INDEPENDENT NEWS

Dunedin Arts and Cultural Events October 2004

Published: Tue 28 Sep 2004 04:47 PM
28 September 2004 Dunedin, New Zealand
Dunedin Arts and Cultural Events October 2004 to November 2004
Following is a schedule of confirmed events in the City of Dunedin. The Dunedin City Council (DCC) City Marketing distributes the information on behalf of the attractions that appear below. Please contact event organisers directly for further information and confirmation of dates and times.
OCTOBER 2004
Dunedin Fringe Festival 2004
Former Headless Chickens lead singer and songwriter Chris Matthews will preview his latest work in the Dunedin Fringe Festival on October 2 at Arc Café in High Street. Matthews will perform poems by Dylan Thomas to music in, The Skin Trade. This is the first major work Matthews has done since Headless Chickens. Matthews is one of more than 90 events in the Dunedin Fringe Festival.
The last weekend of the 10-day Festival promises to be jam-packed with entertaining events. On Friday October 1 festivities begin at lunchtime with actors performing in the window of the Westpac Bank in Moray Place - the Fringe Fishbowl Theatre. Internationally acclaimed RetroBot, Tim Human the part man, part machine will surprise and delight Dunedin audiences in the Octagon. If that is not enough Motley Two will raise a few eyebrows with their mohawks and mullets in George Street. Motley Two will be joined by a bunch of "wild and stroppy women" called the Provocateurs who are sure to make their presence known on the streets.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday (October 1, 2,3) people will get their last chance to see Sucker, Purple Cow and History of Pirates, Australian comedy fresh from sell-out shows at both the Melbourne and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. Christchurch's theatre group The Clinic will finish its national tour of The Peculiar Case of Clara Parsons at Dunedin Fringe with shows on Friday and Saturday (October 1, and 2) night. The Dunedin Fringe Festival opened on September 24 with final shows on October 3.
Tickets can be purchased from Outré, 101 Lower Stuart Street and the Otago University Students Association at 640 Cumberland Street. For more information check out the website: www.dunedinfringe.org.nz Contact for enquiries: Carmen Wilson, phone (03) 477 3350; 021 178 1782; info@dunedinfringe.org.nz
Otago Festival of the Arts
The City of Dunedin is in a state of excited anticipation as the Otago Festival of the Arts runs from 29 September until Saturday 9 October 2004. With over 80 separate performances to choose from, the dynamic programme includes the finest in music, dance, theatre and visual arts from Otago, New Zealand and the world. A selection of Festival events include:
Jonathan Lemalu NBR Homecoming Tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra At only 28, Jonathan Lemalu is already among the very forefront of today's young generation of singers. Critics are hailing him as the next Bryn Terfel following performances by the Dunedin-born bass-baritone at some of the world's greatest opera houses and concert halls. "Jonathan Lemalu's rich bass-baritone has brought him from the South Pacific to the brink of international operatic superstardom." Michael Church, Evening Standard, July 2004. 2 October 2004, 8.00pm Dunedin Town Hall, Moray Place, Dunedin
Odyssey Andreas Litras's remarkable one-man play weaves the story of his family's migration from Greece to Australia, with the legend of Odysseus. The line between epic dream, Greek tragedy, comedy and the everyday disappears in this beautifully crafted play. Stunning in its irreverence, passion and joy, Odyssey has enchanted audiences the world over. Runs Until 3 October 2004, 8.00pm Settlers Festival Theatre, Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
Architects of Air Luminarium is a 700 square metre, eight-metre high, multi-coloured, inflatable sculpture, complete with labyrinths and tunnels through which you stroll, sit, meditate and dream. Experience art from the inside with the largest art installation ever seen in Dunedin. Runs Until 3 October 2004, 10.00am - 5.00pm First Church of Otago Lawn, 415 Moray Place, Dunedin
Amy X Neuburg Lounge blues set to a disco chorus? A voice soaring from husky depths to trilling heights... She's wild and edgy. She's opera singer, rock singer and electronic diva. Producing every sound herself by looping and layering her own voice, Amy X Neuburg creates a dizzy mix of quirky, intelligent vocal art. 4 October 2004, 8.00pm Glenroy Auditorium, 1 Harrop Street, Dunedin
Royal New Zealand Ballet For one captivating performance only, the Ballet will première new works from some of New Zealand's most exciting choreographers in its triple bill line-up. Dunedin's own Daniel Belton choreographs The Happy Prince with designs by Tanya Carlson. Wellington's Turid Revfeim turns up the heat for the tango-infused Si Supieras (If You Knew). Riveting and ritualistic, Venezuelan Javier De Frutos' Milagros is set to Stravinsky's iconic Rite of Spring. 5 October 2004, 7.30pm Regent Theatre, 17 The Octagon, Dunedin
The God Boy For the first time ever, The God Boy will be staged as a chamber opera. Brilliantly scored by composer Anthony Ritchie and produced by Opera Otago, this moving contemporary opera will transport you to small-town New Zealand in the 1930s through the eyes of a 13 year-old boy. This New Zealand première is directed by Elric Hooper and conducted by Holly Mathieson. The Southern Sinfonia will provide the opera orchestra. 1, 6, 8 October 2004, 8.00pm; 3 October 2004, 3.00pm Westpac Mayfair Theatre, 100 King Edward Street, Dunedin
The Untold Tales of Maui When a wayward youth is sent to his grandmother to be straightened out, a hysterical kaleidoscope of Maori legend unfolds. This hilarious and highly irreverent play will have laughing in the aisles as two of NZ's finest actors retell the stories of Maui. 6 - 9 October 2004, 8.00pm Settlers Festival Theatre, Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
Angels With Dirty Feet Raewyn Hill's new dance-theatre work is thought provoking, beautiful and sometimes disturbing - it deals with the brutal turmoil of drug addiction. Spoken text will be merged with the raw physicality of dance in this performance at the specially constructed theatre in First Church. Addiction does not discriminate... 6 - 8 October 2004, 8.30pm First Church of Otago, 415 Moray Place, Dunedin
Don McGlashan Seize this chance to hear Don McGlashan's latest songs. With bands like 'Blam, Blam Blam', 'The Front Lawn' and 'the Mutton Birds' to his credit, this evening with one of our most loved singer-song writers promise to be intimate and entertaining. 7 October 2004, 8.00pm Glenroy Auditorium, 1 Harrop Street, Dunedin
TOWER Voices NZ TOWER Voices New Zealand is a nationally selected chamber choir of the highest calibre. In what will be their first ever visit to Dunedin and their only appearance in the South Island in 2004, they will perform works written by Dunedin composers Anthony Ritchie and Gillian Whitehead. 8 October 2004, 8.00pm Glenroy Auditorium, 1 Harrop Street, Dunedin
Chirgilchin Chirgilchin is an ensemble from a small Russian province near Mongolia. This 'one night only' performance is NZ's first chance to hear their rare and beautiful music - throat singing. This haunting and evocative music will be enhanced with stunning footage of Mongolia. This promises to be a truly extra-ordinary Festival finale. 9 October 2004, 8.00pm Town Hall, Moray Place, Dunedin
The Otago Festival of the Arts Runs Until 9 October 2004 Contact for enquiries: Jessica Garland, phone (03) 477 7600 or 021 504 524 or email: jessica@otagofestival.co.nz or website: www.otagofestival.co.nz Contact for bookings: NZ Ticketek outlets
Arc Café
Fiddlesticks and Double Trouble, and Songbong - Dunedin Fringe Festival Fiddlesticks and Double Trouble provide a performance of Genetically Modified Folk Music, stomping feet, swirling kilts, electrifying fiddles, deepening voices and awesome rhythms. Dunedin's premier percussion ensemble, Songbong, will put on a vibrant display of West African drumming with dazzling dance. For a night of powerful polyrhythyms, played live, Songbong is a must-see. 1 October 2004, 9.00pm
Lines of Flight - Dunedin Fringe Festival Metonymic presents a four-day experimental music and video event bringing together 18 of New Zealand's more cutting edge practitioners in sound and a range of music that extends from free noise, both quiet and loud, through intricate jazz and folk-based improvisation, to ambient and not-so-ambient electronic soundfields. Each musical performance will feature projections of new experimental films by several of Dunedin's most innovative filmmakers. 2 & 3 October 2004, 2.00pm
Skin Trade - Dunedin Fringe Festival The Skin Trade is a performance of Dylan Thomas poems set to music by Chris Matthews (former Headless Chickens lead singer and songwriter) and Band. Interpreting, in song form, the nature of the poetry's words with varying musical styles, from ambient through to noisy rock. Plus an interactive visual show comprising images of Thomas, his work and environment, and original video footage. 2 October 2004, 9.00pm
Locking Cycle - Dunedin Fringe Festival Locking Cycle is a refreshing and original NZ band delivering a unique act that guarantees to be memorable. Their music is a diverse electronic sound spliced with ambient, avant-hip hop, industrial and trip-hop dimensions. They give a professional high-energy performance delivering a barrage of sounds, highly danceable grooves and intense stage presence. 2 October 2004, 11.00am
Glottis Fortnightly open mic meeting of poetry enthusiasts... 4 & 18 October 2004, 8.30pm
Arcoustic Fortnightly evening of beautiful acoustic music for a gold coin... 11 & 25 October 2004, 9.00pm
Arc Café, High Street, Dunedin City Council Contact for enquiries: phone (03) 474 1135, or email venue@arc.org.nz
Fortune Theatre - 30 anniversary season 1974-2004 proudly providing 30 years of excellent professional theatre for the Otago community.
Homeland, directed by Hilary Norris Commissioned by the Fortune Theatre for the Otago Festival of the Arts as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, the world premiere of this play will be a highlight of the Festival programme. Ken Taylor knows this land intimately, every stream and gully, every smell, every mood. He farmed it for 40 years. He coaxed a living out of it and raised a family here. Now Ken is 80, a widower and ailing. His children think it's time for a new kind of home, drowsy afternoons and smiling caregivers. They gather to help shift the old man... but Ken is not going gently. This is a story about Home - why we need it, why we have to leave, and why we must always return. 1 - 17 October 2004
Fortune Theatre, 231 Stuart Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Lisa Scott, phone (03) 477 1695 Contact for Bookings: Box Office, phone (03) 477 8323
University of Otago - Lunchtime Theatre: Bite size Shows Lunchtime Theatre is a twenty-seven year old innovation of Theatre Studies at the University of Otago and has been pleasing audiences since its conception. There are a huge variety of performance styles - from improvised theatre to naturalistic plays, to simply the most bizarre material encountered.
Lucky Dip Theatre Showcasing the talent of THEA 301: Directing students. Different selections each day from playwrights Sam Shepard, Dylan Thomas, Samuel Beckett, Terence McNally and more, so just come along and have a lucky dip... 1, 7 & 8 October 2004, 1.00pm
Finale by Ekarin Teng and Angela Hannah Finale is an original piece exploring the language and minds of today's youth. Do you hate death and sadness? Or do you love life and happiness? 14 - 15 October 2004, 1.00pm
Allen Hall Theatre, University of Otago, Union Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Fiona McLaughlin, phone (03) 479 8896 Contact for bookings: Allen Hall, phone (03) 479 8896
Cleveland Living Arts Centre
Cleveland Art Awards - $9,000 prize pool Established in 1996, The Cleveland Art Awards and Exhibition continues to seek to celebrate the diversity of the art process rather than the promotion of a particular trend or discipline. Past award winners include Ralph Hotere, Inge Doesberg and Thomas Elliot.
Each year a different Judge is invited, changing the flavour of the Award Exhibition from year to year. Judges for 2004 are Marcella Currie, Exhibitions Officer of the Southern Eastern Gallery, (Gore) and Cressida Bishop, Director of the Millennium Public Art Gallery, (Blenheim) selecting the Exhibition entries and Award winners.
The Awards are held in two categories: Painting and Works on Paper by Otago Southland and South Canterbury artists; and Sculpture/Ceramics/Jewellery/Applied Arts by South Island Artists. The 11th Annual Cleveland Art Awards will again be held at the Cleveland Living Arts Centre in the Historic Dunedin Railway Station. In association with the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Festival of the Arts. 1 - 17 October 2004; Daily 10.00am - 4.00pm
Children's Art Exhibition Responding to the theme "Your vision of Looking after our world" this exhibition is sure to entrance and amaze. Primary and Intermediate Schools from the greater Dunedin area are invited to contribute to this annual exhibition celebrating the creativity of Children. In association with the Children's Issues Centre. 22 October - 5 November 2004; Weekdays 10.00am - 4.00pm; Saturdays 10 .00am-2.00pm
Cleveland Living Arts Centre, 1st floor, Dunedin Railway Station, Anzac Avenue, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Kari Morseth, phone (03) 477 7291
Dunedin Centre
Lemalu's NBR Homecoming Tour The NZSO celebrates the exceptional voice and star quality of New Zealand's Jonathan Lemalu, now on the threshold of the kind of career most can only dream of. The Dunedin concert will be a televised event. 2 October 2004, 8.00pm Dunedin Town Hall, Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Hannah Evans, phone (04) 801 3833, or cell 0274 300 680 Contact for bookings: Regent Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Vienna Piano Trio Lovers in the moonlight inspire Schoenberg's intense portrayal of human emotions, preceded by a genial and youthful work from Schubert, and followed by a poetic and atmospheric piece from New Zealand composer Maria Grenfell and the grandeur and spacious measured textures of Beethoven's last piano trio. 6 October 2004, 8.00pm Glenroy Auditorium, 1 Harrop Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Regent Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Brooke Fraser Following her debut album 'What To Do With Daylight" returning back to #1 spot on the NZ charts and after scoring six NZ Music Award nominations, Brooke Fraser has announced her first headline national tour. The 20-year-old singer's performance will include her hit singles "Better", "Lifeline", "Saving The World" and her latest release "Arithmetic". 30 October 2004, 8.00pm Glenroy Auditorium, Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Regent Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Temple Gallery Marie Strauss - Seven Nights at the Opera The Temple Gallery presents an exhibition of paintings by Marie Strauss. 1 - 15 October 2004
Cathy Tuato'o Ross An exhibition featuring photography from Cathy Tuato'o Ross that runs concurrently with Korean sculptor Nam Sook Chang's display of works. 15 - 30 October 2004 Temple Gallery, 29 Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: phone (03) 477 7235; email: templegallery@xtra.co.nz
Otago Art Society - Audrey Bascand Retrospective Exhibition This exhibition of over 80 works encompasses drawings, watercolours and etchings of the finest quality, taking the viewer on an artistic journey spanning fifty years. Audrey Bascand's works are renowned for their delicacy and detail and offer a personal vision of our natural environment. 1 - 17 October 2004, 6.00pm Otago Art Society Gallery, Corner of Albany & Great King Streets, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Geoff Adams, phone (03) 477 9465, email: otagoartsociety@xtra.co.nz
Refuel - Katchafire Katchafire was formed in 1997 by Grenville Bell who originally managed the band that both his sons, Logan and Jordan, performed in. Brought up on a lifetime of reggae, soul, R'n'B and jazz, both boys became steeped in the sounds of the classic late 70s-early 80s era of radio-friendly reggae music, best exemplified by Bob Marley. Today we can best hear those influences coming through in Logan's extraordinary voice and song writing. Katchafire performs to sell-out venues across New Zealand, breaking house records (and bar takes) with their legendary four-hour shows. No other NZ band can claim to deliver that kind of value, nor command that kind of excitement, since the 'Exponents'. Boasting excellent singer-song writers, Katchafire delivers a rich and heady mixture of original pop-reggae tunes that are radio-friendly and appeal to all sectors of the market. Their debut album Revival has gone double platinum in New Zealand and includes top 10 singles 'Giddy Up', 'Who You With' and 'Get Away.' In addition to these tracks, two additional releases have been made with the reggae pop gem 'Colour me Life' and the upbeat 'Bounce.' The band continues to tour relentlessly, extending their reach to sell out shows in Australia and Noumea. Music is this band's lifeblood. This is not a sideline gig for them - it's their life. The sheer love of what they do will take Katchafire wherever they want to go. 1 October 2004, 9.00pm Refuel Bar, Underground, University of Otago Contact for enquiries: Scott Muir, phone (03) 479 3875
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Truth's Mirror Truth's Mirror is a witty and thought-provoking juxtaposition of treasures from the Gallery's permanent collection. Tony Green, formerly Head of the Department of Art History, University of Auckland curates the exhibition. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition Runs Until 10 October 2004
Bekah Carran: Welcome to Paradise A park bench and metal apple tree are among the elements that Dunedin sculptor Bekah Carran combines to create a work that, in her words, 'represents anyone, anywhere, sitting on a park bench, dreaming sentimental dreams of the perfect life'. Runs until 5 December 2004
Megan Dunn: The Tragedy New video artwork by Megan Dunn "Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue..." Runs Until 5 December 2004
Stephen Mulqueen and Erwin Brinkman: Tiwai Project Tiwai Project exhibition is a collaboration between sculptor Stephen Mulqueen and photographer Erwin Brinkman in response to the nature of place: Motupohue/Bluff Harbour, Tiwai Point and Awarua Bay, Southern New Zealand. Runs Until 5 December 2004
Jeffery Harris A unique journey through the extraordinary career of Dunedin painter Jeffrey Harris, curated by Justin Paton. This survey exhibition highlights major themes and charged episodes from Harris's three decades of art-making, reaching from razor-sharp etchings to jewel-like 'icons', from sumptuous triptychs to a group of unflinching recent self-portraits. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition 2 October 2004 - 13 February 2005
Mark Braunias: Lemons and Rats Mark Braunias is best known to Dunedin audiences for First-time Caller, the exhibition he created in 2002 as a participant in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Visiting Artists Programme. He has returned to the Gallery to take on the Big Wall, populating its 151 square metres with a stampede of hand-painted characters. Runs Until 6 March 2005
Art to Express New Zealand Curated by Anne Harlow, this exhibition explores perceptions of the New Zealand landscape through a selection of paintings, works on paper, photographs and installations from the permanent collection of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition Runs Until 28 August 2005
Frances Hodgkins: Daughter of Dunedin Daughter of Dunedin is the second exhibition in the gallery permanently devoted to the works of one of New Zealand's most highly regarded artists, Frances Hodgkins. The exhibition offers the viewer an insight into the artist's early life and work. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition Ongoing exhibition
Sara Hughes: Love Me Tender Sara Hughes brings colour and life to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery's Otago Daily Times Gallery with her distinctive variations on the Paisley patterns that Scottish settlers brought to Dunedin. Cut from pre-painted sheets of sticky vinyl, Hughes' Paisley shapes stretch and flex as if manipulated on a computer screen - nineteenth century forms refreshed by twenty-first century technology. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition Ongoing exhibition
Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 30 The Octagon, PO Box 5045, Dunedin Contact for enquires: Tim Pollock, phone (03) 474 3243
Otago Museum
Otago Wildlife Photography Exhibition Following the conclusion of the competition, the Otago Museum is hosting an exhibition displaying photographs from all five years of the Otago Wildlife Photography Competition. Celebrating five years of the Otago Wildlife Photography Competition. The dramatic scene of pelicans fighting for their food, the tranquility of glowing mushrooms... the most beautiful images have been captured on film by Otago residents over the past five years and are now on display in the Special Exhibitions Gallery to celebrate a very successful first five years of the Otago Wildlife Photography Competition. The calibre of entries over the years has been superb, with the quality, and quantity, getting better and better. The photo categories are 'Plant', 'Animal' and 'Human Impact on the Environment' with age categories that included 14 years and under, and 15 years plus. The Otago Museum, NHNZ, Jonathan's Camera & Video and Nikon have proudly supported The Otago Wildlife Photography Competition over the last five years. Runs Until 3 October 2004 Special Exhibitions Gallery
Te Raukura This year the University of Otago celebrates its first hundred years of Maori graduates. A century of learning that began with the graduation of a remarkable man, Te Rangi Hiroa - later Sir Peter Buck. A highlight of these celebrations, held in partnership with the Otago Museum, is the exhibition Te Raukura - an exhibition honouring the life and achievements of Sir Peter Buck. Te Raukura includes a contribution from Hawaii's Bishop Museum, where Buck was director for the latter part of his life. It may seem a far cry from qualifying as a doctor at Otago, but Buck managed to pack several careers into one life. In 1904 Te Rangi Hiroa became Otago's first Maori graduate and the first New Zealand-trained Maori medical doctor. He had already excelled in sport and went on to health administration, politics and the military before becoming a pioneering and internationally renowned anthropologist. Te Raukura is held in partnership between the Otago Museum and the University of Otago Runs until 5 December 2004 People of the World Gallery
Sir Edmund Hillary: Everest and Beyond The Otago Museum will be the final worldwide venue for the special exhibition Sir Edmund Hillary: Everest and Beyond. Developed by the Auckland Museum in partnership with National Geographic, curated by Alexa Johnston with the full support of Sir Edmund and Lady Hillary this is a wonderful exhibition that the Otago Museum has secured for the Otago community.
Everest and Beyond is an outstanding exhibition, which brings into sharp focus the life and achievements of one of New Zealand's icons. Sir Edmund Hillary not only climbed the world's highest mountain more than 50 years ago, but has gone on to explore the icy expanse of Antarctica and beyond. Very importantly, Sir Edmund has spent over 40 years working with the Sherpa people of Nepal to bring schools, hospitals and health care to their remote villages, and improve their lives through the building of bridges and airstrips. The many New Zealanders who have worked with Sir Edmund on these projects agree that their lives have also been enhanced through their involvement with his Himalayan Trust. Sir Edmund has worked to preserve the Himalayan mountain environment and has contributed to many other environmental groups. His commitment encourages us all to make a positive contribution to others in our lives. The exhibition is the final chance for viewers to see some amazing things, which played a part in Sir Edmund Hillary's successes, including the ice axe he used on that most famous climb. Sir Edmund Hillary: Everest and Beyond is a celebration of an amazing man and his life, and a reminder to each of us reach for great heights in our own human endeavours. 16 October 2004 - 20 March 2005 Special Exhibitions Gallery
Guided Tours Take a 'Highlights of the Museum' guided tour and learn some inside knowledge about various aspects that the Museum has on offer and/or take a guided tour of 'Southern Land, Southern People' and gain a greater understanding, of the Southern region. 'Highlights of the Museum' guided tours are available daily or by prior arrangement. Ongoing Service - 11.30am and 3.30pm daily
Lunchtime Music A range of musicians will liven up the atrium with live performances each week. This is now a regular fixture but is subject to change according to function demands. Fridays and Saturdays between 12 noon and 1.30pm Museum Foyer
Discovery World Science Shows These excellent shows are now run by the Museum's Science Communicators. Saturdays & Sundays at 11.00am, 1.00pm and 3.00pm Discovery World
Communicator Presentations Each day, the Otago Museum Communicators present fascinating 15-minute presentations on objects or themes of particular interest from the Museum's galleries. Ongoing Service - 2.00pm Daily
Search Centre Otago Museum's Search Centre research facility provides an inviting opportunity for visitors to engage in further research on objects or themes in the galleries of interest to them. It will also be the first stop for the identification of items members of the public bring into the Museum, a service that annually attracts a huge number of objects or specimens. Well resourced, with swift new computers, microscopes, modern journals and a great variety of new books, the Search Centre offers a variety of options for seeking further information. Set in a comfortable and relaxing environment the Search Centre is the perfect place in which to think, read, study, or research. Ongoing Service
Search Centre Weekend Presentations Our Search Centre Communicators have developed a series of Search Centre Weekend Presentations designed to help familiarise people with the excellent resources provided by this facility. Ongoing Service - Weekends at 11.30am and 2.30pm
Ongoing Exhibitions The Museum's timbered Victorian gallery, the Animal Attic, houses an extensive collection of natural history specimens from around the world, re-displayed as they would have been in the late 1800s. A 'museum within a museum', this gallery is unique in New Zealand. Explore the Tangata Whenua Gallery with its impressive displays of Maori Cultural artefacts, including a stunning collection of Southern Maori material. The Pacific Culture Galleries display outstanding collections from Polynesia and Melanesia. People of the World has world archaeological treasures including ancient Greek pottery; a mummy and other fascinating artefacts from Ancient Egypt; a striking collection of swords; exquisite decorative arts from Asia and Europe and a superb array of costume and textiles. Walk the length of the giant Fin Whale in the Maritime Gallery, and then take in the intricate detail of a wealth of nautical artefacts. Come face to face with the extinct giant moa in the Extinction and Survival area and see one of the few complete moa eggs in the world.
Otago Museum, 419 Great King Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Ryan Helliwell, phone (03) 474 7474 ext 845
Blue Oyster Gallery
Political Landscapes Curated by the Blue Oyster Arts Trust, this exhibition looks at the work of three very different artists. As the title suggests the works occur at an intersection between something that could be talked about as landscape and the ideas that become embedded in those sites. The underlying idea regards environments as being inseparable from the politics of those people who inhabit [or view] them. The show will feature photographs by Jennifer French of Russian buildings (built between the great wars) that could be seen as monuments of the utopian hope that preceded the Stalin era. Also installed will be a site work by Jim Searle, literally creating an environment of urban decay within the gallery. The last work of the three is by Gregor Kregar and features digitally altered natural history video footage of a white pointer shark. Projected at large scale in the gallery the shark now swims in the garb of a used car salesman. Runs Until 2 October 2004
Douglas Rex Kelaher Originality can be such a dilemma. In this exhibition, Kelaher presents a recent body of work that is based entirely on various other artists' practices. The artists selected by Kelaher are those whose work has been taken on by him as inspiration in the past, those whose art has already made a dramatic impression on his own practice. However, instead of simply quoting these earlier artists, Kelaher will combine representations of these artists' aesthetics together, to create a new breed of 'sculptural hybrid'. 5 - 23 October 2004 Blue Oyster East side Hamish Pettengell lab102 This Melbourne based artist brings to the Blue Oyster Gallery an installation that deals with the world of biology, delving into the microcosmic world of viruses and bacteria, and focusing on disease. As well as a strong aesthetic quality, this exhibition has implications as a metaphor for the wider world, cellular constructions being controlled and defined by text, in much the same way that scientists attempt to control and define organics. 26 October - 13 November 2004 Blue Oyster West side Cathy Helps The contemporary world is dominated by an abundance of information and events and Marc Auge warns that our dependence on the "world system" of information threatens to rob individuals of a sense of meaning. If we take our cell phones to the movies, the mini TV to the bach, the laptop to the café and on camping trips, when or where can we find time and space to really get away from it all? Or do we not want to anymore? Are even our spaces of leisure constructed of and dependent on this excess of information? Cathy Helps explores these questions in an installation of painted texts. 26 October - 13 November 2004 Blue Oyster East side
Tessa Giblin Having realised five different artists installations literally in the streets as a part of Gridlocked On Tour in Dunedin earlier this year, Curator Tessa Giblin is excited by the prospect of doing an outreach project at Blue Oyster. She plans to realise a group show with a number of exterior/interior works. Giblin says: "I am quite interested in a number of young artists who are working convincingly in the dealer scene as well as being interested in incidental positioning on the true verge of art world practice." Artists such as Rohan Wealleans, Reuben Paterson, Ri Williamson, Joanna Langford and Eddie Clemens." The exhibition will be a dual showing in the gallery as well as the streets (Gridlocked style). 26 October - 13 November 2004 Blue Oyster West side
Blue Oyster Gallery, 137 High Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Ali Bramwell, phone (03) 479 0197
Peter Rae Gallery - 215 Stuart Street, Dunedin
Beyond Beyond explores where contemporary art practice and Christianity meet. The exhibition is curated by Susan Frykberg through the Chrysalis Seed Trust and features Chrysalis Seed Trust artists: Claire Beynon, Mary Horn, Shelly Johnson, Maria Kemp, and Stephen Mulqueen. 2 - 26 October 2004 Electro-acoustic music installation by Susan Frykberg Susan Frykberg is a composer of electro-acoustic and instrumental music who often combines feminist ideas and selected theatrical processes in her work. She has created a number of 'environments' in which stories (often mythological), of women's lives are the context for her music. Most recently, Susan has immersed herself in contemplation on the nature of Western Civilization, through deep study of Theology, Ancient Greek, Latin and Gregorian Chant. Also featured is Zeit Geiss, a group of musicians whose aim is to expand the boundaries of free-form musical improvisation and to extend the limitations of the instruments on which they perform. The members include Trevor Coleman, Keyboards and Trumpet; Robert Burns, Bass Guitars and Effects; Alan Starrett, Violas and Percussion; and Ian Chapman, Percussion. 8 October 2004, 6.00pm
New Works by John Mitchell & Olav Nielsen Until recently, John Mitchell was a book artist working in Oamaru. He has now turned to drawings in graphite, which tend to concentrate mainly on the Waitaki Valley. The image that won him the 2003 Cranleigh Barton Drawing Award was one of this Valley. Mitchell writes: "There are some who would argue that the Waitaki is a songline of the Waitaha, nevertheless; to see it purely in terms of economic benefit is to denigrate its mana, to reveal something of our spiritual poverty. One thing is certain though, there is more to the Waitaki River than meets the eye."
Dreams provide inspiration for much of printmaker Olav Nielsen's current work. His subjects emerge glowing with interior light from dark, partially revealed backgrounds. Yet the artist points out that his images do not represent frightening dreams. "It's a darkness which depicts the 'soft spaces' between waking and sleeping. It's a darkness of potential, where light springs from," he says. The medium of burnished aquatint is one the artist finds ideally suited to portraying the moods he wishes to capture. Nielsen gained second place in the New Zealand Mainland Art Awards in 2003. His first solo exhibition of burnished aquatints was shown at the Peter Rae Gallery in February 2004 9 - 26 October 2004
Kwang-Soo Jeon - Ceramics Currently visiting Professor at the Otago Polytechnic's School of Art, Kwang-Soo Jeon was most recently Associate Professor at the Department of Fine Art Education, Busan National University of Education, in Korea. His specialist areas of research are Korean Pottery and contemporary ceramics. Kwang-Soo's stunningly unique ceramic works have exhibited widely in Korea, also in China, Japan, and Finland, and are held in Public Collections in Japan and Korea. 29 October - 18 November 2004
Peter Rae Gallery, 215 Stuart Street and 31 Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Peter Rae, phone (03) 470 1022 or 0274 585 424, email: peterraegallery@xtra.co.nz ; website: www.peterraegallery.co.nz
University of Otago - Mothra Film Festival Mothra was the Tokyo-busting, telepathic death ray emitting, lightning bolt discharging star of many B-grade Japanese movies which were so bad, they became funny and lived on with many sequels and are now available on DVD. Back in the mists of time circa 1990 there was a social activities manager named Steven Hall Jones who saw a really really really really bad film called 'Gothic'. The thought occurred to him that even students could do better. He began the 'Mothra student film competition', taking the name from the aforementioned movie star which epitomised the aim of the competition... that is to be cheap and funny... so bad, that it's good. The Mothras of today are a collection of the more traditional really bad student films as well as some really quite good ones, but every kind has a place. Each year up to fifty Mothras are received, then judged and then shiny 'Fred' awards are give out at 'The Night of the Stars' (a convincing excuse to dress up fancy and pretend you're really famous). The grand prizes of this night are the coveted 'Best Video' and 'Best Mothra' but there are loads of other categories like 'Best Simulated Sex' or 'Best Visual Effect'. The awards night is heaps of fun and is like the real Oscar Night, except funny. And it's organised by the makers of the Capping Show. The Videos are then screened over three nights to audiences in excess of 400 each session. 5 - 9 October 2004 Union Hall, University of Otago. Contact for enquiries: Laura Jane Botting, phone (03) 479-5334
Taieri Musical Society - Footloose Taieri Musical Society's 2004 production of Footloose is based on the 1984 hit movie of the same name, and is the story of a big-city kid who moves to a conservative small town and shakes up the status quo. This high energy musical is directed by the talented and experienced Gladys Hope Q.S.M. ably assisted by choreographer Robyn Sinclair and Musical Director Philippa Hosken. Principals include Peter Storer, John Gardner and Victoria Bunton. The small but enthusiastic production team has been working hard since last year to ensure that audiences will enjoy this spectacular show. 8 - 16 October 2004, 7.30pm except 10 October 2004, 4.00pm. No performance 12 October. Coronation Hall, Mosgiel Contact for enquiries: Bruce McDowall, phone (03) 489 3227 Contact for bookings: Regent Theatre Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Artsenta - Arty Pants 004 - The Man with the Golden Pants The Creative Arts Trust and Artsenta will host its very own creative clothing awards, Arty Pants, as part of celebrations during national Mental Health Awareness week. This year the show, now in its fourth year, is titled Arty Pants 004 - The Man with the Golden Pants. This year's show has a James Bond angle, and the organisers have secretly filmed a pre-show video starring (amongst others) the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the evil Jellysponge Gold Pants, his side kick Cod Piece, Miss Moneypants, and of course, Mr James Bond himself. The categories for entries for this years awards are 'It came from Arty Space', 'Reptilian Nites, Mammalian Daze' and Rocking Frockerella, you will go to the Ball'. The event will include a prize for the overall winner, "The Creative Arts Trust - Supreme Arty Pants Award". The hard job of judging this year will be carried out by Hon Judith Tizard MP, Associate Minister Arts, Culture, Heritage; Ms Bridie Lonie, School of Art, Otago Polytechnic; Mr Malcolm Macpherson, Mayor Central Otago District Council and Otago; and District Health Board member Ms Fieke Newman, a Dunedin based fashion designer. The Awards are an opportunity for people involved in mental health services across Otago and Southland, to show their creative skills, and wonderful energy, off to the rest of the community. Sponsors for this year's awards are the Creative Arts Trust, Dunedin City Council Creative Communities, Otago Polytechnic, Like Minds Otago, Public Health South, and Fuji Xerox. Funding has also come from the Dunedin Casino Charitable Trust. 15 October 2004 Dunedin College of Education Auditorium, 145 Union Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Robert West, phone 03 477 9566
The Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival The Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival presents four days of Celtic arts performances featuring concerts by local and international artists, dance, and a multi media lecture series on Celtic music, religion and language. Bob McNeill and Brendyn Montgomery are live in concert with their unique show of contemporary Celtic music. The performance Ceilidh features Catgut and Steel who will lead the nefc Allstars in a barn dance to remember. The Festival will conclude with Faerd, a quintet of musicians from Denmark, Sweden, Scotland and England whose music crosses borders between styles, nationalities and traditions. 15 - 18 October 2004, 8.00pm Burns Hall and First Church Grounds Contact for enquiries: phone Regent Theatre (03) 477 8597; website: www.nzacoustic.net Contact for bookings: phone Regent Theatre (03) 477 8597
The Regent Theatre
Evita The New Zealand tour opens in Auckland on 20 August 2004, after previews, and will subsequently play in four other cities until late October. With the international cast to be announced in the next few weeks, the production will be on a 40-foot revolving stage and accompanied by a 14 piece live orchestra. Don't miss this new 2004 Production, part of the Otago Festival of the Arts programme. Critics and audiences alike have praised this production highly, with the NZ Herald calling it "stylish and sexy" with Josie Walker a "powerhouse" whilst the National Business Review said "She's A Diamond". Josie Walker heads the cast of Evita in the lead role. Walker has starred in many of London's West shows including Grizabella in "CATS", Christine in "Phantom Of The Opera" and Mary in "The Beautiful Game". Canadian Rick Miller plays the role of Che. He was last seen in Auckland in late 2003 as the brilliant MACHOMER. Award-winning Kiwi George Henare plays the role of Peron. Eighteen year-old Idol finalist, Jessie Cassin is The Mistress and Grant Bridger is nightclub singer Magaldi. At selected matinees Ali Harper plays the role of Eva. 1 October 2004, 7.30pm; 2 October 2004, 2.00pm and 7.30pm
Go Wild In Dunedin - NHNZ (Natural History New Zealand) Following on the resounding success of its premiere in 2003, NHNZ is proud to present its second Go Wild In Dunedin NHNZ Film Season. Films featured this year include "World's Biggest Baddest Bugs", a film that answers questions about how big and how bad do bugs get. Get ready to hold your nose and sniff out the Most Extreme Stinkers ever to waft through the animal kingdom in "Most Extreme: Stinkers". "The Diva Mummy" takes us back 2,000 years to China's Han Dynasty where the lords and ladies lived lives of such opulent splendour they wanted to live forever - and some came close. Marvel at the shockingly disfigured Joseph Merrick in "The Curse of the Elephant Man" and see how forensic and genetic science provides insights that allow us to reconstruct the face of the man beneath the deformities. There will also be bonus screenings including films by the Post Graduate Diploma in Natural History Filmmaking and Communication Class 2004. 13 - 17 October 2004, various times Contact for enquiries: Dunedin Events, phone (03) 474 3476, email: manderso@dcc.govt.nz
Regent Theatre, 17 The Octagon, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Phone Regent Theatre (03) 477 8597
Globe Theatre - American Buffalo by David Mamet, director Andrew Morrison Mamet's skill with words is to the fore in this black comedy about a man who considers that he has been cheated by the dealer who had purchased a nickel coin from him, knowing it to be the rare American buffalo and thus worth a great deal more than he had paid. The junk shop owner, with two of his friends, plots to rob the dealer and thus make him pay - but things do not go to plan... 21 - 30 October 2004 (excluding 25 October) Globe Theatre, 104 London Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries; Rosemary Beresford, phone (03) 479 7273 (day); (03) 478 0248 (eve) Contact for bookings: Globe Theatre Box Office, phone (03) 477 3274
Hocken Library
George D. Valentine, A 19th Century Photographer in New Zealand - Curated by Ken Hall, and toured by the Christchurch Art Gallery. Serious ill health and the need for a warmer climate brought leading Scottish photographer George Valentine (1852-1890) to New Zealand in 1884 (on a visit to Dunedin he was heralded as 'a noted home photographer and art critic'). Despite his illness, and spending just six years here before his untimely death, Valentine produced a remarkable body of work. In 1885 his photographs of Te Kapuarangi and Te Tarata (the celebrated Pink and White Terraces) won him immediate acclaim. Following the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 (and the loss of the Terraces) Valentine returned to the devastated region to complete a series that was unmatched for its quality and drama. This compelling exhibition includes many classic, iconic photographs of an earlier New Zealand. These include geyser studies in the Thermal Region (using the newly-invented 'drop shutter' photographic technique) and celebrations of New Zealand bush and waterfalls in the Waitakere region. Background into George Valentine's life and work, the famed Rotomahana Terraces, and events surrounding Tarawera's eruption are provided by a video and interpretive displays, together with curator Ken Hall's book that accompanies the exhibition. Runs Until 16 October 2004
Gardens of Erewhon: Photographs by Paul Thompson toured by Idiom Studio, Wellington Both this exhibition and Paul Thompson's earlier series The Illustrated Erewhon draw on the nineteenth century English writer Samuel Butler's sojourn in New Zealand. Butler arrived in Canterbury aged 24, and with no previous farming experience he developed the ideas for his most famous novel, Erewhon. Thompson's photographs show details of sub-alpine landscape marked out by a rectangle of yellow nylon cord, which he says instantly transforms a natural feature into a garden or cultured space. "Erewhon was inspired by the South Island high country, but in fact it's an imaginary place. Gardens of Erewhon creates imaginary gardens, given a brief existence by inserting boundaries into a seemingly natural landscape." Runs Until 16 October 2004
Glenn Busch: My Place, toured by the Centre of Contemporary Art This exhibition of photographs, oral histories and documentary writing celebrates identity and a sense of place through 68 photographs and commentaries by people living in Christchurch who have been photographed in places "of special significance to them." The accompanying text with each image reveals not only a "window on a community" but a window on all communities. Runs Until 16 October 2004
Talking Back: Six Dunedin artists respond to history in the Hocken Pictorial Collection Curated by Bekah Carran and Douglas Kelaher. Artists: Scott Eady, Violet Fagan, Philip J Frost, Seraphine Pick, Douglas Kelaher and Bekah Carran. Six artists from early to mid career; a mixture of painters and sculptors, male and female have been asked to choose an original art work from the Hocken Pictorial Collections to respond to. The works will be displayed together. What will this pairing result in and what will these choices be based on? The choice of works is individual and telling but, whether by way of curiosity, nostalgia or historical significance, ones with relevance to each artist will be chosen. Creating new work with the collection as a catalyst reiterates the presence of art history. Individual works brought back into the light in new context continue to generate thought and meaning. Simultaneously contemporary art is re-established; not a bizarre phenomenon, but with foundations, a steady development from what came before. Responding to a work enables the artist to express how they feel about this history; their artistic forbears. The works in the collection are telling how it was and the artists get to talk back. 20 October 2004 - 22 January 2005 Hocken Library, cnr Anzac Avenue & Parry Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Pennie Hunt, phone (03) 479 5648
The National Bank Dunedin Rhododendron Festival - 21 Years The National Bank Dunedin Rhododendron Festival is an annual event, which has become a much-enjoyed part of the Dunedin spring calendar. The Festival appeals to a broad spectrum of the community and provides an opportunity to see a diverse range of open gardens, participate in the associated leisure activities and increase knowledge with an assortment of educational workshops. A highlight is Festival guest, Lynda Hallinan, who is the editor-at-large of Weekend Gardener magazine, the Sunday Star-Times' gardening editor and one of the presenters on TVNZ's new gardening show, Ground Rules. Lynda will present two workshops during the Festival, 'How to get the Garden you Want' and 'Design Trends - What's Hot and What's Not'. Other festival workshops include interior design, cooking, floral designs for the home, acrylic in the garden and construction of a rock garden. For more information visit their website www.rhododunedin.co.nz 28 - 31 October 2004 Contact for bookings: Dunedin Visitor Centre (03) 474-3300 for a free festival programme. Contact for enquiries: Annemarie Mains or Victoria Bunton, phone (03) 467-7241, website www.rhododunedin.co.nz
Larnach Castle - Garden Tour Exclusively for the Dunedin Rhododendron Festival, Larnach Castle hosts a guided tour and afternoon tea. This is a unique opportunity to view their Garden of National Significance while accompanied by an informative garden guide who will explain the garden's history and recent plantings. 28 - 31 October 2004, 2.00pm - 3.00pm Larnach Castle, Pukehiki, Otago Peninsula Contact for enquiries: Sophie Barker, phone (03) 476 1616 Contact for bookings: Larnach Castle, phone (03) 476 1616
Otago Settlers Museum
Deeds, delinquents & death: the legal profession in Otago 1879-2004 Lawyers are essential to the smooth running of our society. Their specialist knowledge is vital at crucial points of our lives - buying a house, negotiating family break-ups or facing criminal charges. We might not love them but sometimes we really need them. This is the story of the law in Otago from dusty old deeds to macabre murders and everything in between. Step into the dock and feel the weight of the law bearing down. 30 October - 12 February 2005
Dovetails and Davenports: Colonial furniture and furniture makers in Otago This exhibition of furniture from the Otago Settlers Museum collection is more than just a visual record of what the furniture of our forebears looked like. Rather it is the story of the lives of our Victorian settlers told through the pieces of furniture that they made, owned and loved. Dovetails and Davenports also charts the development of the Dunedin furniture making industry from early artisans chipping away in their workshops to the emergence of large furniture companies catering to a mass market. 30 October 2004 - 12 February 2005
Across the Ocean Waves What was it like crossing the oceans to come here in a sailing ship? The core of this new display is an accurate recreation of the steerage quarters of an immigrant ship bound for Otago in the days of sail. Visitors are welcome to climb into a bunk or sit at the central table and imagine what life would have been like cooped up for 100 or more days at sea. Short video presentations bring the era to life. Death and disaster, fun and romance, the misery of seasickness and the excitement of arrival are all showcased. A baby dies, fighting breaks out among the single girls, and there is dancing and a stolen kisses. This interactive exhibit will seize the imagination and transport viewers back to the epic voyages made by Otago's nineteenth century ancestors. Climb aboard and see what their great migration was all about. Ongoing Exhibition
On the Move: Road Transport in Otago One hundred years ago Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bag, Charles Menches invented the ice cream cone and vehicles were becoming increasingly familiar sights on Dunedin streets. To find out more about local motoring and transportation milestones check out On the Move: Road Transport in Otago - an exhibition of vehicles, photographs and memorabilia recalling not only the dawn of motoring in Otago but also the heydays of horse-drawn coaches and drays, tramcars and cycles. Be sure not to miss a ride on our penny-farthing. Ongoing Exhibition
The Smith Gallery The 'Otago Early Settlers Museum' opened in 1908 with just one room for displays. Now known as the Smith Gallery, it was a memorial to Otago's Scottish pioneers. Stern Presbyterian faces glowered down from rows of photographic portraits amidst artefacts of daily life from Otago's early days. Today, the Smith Gallery emphasises the importance of the Early Settlers in the story of Otago. The portraits on the walls have been rearranged in order of arrival; and a variety of furniture and other artefacts, all drawn from the pre- gold rush era, add character to this historic gallery. Ongoing Exhibition Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Tim Pollock, phone (03) 474 3242 NOVEMBER 2004
Arc Café
Glottis Fortnightly open mic meeting of poetry enthusiasts... 1, 15 & 29 November 2004, 8.30pm
Arcoustic Fortnightly evening of beautiful acoustic music for a gold coin... 8 & 22 November 2004, 9.00pm
Arc Café, High Street, Dunedin City Council Contact for enquiries: phone (03) 474 1135
Cleveland Living Arts Centre
Muka Youth Prints - No Adults Allowed! Original litho prints from leading New Zealand, Australia and Europe on display for sale or simply to view, by children under the age of 18 only. Muka Youth Prints is a two-day exhibition only. 3 & 4 November 2004; Wednesday and Thursday 10.00am - 5.30pm
Friederike Schmaltz - drawings Retrospective collection of work created over the past 15 years showing the development of stylistic changes of Friederike Schmaltz. Known for her work with colour, this time Friederike presents black and white, still life, ink and pencil drawings. 9 - 20 November 2004; Weekdays 10.00am - 4.00pm; Saturdays 10 .00am-2.00pm
Aids Awareness Timed to link with International Aids Awareness this exhibition invites members of the community to contribute art that responds to the ongoing impact of this disease. 23 November - 4 December 2004; Weekdays 10.00am - 4.00pm; Saturdays 10 .00am -2.00pm
Affordable Art Fair An ideal chance to start an art collection, add to an existing one or pick up an original gift for Christmas. In true art fair style - once a work is purchased it is taken away and a new one is put in its place - ensuring the show is always changing. Gems from experienced and emerging artists contribute to this popular event. 29 November 2004 - 17 January 2005; Weekdays 10.00am - 4.00pm; Saturdays 10 .00am-2.00pm
Cleveland Living Arts Centre, 1st floor, Dunedin Railway Station, Anzac Avenue, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Kari Morseth, phone (03) 477 7291
Temple Gallery - James Robinson - Rise An exhibition of new paintings from James Robinson who is becoming recognised as one of New Zealand's leading young artists. 5 November 2004 Temple Gallery, 29 Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: phone (03) 477 7235; email: templegallery@xtra.co.nz
Otago Art Society - The 16th Annual Mainland Art Awards Established in 1988, The Mainland Art Awards and exhibition is open nation-wide to all artists using a paint medium. The Judge for 2004 is John Coley, former Director of the McDougal Art Gallery, Christchurch, who will select the Exhibition entries and Award winners. The 16th Annual Mainland Art Awards will be held at the Otago Arts Society Gallery and awards will be announced at a private viewing to which competitors are invited. Generously supported by Mainland Products Limited 7 - 28 November 2004; Weekdays 12 noon - 4.00pm; Weekends 1.00pm - 4.00pm Otago Art Society Gallery, Corner Albany & Great King Streets, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Geoff Adams, phone (03) 477 9465, email: otagoartsociety@xtra.co.nz
Botanic Garden - HortTalk Presents - Dunedin's First mainland island - the latest progress on Orokonui Nature Sanctuary Ralph Allen, an experienced ecologist and chairperson of the Otago Natural History trust, will update participants on this very exciting urban conservation project that plans to reintroduce kiwi, kaka and perhaps kakapo to within a 20-minute drive of the central city. 12 November 2004, 12noon Botanic Garden Centre, Upper Lovelock Avenue, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Clare Fraser, phone (03) 474 9649
Dunedin Centre - Carmina Burana The City of Dunedin Choir and St Kilda Sentinel Brass present a brass and choral concert featuring Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Constant Lambert's Rio Grande with soloists Roger Wilson and Morag Aitchison, pianists Terence Dennis and Tom McGrath, and conducted by David Burchell and Peter Adams. 13 November 2004, 7.30pm Dunedin Town Hall, Moray Place, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Lyndsey Garden, phone (03) 478 0898 Contact for bookings: Regent Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Regent Theatre
The Royal New Zealand Ballet - The New Zealand Community Trust Season of Coppelia Coppelia is a bright and light-hearted fairytale. The classic story of Dr Coppelius and his collection of mechanical wonders is brought to life in a full-length ballet spectacular. As his village buzzes with harvest festival preparations, a lonely toymaker dreams of creating a doll with a soul. The mischievous Swanilda tricks him into believing his wish has come true, by changing places with the most beautiful doll of all - Coppelia. Sparkling with sumptuous costumes and spirited music, Coppelia is a magical masterpiece for dance lovers of all ages. 12 November 2004, 7.30pm and 13 November, 2.30pm & 7.30pm Contact for enquiries: George Hills, phone (04) 381 9018 or mobile 021 848 481, email george@nzballet.org.nz
The Hypnotist - Peter Powers - The 'Just A Little Bit Wicked 'Tour The Hypnotist, Peter Powers has been described as provocative, funny, mystical and mischievous. As seen on television guest appearing on the `Footy Show', working his mind control over Mathew Ridge on `Game of 2 Halves', and starring in his own special series `Celebrity Super Powers' on TV2, Powers will appear live on stage in this special pre Christmas tour. For the last two decades this unique practitioner of the hypnotic arts has stunned and amazed audiences in Great Britain and Australia and in the last three years he has entertained a growing army of devotees here in New Zealand. Peter Powers not only takes the genre of stage hypnotism to new heights but has a reputation that covers off-stage clinics and therapy that are the envy of his contemporaries. Confidence building, weight loss and stop-smoking sessions and products have made him a household name yet his first love is to take his talent live to audiences who appreciate his risqué and naughty sense of humour. 27 November 2004, 7.30pm
Regent Theatre, 17 The Octagon, Dunedin City Council Contact for enquiries: Regent Ticketek, phone (03) 477 8597
Blue Oyster Gallery
Jan C. Wilson - The Gift and the Proper - Frothing the Synaptic Bath The act of knitting in public is often seen as a contentious act resulting in vitriolic protests and publicity beyond that which one would expect from what seems such a harmless act. The Honourable Judith Tizard's act of knitting in parliament had Winston Peters complaining that she was "arrogant and disrespectful" and that the act was typical of her "contempt and arrogance." Similarly Richard Prebble allowed that "knitting needles were a device" and should be banned from Chambers and Bill English equated the act to 'text messaging'. Yet while in that instance knitting was seen as something rebellious, generally when a woman is told to "stay at home with her knitting" that charge sarcastically places her in a No Mans Land of domesticity. So apparently a knitter can be a subversive or she can relegate herself to a position beyond individuality and only be useful in terms of the needs of others, effectively liquidating her selfhood. Wilson explores these problematic and opposing feelings by provocatively fetishising "infantilism" through an over abundance of knitted booties. Booties are a 'proper gift' and often the first received by the new Mother-to-be. In this way, Wilson also opens the dialogue surrounding the experiences of women artists who take time out from their artistic careers to venture into Motherhood. The impact that the parasitical needs of child rearing have when the artist experiences it, it is symbolised by the placement of the booties in the gallery context. She is refusing to knit in private. 16 November - 4 December 2004 Blue Oyster West side
Emma Bugden Artist and curator Emma Bugden and filmmaker Colin Hodson team up to produce a series of video projects which look like reality TV mixed with home movies. Presented as a series of large-scale video projections mixed with smaller wall based monitors; this work is part of an ongoing project which will ultimately become a narrative feature film. Real-life partners, both have been known to delve into their inner-most secrets in their individual auto-biographical projects, and together here they prod and probe at their own relationship, offering up to viewers teasing glimpses of truth, reality, and a certain amount of fascinating fiction to boot. 16 November - 4 December 2004 Blue Oyster East side
Blue Oyster Gallery, 137 High Street, Dunedin Contact for enquiries: Ali Bramwell, phone (03) 479 0197
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
Bekah Carran: Welcome to Paradise A park bench and metal apple tree are among the elements that Dunedin sculptor Bekah Carran combines to create a work that, in her words, 'represents anyone, anywhere, sitting on a park bench, dreaming sentimental dreams of the perfect life'. Runs Until 5 December 2004
Megan Dunn: The Tragedy New video artwork by Megan Dunn "Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue..." Runs Until 5 December 2004
Stephen Mulqueen and Erwin Brinkman: Tiwai Project Tiwai Project exhibition is a collaboration between sculptor Stephen Mulqueen and photographer Erwin Brinkman in response to the nature of place: Motupohue/Bluff Harbour, Tiwai Point and Awarua Bay, Southern New Zealand. Runs Until 5 December 2004
Jeffery Harris Curated by Justin Paton, this exhibition is a unique journey through the extraordinary career of Dunedin painter Jeffrey Harris. This survey exhibition highlights major themes and charged episodes from Harris's three decades of art-making, reaching from razor-sharp etchings to jewel-like 'icons', from sumptuous triptychs to a group of unflinching recent self-portraits. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition. Runs Until 13 February 2005
Mark Braunias: Lemons and Rats Mark Braunias is best known to Dunedin audiences for First-time Caller, the exhibition he created in 2002 as a participant in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Visiting Artists Programme. He has returned to the Gallery to take on the Big Wall, populating its 151 square metres with a stampede of hand-painted characters. Runs Until 6 March 2005 Art to Express New Zealand This exhibition explores perceptions of the New Zealand landscape through a selection of paintings, works on paper, photographs and installations from the permanent collection of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Curated by Anne Harlow. A Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition. Runs Until 28 August 2005 Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 30 The Octagon, PO Box 5045, Dunedin Contact for enquires: Tim Pollock, phone (03) 474 3243 Otago Settlers Museum
Poland to Pahiatua: Remembering the Refugee Children of 1944 Poland to Pahiatua display marks the sixtieth anniversary of the arrival in New Zealand of over 700 refugee children from Poland. Their coming was a landmark in establishing New Zealand's reputation for humanitarian aid. For the children it was the start of a new life after years of incredible suffering at the hands of Poland's Russian and German enemies. 21 November 2004 - January 2005
Across the Ocean Waves What was it like crossing the oceans to come here in a sailing ship? The core of this new display is an accurate recreation of the steerage quarters of an immigrant ship bound for Otago in the days of sail. Visitors are welcome to climb into a bunk or sit at the central table and imagine what life would have been like cooped up for 100 or more days at sea. Short video presentations bring the era to life. Death and disaster, fun and romance, the misery of seasickness and the excitement of arrival are all showcased. A baby dies, fighting breaks out among the single girls, and there is dancing and a stolen kisses. This interactive exhibit will seize the imagination and transports us back to the epic voyages made by Otago's nineteenth century ancestors. Climb aboard and see what their great migration was all about. Ongoing Exhibition
On the Move: Road Transport in Otago One hundred years ago Thomas Sullivan invented the tea bag, Charles Menches invented the ice cream cone and vehicles were becoming increasingly familiar sights on Dunedin streets. To find out more about local motoring and transportation milestones check out On the Move: Road Transport in Otago - an exhibition of vehicles, photographs and memorabilia recalling not only the dawn of motoring in Otago but also the heydays of horse-drawn coaches and drays, tramcars and cycles. Be sure not to miss a ride on our penny-farthing. Ongoing Exhibition
The Smith Gallery The 'Otago Early Settlers Museum' opened in 1908 with just one room for displays. Now known as the Smith Gallery, it was a memorial to Otago's Scottish pioneers. Stern Presbyterian faces glowered down from rows of photographic portraits amidst artefacts of daily life from Otago's early days. Today, the Smith Gallery emphasises the importance of the Early Settlers in the story of Otago. The portraits on the walls have been rearranged in order of arrival; and a variety of furniture and other artefacts, all drawn from the pre- gold rush era, add character to this historic gallery. Ongoing Exhibition
ENDS

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