Saturday saw TEZA spread its physical boundaries, with activity occurring in three different places at once. Whilst the New Brighton occupation continued, following a Friday hui at Tuahiwi School in Kaiapoi led by Nathan Pohio, Priscilla Cowie and Ron Bull Jnr and our ‘What Does Occupation look like’ discussion, the Kaihaukai food exchange project saw Ngai Tahu gently reoccupy Market or Victoria Square in the Christchurch CBD. Set on the Okataro/Avon river, this was once a marketplace, fed by the gardens at Rapaki, where we were welcomed on Sunday. One of our crew spotted a big fat tuna lazily swim up the river as he crossed the bridge to the nearby Pallet Pavilion.

Kaihaukai began with an enriching mihimihi full of stories of kai gathering (Simon Kaan and Ron Bull Jnr above). Vivian Russell recalled how back in 1970 much of their food came from the local awa.

Back at the beach the giant wall occupation in the mall that culminates The Freeville School project was celebrated with an opening at New Brighton Market, with words from local councillor (and former Freeville board chair) David East and  a participatory performance by Random Acts of Music.

Here are artists David Cook and Tim J Veling with David East and Sophie Jerram

The production team Bayley Corfield, David Draper, Hannah Watkinson, Tim and David.

 

Mark Harvey worked with the children on some productive work. Today he also canvassed locals on what they wanted to see improved locally and provided these to Councillor East.

Parents and children from Freeville continued to visit their work throughout the day.

Back at Market Square TEZA participants reported eating one of the best lunches ever. It included whitebait fritters (caught locally), paua from all over, cockles from the peninsula, titi from down south, tuna from Kaiapoi and a cross-indigenous collaboration stemming from the first iteration of Kaihaukai in New Mexico – titi and corn stew.

River sticks were painted (pictured below Kiri Jarden), harakeke weaved and there were a number of other art workshops. As part of the Local Time project Nathan Pohio brought spring water from Kaiapoi.

Kaan and crew had asked guests to bring nonperishable food so this could be then taken back with us to New Brighton to the food bank, and we went away with boxes.

Back at camp Phil Dadson held a music making workshop with Coca Cola bottles sourced from the Sustainability Centre at University of Canterbury in the morning.

The Norwester got up, leading to Te Ao Marama’s skirts being rolled up to provide yet another change in this work.

We also helped Heather Hayward shift Picture House to a stunning location under the New Brighton Pier.

As the wind died the Bicycle Choir rode out in the golden evening light, followed in a car by an intrepid camera crew.

They sounded out with their voices the beachfront, supermarket car-parks and suburban streets surrounding the mall. We got a round of applause from Poto Williams and her team as we passed the Labour Party HQ, just ahead of the news that she’d won the local by-election.

Here are a couple more images from the far end of the TEZA hub in the Creative Quarter, New Brighton. The walls in the CQ and surrounding area are surrounded by a huge range of mural works and provided a suitable setting for a stimulating evening discussion about the relationship between art and community. The first half of the conversation was dominated by the arts fraternity, the second the community.

As if hearing the call a group of musicians and drummers took over Te Ao Marama, and the light work AIO created a cone over it.

Others wandered in between, down to Heather and Tessa’s work at the pier, and the pub.

Images: Gabrielle McKone, Mark Amery and Sophie Jerram