Community arts

Community Arts

Community arts projects
Kairuruku Mahi Toi - A - Hapori

A community project
bringing life to Williamson
Avenue, Grey Lynn.
Mural design by John Pule.

Community arts coordinators aim to encourage creative and cultural development within Auckland city communities. Communities may be geographic, whanau/family, interest and cultural groups, networks or movements.

The emphasis of their role is on:

providing advisory services to artists and art groups
fostering access and participation in the arts
implementing relevant arts policies
initiating projects

Auckland City Council aims to encourage structures and support systems for community arts projects and art activity. To enable this to happen, these specialists arts coordinators are available to provide advice and assistance to artists and arts organisations.

Community arts coordinators can assist you with:

project development
funding advice
arts administration advice
relevant arts support systems
information about arts activities in your area

Current community art projects

Our Street

Concert Chamber
Auckland Town Hall
THE EDGE
7pm, 14 August
2pm and 7pm, 15 and 16 August
Tickets are free and bookings essential - to book email your name, address, phone number, preferred performance time and number of tickets requested to: ourstreettheatre@gmail.com

Auckland City Council is proud to produce 'Our Street' urban stories created and performed by young Aucklanders. This community arts project provides a diverse range of people with a platform to tell their story through a high quality performance, funded by Auckland City Council.

Our Street the production

Our Street is a culturally rich and diverse play that a showcases a multitude of modern performing arts including Krumping, Bollywood, hip hop, film, original music by Band of Wesley and a 33 piece Tongan brass band

Set in a suburb much like Wesley. A North Indian and a Samoan family are both preparing for the weddings of their eldest girls.

The story follows two couples who are trying to make sure their mixed marriages go off without a hitch. Only an elusive caterer, a missing guitarist, a meddling aunty and one little secret stand in their way.

Background

The collaborative process of sharing stories and devising theatre can increase a young persons self confidence, teamwork skills, understanding of others and creativity. Community theatre projects can help to build a strong and healthy community by fostering a sense of belonging, pride and collaboration.

The philosophy of this work is to facilitate and strengthen arts access, participation and opportunities within a specific local neighbourhood.

The Auckland City Council identified Wesley a neighbourhood that would benefit from an Intercultural Theatre Project. This small suburb, located near Sandringham and Mt Roskill is home to over 80 different ethnic groups.

See what happens when different worlds come together and try to live side by side.

Overview

The creative process behind the Wesley theatre project has been running since mid 2007. Over the last year dozens of free workshops in: drama, hip hop dance, Polynesian dance, creative writing, music, visual and graphic arts, filmmaking and rap poetry have been run in local venues including the Wesley community centre.

These workshops lead towards community sharing performances at the Wesley Community Christmas party in 2007 and at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall in 2008.

Using the stories and ideas that came from the workshops and interviews with local residents a cast of local young people created script for 'Our Street'.

More than 10 professional artists have worked on this play in collaboration with this community.

Many of these artists are local, including Artistic Director, Justine Simei-Barton of Owairaka.

Glenn Innes Maybury Park Community Art Project - Stage One
Where?	Maybury Park
Who is it for?	Local Glen Innes residents who's keen to help shape up the park
When?	From February 2008, the project is at a planning stage with the local community and the Maybury reserve parks project.
What is it?	We want to create an artwork for Maybury reserve that reflects the native flora and fauna local to the area, to bring life back to Maybury Park and make the park more family friendly and welcoming. Artist Nia -val Ngaro will be working closely with local community groups including Ruapotaka Marae and Ka Mau Te Wero on the development of this project. Contact us now if you have any ideas or would like to be involved!

Glenn Innes Oral History project
Where?	Glen Innes
Who is it for?	Senior citizens who want to share the stories of their lives in Glenn Innes with the wider community
When?	From March 2008
What is it?	We want to know what it's been like living in Glen Innes, where people have come from, and how things have changed. We want to work with the local elder residents who's been in the area for a while, listen to their stories and then use some of them as the basis for a short film festival, to be held locally. Contact us if you have any ideas or would like to be involved.

Otahuhu Banner Project - a community project
Where?	Otahuhu
Who is it for?	For anyone living in Otahuhu
When?	From March 2008
What is it?	We want to make a series of banners to decorate Otahuhu's main streets that celebrate the diversity of our suburb! Artist Terry Klavenes will be working with local community groups and individuals on the banner design. Contact us if you'd like to register your interest in the project.

Otahuhu inter-generational history project - a community project
Where?	Otahuhu
Who is it for?	Otahuhu residents who's been residing in the area for a while and young people aged from 8 to 18 years
When?	From April 2008
What is it?	This project will involve young people in the creation of a visual art work which will be based on stories told to them by Otahuhu elders in story telling sessions. Contact us if you'd like to be involved.

Updated July 2008