Kāpiti Creative Industries

People are continuing to create during the Covid-19 cristis and that is not only a huge comfort to the wider population, but downright inspirational. Psychologists have noted that creativity increases during a crisis , as the usual psychological barriers that stop people from being creative, fade into the background. The act of creativity is thought to be a defence against feeling helpless. Creativity is also the glue that binds us together, as Mahara Gallery director, Janet Bayly, knows only too well. I caught up with Janet the old fashioned way - by telephone, as well as online, to catch up on Mahara's current exhibition and redevelopment plans. The proposed new-look Mahara Gallery.  Tell us about the online exhibition re-framed//lockdown that Mahara has been working on. Is this a first for Mahara?  The first Mahara solely online show was done 11 years ago. More than a Craze , photographs of New Zealand’s early digital games with Melanie Swalwell from Flinders Uni

This is a poignant time in history where we know the world will never be the same again. The Covid-19 virus has delivered wave after wave of aftershock and it might not be an earthquake but the landscape is certainly shifting on a daily basis. Traditionally, those in the creative industries weather the storms better than most other industries with higher than average productivity and employment growth. Not so this time. The arts and creative industries have been devastated in a way that no one has ever seen before, on a global scale. It is peak time of year for the music industry and performing arts across Australasia. Last week, it was reported that more than 10,000 gigs had been cancelled in Australia. Here in Aotearoa, the NZ Music Industry Commission reports that more than half of the music industry's employment in live music is immediately affected with $3.2 million noted in lost revenue (only an initial figure). That's 'not only musicians and songwriters, but cr

I bet a high percentage of artists and creative practitioners had huts in various forms throughout their childhood. In some ways, creative studios are an evolution of such huts. In my primary school years I had a hay bale hut in winter, a corn hut and cherry tree hut in summer, and the quintessential blanket bunker hut on rainy days. In my teenage years, I was delighted to access a music studio 'hut' at school and now my own children, even as I write this blog, are deconstructing my lounge to make a hut 'for our kids.' Hut making is clearly a rite of passage. Little surprise then that members of the  Kāpiti Arts & Creative Industries group  were intrigued to explore a 'hut' designed by Kemi Niko & Co at the  NZ Festival of the Arts  launch in Kāpiti last year. Against the backdrop of Kāpiti Island Marine Reserve and Kāpiti Island, the hut played with shadow like a dancer creating shapes as the sun set. Designed from salvaged materials by artists Ke

New Zealand's most creative city is not just a marketing slogan. It is a measurable activity, and even though it is rather complex, Infometrics undertake the task every year in the form of the annual ' Creativity Measure .' Kāpiti consistently features in the top five - well ahead of other creative regions such as Nelson, Tauranga, and Christchurch, to name a few. But what does this actually mean? Why is it significant?  In October, this was hotly debated in our Facebook group page, and I promised to contact Infometrics on behalf of our group and they have very kindly answered our questions below. Grab a cuppa and read in bite sized chunks. In real terms, with close access to Wellington City and reduced travel times after Transmission Gully opens, our region could potentially be in a much stronger position than before to leverage our creative potential. So whilst measuring is important and useful for project and organisation funding for example, how we support each o