UNLEASHED: Summer Holidays Art Programme 2024
This was our sixth art programme with a Whau connection and we decided to UNLEASH big creativity in small public spaces along the Whau River.
Our pop-ups were hosted in three different spots, all beautiful in their own ways: Rizal Reserve in Avondale, Queen Mary Reserve in New Lynn and Rotary Playground in Te AtatΕ« South.
Artists Deahne Stone and Lori Hettig, with their ketes of natural and found materials, led a series of workshops creating flying kites one day and painting leaves and stones the next.
Guest artist Ahi Nyx ran a Raranga workshop using harekeke sourced locally. Watching people learn the art of weaving putiputi for the first time was a special moment. The harakeke rope and string we made came in good use for tree mobile and kite making later on too.
Thank you everyone for sharing your parks and helping us turn these blue-green spaces into creative sanctuaries for the day!
Lead creatives
Meet the artists inspiring our local neighbourhoods.
Loreal Hettig
“Kia ora! Ko Lori ahau. I am a creative tutu that is based in Kirikiriroa but I was born and raised in TΔmaki Makaurau out West. I love everything to do with arts community, culture and that magnetic feeling of connection it brings”.
Deahne Stone
βIβm Deahne. People call me D. I’m from Avondale but I’m lucky to be able to work with tamariki making art and creating change in schools around the West. I LOVE creativity, art and making things and I was super excited for us to get creating together.β
Ahi Nyx (Te Δti Awa, NgΔti Raukawa)
A Whau based artist and the director/creator of Ahi Raranga Ltd. Known for hand woven harakeke toanga and raranga wananga she is extending her practice to help reconnect to traditional MΔori harvesting practices.
Her creativity comes from a deep spiritual connection to PapatΕ«Δnuku and Taneatua. Through her whakapapa, she holds onto raranga practices which she continues to weave with mana. Her haerenga through raranga has healed and reconnected her and many others through wananga and the woven pieces that she makes.
Photos
About this event
| Date | 16th, 17th and 19th of January 2024 |
| Location | Rizal Reserve, Queen Mary Reserve and Rotary Reserve |
| Type of event | School holiday programme (Arts) |
| Funder | Te Whau Pathway Project |
| Who | Whau the People, Ahi Raranga Ltd |
| Kaupapa | To connect locals with their environment and river through creativity. |
