A bumper line-up has been announced for the annual Motueka winter arts workshops, with coordinator Nicole Tai saying she is excited about the diversity of offerings.
Bookings opened this week for the 21 workshops, which open with a bang at the Sunday market on 29 June with hands-on creative activities and a top-secret surprise performance, from 10am.
A street photography session on the same morning will utilise the market’s bustle and atmosphere for the series’ first bookable workshop.
The workshops run through to 31 August and offer everything from pottery and printmaking to catering and storytelling. Workshop numbers are strictly limited, so Nicole is urging people to promptly book anything that catches their eye.
The workshops hold as few as eight and as many as 40 participants, with a range of costs from free to $110 – most are less than $50, and Nicole says they have worked to keep the fees as low as possible.
Some perennial favourites are back in the line-up, such as singing, weaving, felting, block printing and bonsai gardening.
A host of new entries are also offered, including the intergenerational grandparent and grandchild woodworking workshops, a songwriting opportunity, and three workshops on different Japanese crafts. The Art of Healthy Catering is also new, and Nicole says that, like art and music, food is a great way to bring people together.
Church House Gallery’s Maike Barteldres will show students how to make automata, or mechanical toys, using paper, cardboard, wood and wire. An open forum workshop, chaired by Neville Parker, will offer a space for discussion about how artists can get their work seen and sold.
People can also learn the craft of traditional Māori weaving with Missy Broughton and immerse themselves in kōwhaiwhai design with Roni Petley.
The artists are excited about sharing their expertise, Nicole says.
“Some of them are quite established artists, and they are basically just giving back to the community.”
There are also plenty of opportunities for children to join in this year, particularly in the school holidays. Those as young as five are welcome to learn the ukelele, and kids eight and over can bring along their caregiver to explore how to draw animals using simple shapes (“no adult admitted without a child’s supervision,” the programme reads).
Nicole estimates the workshops have been running for more than 25 years, and says they are a way to bring some light into the cold and isolating winter months. She hopes the community will once again come together for the joy of creativity, and “hopefully that sparks something for them to continue with”.
The full programme is available on www.motuekaartscouncil.com, with physical copies available from Te Noninga-Kumu-Motueka Library, Motueka Community House, Potter’s Patch, Church House Gallery, and the Motueka iSITE. Bookings can be made through the website, with waitlists being held. NBS will be hosting a window display next week, showcasing the range of workshops.
