The Coromandel Artbeat Spring Festival kicked off on the 6th of September in Whitianga with the launch of CoroCine, a three-day local film festival showcasing the best in Hauraki Coromandel filmmaking. And in December, we see it ending in an experimental community music collaboration, Random Addition #3. From film, music, creative workshops, exhibitions, theatre, and all that comes between, our artbeat spotlighted our creative communities!
By Brooke Dennehy Larkin
The energy on Saturday night at the annual Colville Sings event was nothing short of electric. Upon entering the sparkling and shimmering Colville Hall, a disco ball front and centre lighting up the whole space, it was clear that a one-of-a-kind evening was about to unfold.
Driving Creek’s 50th Anniversary was a weekend to remember. It brought together our community to celebrate Barry Brickell’s legacy and the enduring impact of Driving Creek. The event offered something for everyone, from thought-provoking panel discussions to creative exhibitions and engaging activities.
The amazing results of three years of engagement will be showcased during the four-day exhibition at Hauraki House Gallery Coromandel. In addition, there will be fun ‘have-a-go-drop-in’ art workshops on each day.
The main purpose of To The Front is to empower youth by providing them with knowledge and practical skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Once upon a time, in a delightfully quirky town hugging a sandy shoreline, the Gold Mining Town of Thames strutted onto the scene! Bursting with heritage, culture, and artistic flair, it became the perfect backdrop for the very first Steampunk the Thames Festival in 2015!
Maururongo [Ron] Te Kawa, a textile artist and educator, came to Coromandel in August to build a creative space in the Coromandel Citizens Hall
Wailin Elliott and I met at the first Chinese New Zealand Artists Hui, held in 2013 at Corban Estate Arts Centre, where I was the curator. Ten years later I was able to visit Wailin while on a residency at Driving Creek Railway and Pottery. Wailin Elliott is an artist I admire and can relate to as there are distinct parallels between how she forged her practice and the path mine has taken.
A Masters of Science in Art psychotherapy gave Shannon the perfect way to combine her interest in working with people, and her love of art.
Following extensive consultation with the country’s arts sectors during 2023, in early 2024, Creative New Zealand (CNZ) announced a new funding programme, replacing its traditional monthly, highly contested Arts Grants model, which sometimes closed within days of opening.
