23 Dec 2010

This content is tagged as Interarts .

NEWS

The wild side of New Zealands art community

Music in Naseby, sculpture in Rotorua and taonga puoro on Stewart Island – New Zealand will be alive with new sights and sounds thanks to an exciting arts residency programme.

DOC and Creative New Zealand have announced the artists who will take up a Wild Creations residency in 2011. They are: musician Dudley Benson, sculptors andresearch writersMadeleine Child and Philip Jarvis, and musician and craftsperson Alistair Fraser.

The Wild Creations artists-in-residence programme combines conservation and art. “Wild Creations artists spend six weeks in some of New Zealand’s best natural environments and historic places,” said DOC’s Marketing and Communications Advisor, Emma Hartley. “They’re inspired by the place they visit and share the story of its history and people through their art.”

Musician Dudley Benson will spend his residency in Naseby, Central Otago where he will work on new material inspired by the history, geography and people of the region.

Sculptors Madeleine Child and Philip Jarvis will visit the Rotorua Lakes region, creating objects for an exhibition and doing a research project to produce a written work.

Musician and craftsperson Alistair Fraser will spend time on Stewart Island/Rakiura. Alistair will make taonga puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) from materials found on the island and record their sounds. He also plans to create an interpretive display of instruments and recordings to showcase Stewart Islands conservation values.

Creative New Zealand offers the artists a $5000 stipend and DOC provides accommodation and support for the artists on location.