art & about with naomi mccleary
Also of note this month: The Someday Challenge is to make a short, sustainability-related film of any genre, filmed with a camera and up to 5 minutes long. It is open to anyone under the age of 25. The theme can be interpreted though a personal journey, family and whanau, or environmental issues. Entries are judged by a panel drawn from media, education, government and business. A total of 20 films are chosen, all of which will be entered
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into at least one international film festival. Other prizes include camera equipment, vouchers and a trip to Weta Digital in Wellington. Entries are open until September 14. www.theoutlookforsomeday.net. The West Auckland Heritage Conference 2018 focuses this year on The Creative West. It will take place in the Titirangi War Memorial Hall on October 7 and is free – but registrations are required by September 30. This is another cultural event, sponsored by the Waitakere Ranges and Whau Local Boards, which is epitomised by generosity and the gift of stories less-known and well-told. See page 14 for more.
Sticking my neck out
The two licensing trusts (Portage and Waitakere) have been funding the communities of the west for as long as I can remember. Arts, sport, social support organisations; you name it, they’ve been there. And yes, that money comes from their oversight and management of the sale of alcohol (bottle stores and bars) and, to a lesser degree, gaming funds in our area. We’ve all agonised over the sources of that pool of money at times; but then I contemplate that Creative New Zealand is pretty well totally funded on the income from lotteries. That says something about the value we as New Zealanders place on our arts and culture! I also hugely appreciate that the existence of the trusts means we do not have booze outlets on every corner or cheap alcohol promoted through our supermarkets. This is a good thing! Take a look at South Auckland and the social harm caused by the overwhelming access to alcohol there. The current move by a group in our community to break the model of elected trustees with this oversight of bottle store sales, and to make access to alcohol mirror that of the rest of Auckland, is short-sighted and self-interested. Will it result in classy little boutique bars around the west? Probably not. But it will compound the problems we already have with at-risk youth and struggling families. It’s a small sacrifice for us all to make to keep our communities safer.
The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2018
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WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN IN THE WEST...
to continue its relationship as part of the core theatre fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau in a more permanent and fit-for-purpose home. We’ve loved being in New Lynn but won’t miss the stomping from the basketball court or the cacophony from the tap dancing classes above our heads!” Te Pou will launch their new programming frame with their third annual Kōanga Festival, a vital celebration of the breadth of Māori storytelling. From September 1 – 16, both established and emerging practitioners will take over Te Pou’s new Henderson space with a range of performances, showcases, workshops, readings and social events. For more information, go to www.tepou.co.nz. Te Pou has been a partner with the Going West Writers Festival since 2015, delivering the theatre component of Going West and a Whanau Day (which is taking a break this year due to the complexities of the move to Corban Estate). This year’s theatre production ticks all the boxes: a new play by award-winning playwright Albert Belz to play in the beautiful old St Michael’s Church on the Corban Estate. Cradle Song was born of the writer’s reaction to the discovery of a mass children’s grave which was part of a home for unmarried mothers in Tuam, Ireland. In this fictionalised version, two young women are on their big OE when they come face to face with supernatural forces. Enjoy a night of chilling intrigue as the story unfolds. Belz’s work is characterised by his engagement with universal themes channelled through a Māori voice. Donagh Rees stars and Tanui Tukiwaro directs this world premier. The season runs September 5 – 8.