TEZA: A week of dynamic innovative public events in Porirua

From November 21 to 29, Porirua’s CBD will be home to a roving hairdresser offering free cuts in exchange for conversation, a pink catwalk upon which to strut your upcycled creations,and a mobile quick response community centre towed by a beautiful Todd Factory’s Hillman Hunter.

Across the street, young photographers from Whitby and Cannons Creek schools will be working together to install their visions for the city, and workshops on everything from bread making, writing rap songs and lomilomi (or indigenous Hawaiian massage) will be run. Lunchtimes and evenings present a dynamic programme of open public discussions drawing together leading thinkers from Porirua and around New Zealand with international guests.

Over 40 workshops and events around Porirua City comprise TEZA: the Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa, between 21 and 29 November.   TEZA will be spinning out from a hub of occupied vacant spaces with activities occurring day and night in the Porirua CBD to locations across the city.

Everyone is welcome to join artists from around the country and Porirua for nine days of public space-making as well as discussion and celebration exploring different forms of working together, exchange and wellbeing.

Nick Leggett, Porirua Mayor has described TEZA as highlighting the economic heart of Porirua through its people.  “We are really looking forward for TEZA to be a catalyst for uniting the fabulous social innovation and collaboration that is being done in our suburbs and communities.”

The TEZA week begins on Saturday 21 November at Waitangirua Market then moves to Te Rito Gardens. On the evening of Friday 27th,Titahi Bay boatsheds will be home to a festival and on the weekend, Hongoeka Marae will host a hui called Conscious Roots. All are welcome to attend. The events programme is now available at the TEZA website http://www.teza.org.nz

Other projects include a citizens funeral service, a “People’s Library”, a bread-sharing exchange between cultures, and a project in which an artist swaps roles with everyone from local MP Kris Faafoi to a Mana College student.

Award-winning public art producers Letting Space have commissioned a myriad of different projects in which artists collaborate with each other and community groups, and invite your participation. The daily programme of diverse activity to which you’re invited brings different communities together in a common space, to create a very different kind of festival, or economic zone.

A TEZA Hub is open 9am to 9pm daily at Lydney Place South Laneway in the Porirua CBD, where you can get involved as little or as much as you want. From here activity pops up all over the city, where you can participate ininnovative practices happening at a community and artistic level in Porirua and Aotearoa.

The full programme and project details can be found at http://www.teza.org.nz and for updates on the development of TEZA projects join the Facebook event page TEZA 2015 Porirua.

TEZA is a bi-annual event highlighting new forms of exchange and economic wellbeing at a time when we need to be exploring alternatives.

TEZA is being run in conjunction with Letting Space’s Urban Dream Brokerage programme in Porirua, supported by the Porirua Chamber of Commerce. The programme is funded by Creative New Zealand, with funding partners Porirua City Council, Tautai, Chartwell Trust and Mana Community Trust.