LOCALS WELCOMED TO JOIN SPECIAL VISITING PUBLIC ART PERFORMANCE WORKS

Organisers of a large public art project occurring in the Creative Quarter in New Brighton Mall in late November are welcoming local participation in two unique public art performance works by visiting notable artists, with initial open workshops November 9^th to 11th.

“These are works for the community to enjoy getting active and creative in with no professional experience required,” says one of the organisers Mark Amery.

 The Bicycle Choir with renowned sound artist and national Arts Laureate Phil Dadson is an invitation to join a group of enthusiasts to form a short-term, community bicycle choir to, as Dadson says, “sound the streets and airwaves of New Brighton”. An initial workshop opportunity is being held Sunday November 10 at 3.30pm. Those interested should meet at 165 Seaview Road New Brighton and bring bikes if convenient. The aim says Dadson is, “to create an experience to imprint the collective memory and locality with a sense of solidarity and the sheer pleasure of being one instrument, in concert with community.”

Productive Bodies with performance artist Mark Harvey, recently returned from performing at the Venice Biennale, invites the community to join a fun but productive group creating actions testing notions of work that lead to increased business/ personal confidence and happiness in Christchurch, and living and working in New Brighton. The work follows a similar work performed in Wellington as part of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in 2012. Harvey is particularly keen on participation from people who engage with volunteer work; those who feel vulnerable in their work situations; people out of work; artists; and those interested in the renewal of New Brighton. The public is invited to initial workshops Saturday November 9 at 3pm or Monday November 11 at 6pm at Antidote, 6 Carnaby Lane, New Brighton.

“Since the quakes in Christchurch people have worked in different creative voluntary ways to help build the city,” notes Harvey. “But how happy are those that volunteer really in their place in the current economic and political environment?  Productive Promises will be a fun group experience playing with collective gestures, physical tasks and offering services to those around, with what I call a productive sense of idiocy.”

For more information on these projects or to enquire the public can go to the website for the programme TEZA: Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa: www.teza.org.nz

The projects are being produced by Letting Space, a nationally celebrated public art programme that specialises in temporary art works that aim to enable social change.

During the week of 25 November – 1 December TEZA Transmission will be a channel for documentation and recording in various media of  TEZA activity and discussion. We aim to provide a platform that communicates the rigour and energy of new forms of exchange occuring in Christchurch and within the Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa.

Right now you’ll find new bits of news up here, and please also  join the Letting Space Facebook group, which will be a key interim channel for providing regular updates. Not on Facebook or rather not be? Subscribe to updates here.