 12th, 19th March $10, 10-12pm or 2-4pm

An all-ages series of shoe up-cycling workshops and exhibition in which old and unwanted shoes are bought back to life by re-assembling and re-imagining them. Students are encouraged to create experimental object d'art, which will combine an unlikely juxtaposition of styles.

The exhibition is playfully inspired by the 1984 'Toxic Avenger' film. Using this theme and giving shoes destined for the landfill a second life, the artists hope to create discussion around sustainability and highlight wasteful consumer habits.

This project is a collaboration between Louise Clifton of Shoe School and Dunedin artist Rachel Blackburn (Murdabike, Steep Street).

Anything Could Happen: Strange Echoes of the Dunedin Sound

Octagon Club. The Octagon and Robbie Burns Pub

17-18 March 2017

Images: Justin Spiers

Anything Could Happen transformed the Octogan Club into a playful recreation of Roy Colbert's legendary Records Records and a concert venue. Records Records saw the legacy of the Dunedin Sound reimagined and interrogated. Visitors could sing their favourite songs as part of the Dunedin Sound Karaoke, and were invited to bring along their favourite old cassettes and participate in Andrea McSweeney’s ongoing Mix Tape Gallery.

The evenings featured collaborative performances that treated the Dunedin Sound as a living, evolving entity. There were satellite events at Machine Project and KCHUNG Radio in Los Angeles, California.

FRIDAY 17th MARCH

$10, 8-11pm

Robert Scott and Mike McLeod

Alastair Galbraith's Phone Call

Ciaran McMeeken

Abby Wolfe

Plus: Dunedin Sound Karaoke Party

SATURDAY 18th MARCH

$10, 8-11pm

Graeme Downes and Molly Devine

Francisca Griffin

Ciaran McMeeken

Abby Wolfe

Plus: Dunedin Sound Karaoke Party

PANEL DISCUSSION

Saturday 18th March 

Koha, 4pm 

With Ian Chapman, Graeme Downes, Francisca Griffin, Ciaran McMeeken, Abby Wolfe, and Amanda Mills 

UnderMarket, 177 George Street

Property Partner: Oakwood Properties/ David Marsh

March 14 - 17 7pm

Alive in Berlin is a 50 minute multimedia performance that mixes spoken word poetry, prose and one-person 'dialogues' - with projected images and new music compositions. It offers glimpses of autobiographical detail that merge and collide with imagined histories, some whimsical and some much darker.

Writer Jenny Powell has worked with award-winning composer Kerian Varaine, artist and independent film-maker Phoebe MacKenzie and actor and animateur Simon O'Connor.

Powell, the sole live performer is supported by a battery of four busy video projectors and six amplifiers, which give the piece a greater sense of size and complexity than is often the case with conventional solo performance.

The vast space of the venue allows for dynamic shifts of scale, from tiny, condensed images to expansive projections that fill the entire room.

Property partner: Haranda Investments/ Neville Hall

23 Princes Street

Friday 17 March 11am - 11pm

Images: Justin Spiers

Composure is a 10 hour long endurance piece in which the dancers create the choreography as they dance it. People are welcome to come and go throughout the day, watching or participating in how the dance unfolds and develops.

Composure uses movement, dance and voice to negotiate a live improvised engagement with the design of a vacant space, sound, and the relationships between those present in the space.

“We shape each other, we shape ourselves, we shape the space; we fulfil the tasks of our improvised reality.”

People can come as a dancer, investigating their methods of working; come as a maker, bringing an idea they’d like the dancer to use to make dance (a painting, a poem, a story you think could inspire movement); come and play an instrument; or come as an observer: sitting and watching it all unfold.

At the core of this project are dance artists Leah Carrell and Benjamin Mitchells' interest in developing a sustainable practice, investigating the interests of choreographers, and creating a performance that challenges them both physically and creatively.

The use of a vacant space offers audiences an innovative way of engaging with dance through dynamic and unusual interactions. The audience is invited to observe the process of making dance as a transparent sharing of processes, explorations, triumphs and failings.

Property partner: McCrae Properties

March 22-25 2017

68 Princes Street

Website: https://www.citizenstylist.com/

Images: Margo Barton and Justin Spiers

A second version of this project with a new property partner, Citizen Stylist aims to prove that emerging fashion can be worn by anyone. Citizens can come and style themselves combining their own clothes with emerging fashions available. They can get photographedand be part of this international styling project. Participants must be 18 years or older.

Supported by Otago Polytechnic.

Just Atelier

Property partner: Haranda Investments.

1-30 April 2017.

23 Princes Street.

Weekdays 10am - 5pm. Weekends 11am - 4pm. Public holidays 12pm - 4pm. Closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Images: Justin Spiers

Websites: http://justatelier.org.nz     http://fashionrevolution.org/

Unstitched - Local Fashion revolution is a Pop up community sewing and education centre for everyone to explore, create and share ideas about contemporary fashion in a central city space. Unstitched was first pilotted with Urban Dream Brokerage in 2016 and returned expanded and further developed for a full month of events and workshops. Aiming to engage will all, opportunities are offered open to all ages and experiences, to see and engage with information on the fashion process

Dunedin's ethical fashion hub Just Atelier created this revolutionary fashion experience with resources and information from the international Fashion Revolution.  

Unstitched is skill sharing and giving people the chance to get hands-on with the processes involved in creating, personalising and repurposing contemporary fashion.

Hans Kellett and Dan Untitled
Property partner: Zebrano
2 Tory Street, Wellington
April 26 – 28 2017: 3.30-8pm
April 29 - 30 2017: 11am – 3.30pm
Song archive:  https://thesongdispensary.wordpress.com/.

Images: Gabrielle McKone and Wanaka Festival of Colour

A chemist's shop where the prescription is music not medicine. We’re all listening to music wherever we go, but the behind-the-scenes work of creating music is mysterious, unknown territory for most of us. The Song Dispensary uses a vacant space in Wellington to open the door wide, inviting the public inside to help write an original song – one all about you!

Now in its third instalment following the 2015 Performance Arcade in Wellington and fresh from this year’s Festival of Colour in Wanaka, The Song Dispensary as chemist’s shop, sees walk-up visitors receiving a consultation to determine what kind of song they might need, and to set up a framework for their song.

Following the consultation, the two musical-medical practitioners Hans Kellett and Dan Untitled get to work writing an original song.

The open shop front they have been provided by Urban Dream Brokerage means that passers-by can observe the off-the-cuff writing process in action, and even assist in getting the concoctions right. At the end of the writing process, the song is performed live, and then uploaded to the online music dispensary - https://thesongdispensary.wordpress.com/ - patient confidentiality, of course, is assured.

For Berlin-based, NZ-born Hans Kellett - who developed the project over many years in Europe - the chance to participate in songwriting in action is just as important as the final ‘products’. “There’s often a perceived barrier between ‘everyday life’ and ‘art’, so it’s a real honour to talk to ‘non-artists’ about their stories and then see the giggles and moist eyes when they hear their songs back and realise that just in chatting to us the hidden artistry and poetry of how they are living their lives has been revealed – and that poetry is in all of us, sometimes right there in front of us”.

The project has been supported by Letting Space’s Urban Dream Brokerage service with funding from Wellington City Council. Urban Dream Brokerage finds space for new ideas that enliven our city through public participation. Hans Kellett is supported by the Goethe Institut New Zealand. The Song Dispensary in Wellington is made possible by generous support from Creative New Zealand, and sponsorship from Goethe-Institut New Zealand

The property is kindly provided by Zebrano, dispensers of Fine Fashion and lovers of Great Music.

Rana Haddad and Pascal Hachem

Property partner: Zebrano

2 Tory Street and street locations (Riddiford Street, Taranaki Street and Wharewaka).

May 3 – 12th 2017

Architect Rana Haddad and artist Pascal Hachem from Beirut were Letting Space international artists in residence. They spent a month in Wellington meeting locals, exploring the history of the city and responding with urban interventions. A vacant space with UDB provided them a workshop space to create the material for their work Unsettled, and meet the public.

Drawing from their experiences of war-torn Beirut, their work responded to the city addressing "the stagnating and missing flow that made the city, and seems to have been avoided and dismissed today from everyday life".

They gave free public talks at City Gallery Wellington, Massey University College of Creative Arts and Victoria University of Wellington.

Trudy Lane.

Property partner: Haranda Investments.

16 June - 1 July 2017.

23 Princes Street, Dunedin.

Website here.

Images: Justin Spiers

Bringing the sun to a vacant retail space in the middle of Puaka Matariki and a Dunedin winter artist Trudy Lane invited you to come stare at Te Rā, the sun – safely! A large projection of the sun from solar telescopes in Dunedin, Dresden, and outer space was beamed in to warm up winter, with events, shows and public discussions on astrophysics, energy, ecologies, and cosmologies. In a sun exchange the live feed was shared between Dunedin and Germany.

Thanks to: Dunedin Astronomical Society, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin City Creative Communities, Bigpipe, NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON), Otago University, Morgan Oliver, Michael Morley, Sally McIntyre, Nigel Bunn, Alistair Galbraith, Matt de Gennaro, Southern Lights.

The project was supported by GigCity Community Fund through Letting Space’s Urban Dream Brokerage service with funding from Dunedin City Council.

Trudy Lane is an artist, curator and digital media designer whose work has an ecological and social focus. In her art practise she seeks to create inspiring models of encounter between specialised cultures of knowledge.

Media:

TV One video news item on Sunroom

Otago Daily Times story on Sunroom with video interview

Radio NZ interview with Trudy Lane on Sunroom

'Brilliant display set to dazzle sun-starved Dunedin' Stuff article on Sunroom

Podcast Otago Access Radio interview with Trudy Lane about Sunroom

Star Article - ‘Space to stare at the Sun’ - Sunroom interview

The Display Space

Property: Maurice and Kaye Clarke

Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay

13-31 July 2017

Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

Website: www.projectfashionwellington.com

Masterton District Council Library and Connecting Communities Wairarapa.

Property partner: Masterton Lands Trust.

7 Church Street. 25 July – 29 September 2017

Tuesdays-Thursdays 3-5pm.

Come work together to build a Marble Run using recycled materials, your ideas and imagination. The Great Marble Run brings building participation for children into the Masterton CBD in the most fun and recyclable of ways! The project runs in a vacant Church Street space provided by the Masterton Lands Trust and is open to all - the project has different aspects allowing children will be able to contribute and be involved regardless of their skills and knowledge. There will be also be an education focus engagement for children from Years 3 to 6 in hands-on making, problem solving, creativity, the application of STEM principles.

Children are welcome to attend any or all days after school, but do need to bring a signed permission slip from a caregiver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt6wJCkEvno&feature=youtu.be

Other links:

https://www.facebook.com/mstnlibrary/   https://www.facebook.com/Connecting-Communities-Wairarapa-198123943597629/

https://twitter.com/mstnlib?lang=en

www.library.mstn.govt.nz  http://www.connectingcommunities.org.nz/

Dunedin Youth Orchestra

Property Partner: Oakwood Properties

Underground Market 177 George Street

15 September 2017

website: http://dyo.org.nz/

Open rehearsal 6pm til 8pm. Busking then concert at 9pm.

Images: Justin Spiers

In a unique use of a vacant underground space, as well as popping up on the street, opening up the workings of an orchestra to a broader audience, Dunedin’s Youth Orchestra played under the streets of Dunedin, and played up to a romantic underground theme.

Audiences could walk around the orchestra as they played and, as part of the underground experience, explore the deep, dark romance of some of the classical greats and the deranged conceptual soundscape of the future with a premiere of a contemporary orchestral composition by a young New Zealand composer. 

In addition members of the orchestra in full Gothic get-up took their sounds out to the overground, with some busking in between open rehearsal and performance.

This project was supported by the Otago Community Trust and the Southern Victorian Charitable Trust.

New Zealand Young Writers Festival.

Property Partner: Haranda Investments

23 Princes St.

7-10 September

website: http://youngwritersfest.nz/

Reaching new audiences and finding new ways of bringing people together this year's New Zealand Young Writers Festival takes over a vacant space as part of its exciting innovative programme.

"Sex, dairy farming and feminism are among the unlikely bedfellows at this year’s New Zealand Young Writers Festival, 15 free events delivering some of the country’s finest young wordsmiths to Dunedin. The line-up includes Lizzie Marvelly (2017 Canon Awards: Columnist of the Year; Blog Site of the Year for The Villainesse); Chris Tse (2016 Ockham Award Winner); New Zealand’s first Snapchat comedy star Tom Sainsbury; dairying dystopic Rhydian Thomas; and a two-day arts writing workshop with Lana Lopesi and Rosabel Tan from Pantograph Punch.

Continuing a proud theme of collaboration within the event, this year features contributions from the Blue Oyster Art Project Space and Pantograph Punch; the New Zealand Book Council; Aotearotica; and the Dunedin High Schools’ Poetry Slam.

Across the weekend, young writers and the people who love them (their work) will have the opportunity to bond over performances, readings, panel discussions, workshops and a pub quiz.

The programme is presented with the support of Phantom Billstickers.

FrequenSea

Katharina Marino

Property Partner: Oakwood Properties

The Undermarket - 177 George St

29 September – 8 October 2017

Turning a cavernous underground vacant retail space into a representation of an underwater sonic and visual experience, Katharina Marino's installation FrequenSea aimed to make the invisible world of marine noise pollution visible. The exhibition was an interactive, community project.

Awareness that the world extends beyond what we experience through our human senses is often lost. From the moment we are born, our perception is constrained by our body’s limited ability to sense our surroundings. We lack specialized anatomy to see outside of the visible spectrum, pick up scent a mile away, or hear one another across entire ocean basins.

When prompted to imagine sounds of the ocean, thoughts of seagulls crying out, waves crashing against the shore and crabs clicking as they scuttle to the safety under the next rock may come to mind. Yet, these sounds are still part of our familiar home on land. Actually dive beneath the water’s surface and everything begins to change. The water engulfs you and our senses fail to preform in this underwater environment.

Unlike us though, whales, dolphins and porpoises rely heavily on their ability to use acoustics to navigate, forage and communicate in their underwater world.

However, the world’s oceans are getting louder and louder - and cetaceans are suffering the consequences. Ocean drilling, commercial shipping, construction and many other man-made activities are interfering with the ambient levels of marine noise these animals are used to. The increase in underwater noise pollution, not only cripple their ability to traverse the sea, but they may be suffering from direct physical effects as well.

Barbarian Productions and Maverick Creative

Property Partner – Maurice and Kaye Clarke

Site: Public Trust Building, 131 Lambton Quay

5-8 September 2017, 10am - 4pm Tuesday-Saturday (until 6pm Thursday)

Images: Ebony Lamb

Media: Newshub film item

Stuff interview and Justin Lester visit

A highlight of the 2014 general election campaign returns for 2017 with Urban Dream Brokerage, New Zealand’s first political hair salon moves up from near the council buildings to the grand hall of the Old Pubic Trust Building, close to the seat of government and across the road from many of its workers.

Designed to endeavour more participation in politics, this collaboration between theatremakers and hairdressers offers cheap coffee and free professional haircuts in exchange for political discussion, with many high spirited encounters.

Barbarian Productions and Maverick Creative look to foster conversation in a space designed to capture the glory of 80s salons, complete with neon, mullets, and questionable fashion choices. Visitors can simply observe or can get more involved, by chatting with the hosts and each other, leaving thoughts on the wall, or ultimately receiving a free haircut – in exchange for a political conversation with the hairdresser.

Speaking to The Spinoff in June this year, Barbarian’s Head Clown Thomas Lahood asked: “What is the value of theatre? Who does it make a difference for? There’s a newfound social purpose that we really strive for.” Political Cutz embraces this social purpose, and has at its core a desire for genuine engagement across the spectrum, dispensing with political affiliations and looking for opportunities to connect, rather than disengage.

Political Cutz first took place in Wellington in September 2014. The salon was visited by 400 people engaging in political discussion, and a further 1800 followed the conversation via the project’s social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Funding and support was provided by Wellington City Council, Urban Dream Brokerage and The McGuinness Institute.

“It’s important to us that the barrier to entry remain as low as possible,” says Maverick director and hairdresser Jason Muir. “We want to maximise the opportunities people have to engage, and make sure that communities who usually don’t find their voices counted see this as a place to go.”

Supported by Wellington City Council, UNICEF New Zealand , ‪KPMG, and Good Fortune Coffee co

About Barbarian Productions: Jo Randerson and Thomas Lahood are Barbarian, a company which writes, performs and makes media that is fierce, funny and counter-cultural. Theyt make work inside and outside of theatres, with groups and individuals, amateurs and professionals. Their work ranges from large scale theatre works (Yo Future, White Elephant) to smaller, interactive street experiments with an online component (Brides, Help Us Change, Dress Up Jam). They strive for a new economics in performance which allow a broader audience to participate in our work.

About Maverick Creative: Director Jason Muir has been involved in various interesting creative projects over his 20+ years hairdressing career, initially in industry specific events and fashion events/projects then evolving to theatre, street theatre & public art as a means to convey his trade in a unique context. Other collaborations with Barbarian include Political Cuts 2014, Grand Opening, and Rates Cuts.

A highlight of the 2014 general election campaign returns for 2017 with Urban Dream Brokerage, New Zealand’s first political hair salon moves up from near the council buildings to the grand hall of the Old Pubic Trust Building, close to the seat of government and across the road from many of its workers.

Designed to endeavour more participation in politics, this collaboration between theatremakers and hairdressers offers cheap coffee and free professional haircuts in exchange for political discussion, with many high spirited encounters.

Barbarian Productions and Maverick Creative look to foster conversation in a space designed to capture the glory of 80s salons, complete with neon, mullets, and questionable fashion choices. Visitors can simply observe or can get more involved, by chatting with the hosts and each other, leaving thoughts on the wall, or ultimately receiving a free haircut – in exchange for a political conversation with the hairdresser.

Speaking to The Spinoff in June this year, Barbarian’s Head Clown Thomas Lahood asked: “What is the value of theatre? Who does it make a difference for? There’s a newfound social purpose that we really strive for.” Political Cutz embraces this social purpose, and has at its core a desire for genuine engagement across the spectrum, dispensing with political affiliations and looking for opportunities to connect, rather than disengage.

Political Cutz first took place in Wellington in Sept. 2014. The salon was visited by 400 people engaging in political discussion, and a further 1800 followed the conversation via the project’s social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Funding and support was provided by Wellington City Council, Urban Dream Brokerage and The McGuinness Institute.

“It’s important to us that the barrier to entry remain as low as possible,” says Maverick director and hairdresser Jason Muir. “We want to maximise the opportunities people have to engage, and make sure that communities who usually don’t find their voices counted see this as a place to go.”

About Barbarian Productions: Jo Randerson and Thomas Lahood are Barbarian, a company which writes, performs and makes media that is fierce, funny and counter-cultural. Theyt make work inside and outside of theatres, with groups and individuals, amateurs and professionals. Their work ranges from large scale theatre works (Yo Future, White Elephant) to smaller, interactive street experiments with an online component (Brides, Help Us Change, Dress Up Jam). They strive for a new economics in performance which allow a broader audience to participate in our work.

About Maverick Creative: Director Jason Muir has been involved in various interesting creative projects over his 20+ years hairdressing career, initially in industry specific events and fashion events/projects then evolving to theatre, street theatre & public art as a means to convey his trade in a unique context. Other collaborations with Barbarian include Political Cuts 2014, Grand Opening, and Rates Cuts.

165 George Street

22 September – 15 October, 11am-5pm daily

Skinner Annex at Otago Museum, 419 Great King Street

30 September – 15 October, 11am-5pm daily

Performances: 30 September, 2pm Otago Museum Lawn, 11 October, 5.30pm Otago Polytechnic Hub, 14 October Vogel Street Party

Symposium: 7 October, 10am-3pm Otago Museum

Images: Justin Spiers

Media:

'Sounds like a Problem': Otago Daily Times video and story on Sounding

'Wi-fi oceans to wash': Stuff story on Sounding in Dunedin

Sounding investigates the connections between noise pollution, whales and dolphins living off the coast of Dunedin. Using sound and social engagement Sounding helps us navigate the problems Otago’s sea mammals are facing.

The public in Dunedin are invited to explore two interactive exhibitions in spaces in George Street and the H D Skinner Annex Gallery at Otago Museum and join workshops, performances and discussion events.

Ever wondered how a whale communicates? Enrol in a workshop to help assemble electronically enhanced umbrellas that respond with sound when entering Dunedin’s wi-fi ‘oceans’. Join a life-sized whale performance troupe, and join the project at the Museum opening (30 September) and the Vogel Street Party October 14, or come along and watch.

Sounding seeks to help us better understand our marine mammals’ aural environment, echo-location and sonic disruption in Otago’s oceans. It is a call to action for better management and research into the connections between noise pollution and the whales and dolphins of New Zealand. Parallels are made between land-based and ocean-based communication spaces that we can’t see.

This is the fourth Urban Dream Brokerage Dunedin Gig City commission, a commission programme that supports engaging and innovative data-rich arts and culture projects utilising digital technology in Dunedin city. Sounding is also funded by the Dunedin City Council, Creative New Zealand and supported by Otago Museum, Otago University and Otago Polytechnic.

Sounding has been created by Dunedin’s Caro McCaw, West Coast artist Vicki Smith and Taranaki Internet-of-things enthusiast Andrew Hornblow. Together they are working with Otago University whale researcher Professor Liz Slooten, sound artist Leyton Glen, the Otago Museum team, Otago University Marine Scientists and design students from Otago Polytechnic. The performances are being choreographed by artist Katrina Thomson.

Workshops

Join a workshop. Working umbrellas respond with sound whenever they enter into one of Dunedin’s wi-fi ‘oceans’!

Registration details: sounding.eventbrite.co.nz

Register to participate in pop-up whale performances

Volunteer whales are needed for public performances.

Contact thomson.katrina@gmail.com or sounding.eventbrite.co.nz

Find Out More: Symposium

Saturday Oct 7: Otago Museum’s Hutton Theatre

10am-12.30pm Hear from artists, scientists, and museum professionals about their varied work with our whales 

Film Screening Sonic Seas  1-2pm: followed by panel discussion 2pm

Tours of Otago Museum’s Marine Gallery

Saturday and Sunday 14-15 October, Otago Museum

Help whale and dolphin research

The NZ Whale and Dolphin Trust conduct research into the connections between whale strandings and oil exploration using sound. Sounding are collecting donations to support research.

or donate directly at http://whaledolphintrust.org.nz/take-action/donate/

Contact the team at sounding.nz

Property partner: Scruffy Bunny

Readings Cinemas Courtenay Central

19 – 22 September 2017 8pm, 23 September 3pm

Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2017/retail-cabaret/wellington

Images: Gabrielle McKone

A musical about retail, performed in a retail environment, the Readings cinema complex, Retail Cabaret is billed by the producers as a love letter to the hard working retail assistants of New Zealand - and “a healthy bit of emotional catharsis for two performers who have spent a long time working in retail”.

“In an epic slice of life story, Ava must face off against classic retail assistant threats, such as returns, shoplifters, and even worse, really really rude customers, in the hopes of making her monthly target, and being awarded the coveted platinum certificate.”

“Retail work can be an isolating experience with weird power dynamics,” writes producer Ingrid Saker. "We are wanting to promote the strength that having a supportive workplace can give you."

Singer-songwriters, and the show’s performers, Maxwell Apse and Jen Smith have worked together on two musical projects in the past two years, a romantic comedy webseries, in collaboration with the Candle Wasters, Happy Playland, and their own original comedic-noir musical podcast The Disrespectables.

“Having a long time interest in staged musicals, and history in working in retail, they decided their next project would be a small scale cabaret, all about the ‘joys’ of working in clothing stores, and the bonds you make with the people you work with.”

They are accompanied by musicians Sam Trist and Jacob Baxter.

17-21 October 2017
Thistle Hall Gallery
Adam Auditorium – City Gallery (17 October)
Wellington Waterfront

As earthquake prone cities, Christchurch, Wellington, and Sendai, Japan share common ground through recent experience. These cities are now looking to build earthquake resilience and create ‘resilient cities’. But how do we create stronger communities, and what is the role of art and urban design in building these cities?

In its negotiation of public space and public arts development work Urban Dream Brokerage assisted Shared Lines: Wellington. The event brought artists already effected by earthquake to the capital to encourage new discussion. It was a week-long series of art displays, talks, performances, and workshops, with artists from Japan, Christchurch and Kaikoura sharing their experience, knowledge and work in building resilience alongside the business and city planning sectors. The programme seeks to ‘earthquake strengthen’ the Wellington arts community.

Yasuaki Igarashi's major public artwork 'Sora-Ami: Knitting the Sky' was installed in the Wellington waterfront lagoon (a separate story on this work can be read here), with a partnership with Taranaki Whanaui, Wellington Waterfront, Willis Bond and the assistance of Goldfish Creative. Well attended artist talks and panel discussions were held at Adam Auditorium (City Gallery Wellington) on Tuesday evening, 17 October, and an exhibition and many other events will be held at Thistle Hall Gallery, upper Cuba Street histed by a collective of artists. Three Japanese artists exhibited alongside eight Christchurch and three Kaikoura based artists. Yasuaki Igarashi's major public artwork 'Sora-Ami: Knitting the Sky' was installed in the Wellington waterftont lagoon. A seperate story on this work is here.

With the increasing number and severity of natural disaster and humanitarian crises faced by towns and cities around the Pacific Rim, we need new ways to discuss and respond in ways that sees the community work alongside the decision-makers in emergency preparedness, disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. Engineers, property developers, architects, city planners and bureaucrats are invited to participate in panel discussions with artists.

Shared Lines emerged out of the earthquake events that devastated Canterbury, New Zealand, and Fukushima, Japan in 2011. Shared Lines is now an established collective of artists and art producers that aim to promote artistic exchange between cities and use art to build resilient cities.

Shared Lines: Wellington is the second major project run by the collaborative. The first being a highly successful two stage art exchange between Sendai, Japan and Christchurch following the natural disasters of 2011 in the two cities. It developed into 5 exhibitions in Sendai and Shiogama, Japan and in Christchurch and Queenstown, New Zealand with over 50 artists contributing to the shows and forums. Wellington artists who resonate with the upcoming event will team up for a Christchurch based collaboration next year. Shared Lines Collective aim to make Shared Lines an international biennial event with feasibility reports being developed for exchange with Santiago, Chile in 2020 and a ‘10 years on’ project with Sendai, Japan in 2022.

The project has been supported by Creative New Zealand. Wellington City Council, Studio Pacific Architecture and Willis Bond and has been umbrellaed and supported by the Wellington Independent Arts Trust.

Aratoi and the community

21 October 2017, 11am-3pm.

Bruce, Dixon, Park and Queen Streets.

Images: Janelle Preston Searle and Madeleine Slavick

For more images see Facebook group

What happens when a whole street block comes together and throws a party? Block Party, which brought together the venues and businesses along the Masterton streets at the northern end of the CBD of Bruce, Dixon, Park and Queen, which this project recognised are filled with an amazing diversity of talented people. They offered over 25 fun things to do on 21 October, the Saturday of Labour Day weekend, from 11am to 3pm, open to all, with many events free, and for all ages. These images capture some some of the energy at the party across different spaces. If you have photos of events that we have not covered, please email them and we'll be happy to add them to the photo album. 

This was Masterton’s first ever Block Party, a free community event initiated by Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, carried out by the whole block in public space and surrounding venues, co-presented with Our Future Masterton and Urban Dream Brokerage, with the assistance of Masterton District Council.

Pacific Island and African drumming to international musicians, cultural activities at Aratoi Museum and the Our Future Masterton Hub to shearing at the Wool Shed, printmaking on manhole covers to a historical tour around the block, a Steampunk exhibition at King Street Artworks to two photography-as-story projects, an art sale and book sale to games/ balloons/ bubbles/ competitions/ face-painting for kids. This was a party that pooled together the Masterton community.

The event was part of Aratoi’s on-going community outreach and the Our Future Masterton’s programme to see the community’s ideas and talents contribute to the future planning of the Masterton CBD.

ACTIVITIES  AS THEY WERE PROMOTED:

FREE BLOCK TOUR Hear some amazing stories as you join Gareth Winter from Wairarapa Archive for a walk around the block.  Tours start: 12 and 1:30 (approx 1 hr). 

We hope to print the pavement around the block with original stencil designs by Fab Lab Masterton and Te Pātukituki, so enjoy your steps. 

ARATOI LIVE & MUSEUM CAFÉ - Soulful music with reggae vibes by Hemi Walker (1pm) who has played at Tora Tora Tora, Gladstonebury and other venues around NZ. Aldo Pinelli (2pm) hails from Argentina, but is in town at NZ Pacific Studio – he fuses classical, Celtic, folk and progressive rock.

Drop-in printmaking with Te Manawa museum educator Pip Steel, Tina Finn’s enchanting stories exhibition, and coffee and enticing homemade treats in the museum from Entice Café. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK – Members of Masterton Brass Band play in Band Rotunda (Noon). Friends of QE Park invite everyone to discover the grounds & surrounds with a Park Discovery Hunt for the family (10-1pm). Pick up forms from the Island Bridge or Aratoi & return to Bridge for small prizes. Miniature Train runs all day, if weather good.

Play music under the trees, for all ages, with Jonáš Koukl, a music therapist from the Czech Republic, who will bring instruments for joy and harmony (11-2). Rides $1.  Lake House Cafe Face painting (11:30-1:30) & colouring competition.

WOOL SHED & JUBILEE FIREHOUSE A great chance to see shearing up close, and to see the expansion of the National Museum of Sheep and Shearing too. The beautiful Firehouse is open, as always. 11-3

BAHA’U’LLAH BICENTENARY Celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah at Masterton Education Centre, 22 Dixon St, with a community art activity that celebrates unity in diversity. 12-3.

GUESS HOW MANY BALLOONS are in the Honda and win a Honda sports bag and cap for the closest to the correct number of balloons at Southey Honda. 11-1

PARK STREET ART SALE Artists from Masterton Art Club will offer their original work for sale (cash only) -- paintings, prints, and more at this one-day sale at 5 Park St, the old Whaiora building, kindly offered for the Block Party by Southey Honda. JK Food Truck will offer home-cooked fare out front! 11-3.

PAVEMENT PRINTING Make your own printed T-shirts & tote bags from manhole covers & plates. Masterton Art Club will bring rollers, inks, paper, shirts & bags. For all ages. Starts at 5 Park St.

MASTERTON & ME - A PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY Anna Rutherford wants to hear people’s stories of Masterton and to make portraits. At WBS, corner of Park/Queen Streets. 11-3.

ISLAND DRUMMING Drum and dance with the Pacific Island Cultural Group in the Library Square, beside the library, and if it’s raining, we’ll drum & dance at Aratoi. For ages 5+. 12-3. The café next door, Taste Café, is offering some extra baked treats for the party.

BOOKS, CHINA, AND 2-1 SPECIALS at the Library. Did you know that Changchun is Masterton’s Sister City in China and that Clivia is that city’s flower? Clivia is blooming by the Masterton District Library, and there will be a book sale & two-for-one specials for DVDs and Hot Picks. 9:30-1.

AFRICAN DRUMMING on Queen Street, courtesy of Sacred Art Tattoo and Piercing.

FREE BALLOONS & BUBBLES to be festive, thanks to Festival Hire. 9-12.

THAI BBQ Gorgeous smells of Pork BBQ and Sticky Rice will waft down Queen St from Thai Arroy Maak –enjoy milky ice tea & old-fashioned ice coffee & if fine weather, coconut ice-cream in a bun. From 11am.

INTERACTIVE POTTERY for all ages with Sam Ludden, view master carving by Wayne Pitau and Carl Rongonui, and Our Future Masterton Community Hub Pop-up at Te Pātukituki, 15 Queen St. 11-3.

STEAMPUNK exhibition ‘Precognition’ and arts workshop at King Street Artworks, 10-3.

STEP INTO A WET SUIT, rain or shine! O2 Dive N Surf wakeboards, water-skis, kneeboards, tow ropes.

WAIRARAPA FARMERS’ MARKET Live music. Scarecrows. Colouring games. Christmas decorations. 9-1.

We thank the following for their support with publicity: 

Arrow FM, Destination Wairarapa, Eventfinda, Facebook (over 5,000 views), Masterton District Council, More FM, Newsnet.Live Wairarapa, Urban Dream Brokerage, Wairarapa Midweek, Wairarapa News, Wairarapa Times-Age, and probably more outlets.