Te Papa's December 03 & January 04 Events Update

Te Papa's December 03 & January 04 Events Update

December/January highlights @ Te Papa

The Dinosaurs from China exhibition opens on 6 December offering a rare and exciting opportunity to see some of the world's largest and finest dinosaur skeletons. From gigantic lumbering sauropods and spiky stegosaurus to the viscous and terrifying Yangchuanosaurus, marvel at these huge fossil skeletons dating back over 150 million years! Plus enter the fantastic Dominion Post family competition for the chance to win a trip to Hollywood! See your Dominion Post from December 5 for details.

From 2 December to 28 January, Te Papa's Wellington Foyer is home to the giant 8 metre high Barad-Dûr model complete with moat from The Lord of The Rings Motion Picture Trilogy. In mid-December another major exhibition opens: Signs and Wonders - He Tohu He Ohorere contains over 160 artworks and taonga (treasures) from Te Papa's collections, and explores life's mysteries and miracles, as seen by diverse cultures. Celebrations abound at Te Papa this summer. As Christmas nears, enjoy live choral music performances, hear festive tales from master storyteller Dick Weir, make your own Christmas decorations, and bring a gift for a child and their family to Te Papa for our Christmas Tree. Then in the New Year, Te Papa marks the 50th anniversary of the visit to New Zealand by the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth, with a five-day long Queen's Festival. Among the events scheduled are screenings of historic film footage including Happy and Glorious: the New Zealand Royal Tour 1953/4, butter sculptures by Weta Workshop, and floral arch displays. That's just a taste of what Te Papa has on offer during the holiday season. This calendar is jam-packed with things to do for the whole family!

December Events:

Thursday 4

10am-6pm: Te Papa's Christmas Tree. From now until Christmas Eve give a gift for under the beautiful Te Papa Christmas Tree. Gifts are for children and their families who are being supported by the Wellington Women's Refuge and Te Whare Roki Roki - The Mäori Women's Refuge. Wellington Foyer, Level 2.

Saturday 6

December - 'Month of Song': In support of the musical section of the Signs and Wonders / He Tohu He Ohorere exhibition. 1pm-2pm: Vocal Accord. Roaming Te Papa. Free entry.

Sunday 7

12 noon-2.30pm: International Day of Disabled Persons: 'A voice of our Own' - a celebration in performance III. A collaborative effort by the United Nations to celebrate and acknowledge the experience and capabilities of people with disabilities. Come and celebrate this special day with a multi genre concert of jazz, poetry, blues, Celtic rock and excerpts read from a sci-fi novel. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Thursday 11

12.30pm-1pm: Gisborne Intermediate School kapa haka performance. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Saturday 13

1pm-2pm: Wellington City Chorus. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Sunday 14

2pm-3pm: Wellington South Salvation Army Band. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Tuesday 16

12 noon-1pm: Dinosaurs from China exhibition floortalk with Dr Hamish Campbell. The TOWER Gallery, Level 4. Exhibition entry charges apply.

Wednesday 17

Signs and Wonders / He Tohu He Ohorere exhibition opens! 11.30am-12 noon & 1pm-1.30pm: Christmas Stories with Dick Weir. Join storyteller Dick Weir under the Christmas Tree for stories of festive cheer. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-1pm: Dinosaurs from China exhibition floortalk with Dr Hamish Campbell. The TOWER Gallery, Level 4. Exhibition entry charges apply. 2pm-2.45pm: Dinosaur Discovery Hour. Hey Kids! Find out dino facts you want to know about dinosaurs who ruled the earth millions of years ago. Come on a dinoventure with Te Papa's Geologist, Dr Hamish Campbell. Then make a dancing dinosaur. NatureSpace, Level 2. Free entry.

Thursday 18

12 noon-3pm: Make an iconic Kiwi Christmas decoration. Wellington Foyer Level 2. Gold coin donation.

Friday 19 December

12 noon-3pm: Make an iconic Kiwi Christmas decoration. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Gold coin donation. 1pm-2pm: Sings Harry Vocal Ensemble. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Saturday 20

12 noon-12.45pm: Bach Choir of Wellington. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 1.30pm-2.30pm: Harbour Capital Chorus. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Sunday 21

12 noon-1pm: Faultline Chorus. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 1.10pm-2pm: St Mary of the Angels Choir. The St Mary of the Angels Choir, the only chant experts in Australasia, present the ancient European tradition of Gregorian Chant as it has been sung for the last 2000 years. After the performance try some yourself with their guidance. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Monday 22

12 noon-3pm: Make an iconic Kiwi Christmas decoration. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Gold coin donation. 1pm-2pm: Galaxies Choir. Covering a wide range of traditional and alternative carols and songs, from ancient to modern. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Tuesday 23

12 noon-3pm: Make an iconic Kiwi Christmas decoration. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Gold coin donation. 12 noon-1pm: Dinosaurs from China exhibition floortalk with Dr Hamish Campbell. The TOWER Gallery, Level 4. Exhibition entry charges apply.

Wednesday 24

10am-6pm: Last chance to bring a gift for a child and their family for our Christmas Tree! 11.30am-12 noon & 1pm-1.30pm: Christmas stories with Dick Weir. Join storyteller Dick Weir under the Christmas Tree for stories of festive cheer. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-3pm: Make an iconic Kiwi Christmas decoration. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Gold coin donation. 12 noon-1pm: Dinosaurs from China exhibition floortalk with Dr Hamish Campbell. The TOWER Gallery, Level 4. Exhibition entry charges apply.

Thursday 25

Merry Christmas! Meri Kirihimete!

Friday 26

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Saturday 27

1pm-2pm: Cook Islands Catholic Sunday School Culture Group. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Sunday 28

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Monday 29

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Tuesday 30

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Wednesday 31

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

January 2004 Events

Happy New Year!

Thursday 1

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Friday 2

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Saturday 3

11am-3pm: About Face Productions. Roaming comic performers. Throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Sunday 4

1pm-2pm: Calgary Youth Orchestra. The eighty strong orchestra from Calgary, Alberta, on tour in New Zealand, is one of Canada's leading community youth orchestras. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Wednesday 7

2pm-2.45pm: Discovery Hour: Perfumes of the Past. Kids! follow your nose to discover perfumes of the past and their precious bottles with Te Papa's History Curators, Stephanie Gibson and Lynette Townsend. Then make your own aroma box. Inspiration Station, Level 4. Free entry.

Saturday 10

12 noon-3pm: Tapa Demonstration Weekend. Vilisi Cama, from Fiji demonstrates the skilled technique of making tapa cloth. Fijian Tapa, masi, is made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree. Over the weekend witness the full transformation from bark to beautifully decorated tapa. Kids! Join in the fun and have a go at stencilling your own tapa cloth pattern! Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Sunday 11

12 noon-3pm: Tapa Demonstration Weekend. Vilisi Cama, from Fiji demonstrates the skilled technique of making tapa cloth. Kids! Join in the fun and have a go at stencilling your own tapa cloth pattern! Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry.

Thursday 15

The Queen's Festival.

During the summer of 1953 to 1954, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II visited New Zealand with her husband Prince Philip. Join Te Papa in celebrating the 50th anniversary of their visit. 10am-6pm: Butter Sculpture. For the duration of the Queens Festival a butter sculpture made by Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop will be on display in the Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. Happy and Glorious: the New Zealand Royal Tour 1953/54. 12.10pm-1pm: A selection of short amateur and professional films covering the royal tour. 6pm-7.10pm: Royal New Zealand Journey. J Arthur Rank. (1954). Presented by the New Zealand Film Archive. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.

Friday 16

10am-6pm: Butter Sculpture display. Made by Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop. On display in the Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 10am-6pm: Floral Arch Decorating demonstration.Come and see how a floral arch is made and decorated! foodtrain, Level 1. Free entry.

Saturday 17

10am-6pm: Floral Arch display. Walk through a wonderful display of floral arches, as the new Queen would have enjoyed. Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. 10am-6pm: Butter Sculpture display. Made by Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop. On display in the Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-1pm: Wellington Brass Band. Te Papa Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. (Wet weather venue Wellington Foyer, Level 2). 12 noon-2pm: Join our costumed characters for a right royal good time. Roaming throughout Te Papa. Free entry. 12 noon-3pm: Royal photoshoot. Dress up as Royalty and let the Te Papa Paparazzi take a snap. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry. 1pm-2pm: Wellington City Chorus. Roaming throughout Te Papa. Free entry.

Sunday 18

10am-6pm: Floral Arch display. Walk through a wonderful display of floral arches, as the new Queen would have enjoyed. Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. 10am-6pm: Butter Sculpture display. Made by Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop. On display in the Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-1pm: Faultline Chorus. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-2pm: Join our costumed characters for a right royal good time. Roaming throughout Te Papa. Free entry. 12 noon-3pm: Royal photoshoot. Dress up as royalty and let the Te Papa Paparazzi take a snap. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry. 1pm-2pm: Alia Choir. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 2pm-3pm: 'Fit for a Queen'. Join Angela Lassig, Te Papa History Curator, for a glimpse into the Royal Tour wardrobe and its influence on New Zealand fashion. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.

Monday 19

10am-6pm: Floral Arch display. Walk through a wonderful display of floral arches, as the new Queen would have enjoyed. Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. 10am-6pm: Butter Sculpture display. Made by Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop. On display in the Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 11am-12noon: Harbour Capital Chorus. Wellington Foyer, Level 2. Free entry. 12 noon-1pm: Titan Hutt City Brass Band. Amphitheatre, Level 1. Free entry. (Wet weather venue Wellington Foyer, Level 2). 1pm-3pm: Wood Chopping Display. By the New Zealand Axemen's Association. Te Papa Plaza, Level 1. Free entry. (Wet weather venue: Wellington Foyer, Level 2). 3pm-3.30pm: Te Whanganui-a-Tara Kapa Haka. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Saturday 24

11.30am-12 noon: Dinosaur Discovery Talk. Hey kids, what do hypsilophodonts, Ankylosaurs, Sauropods, and Carnosaurs have in common? Fossils of these dinosaurs were found in New Zealand by Joan Wiffen! Come along and hear Joan Wiffen describe her astonishing discoveries. NatureSpace, Level 2. Free entry. 1pm-2.30pm: 'The Lost Dinosaurs' documentary screening. In 1975 Joan Wiffen, a former Hawkes Bay Housewife and self-educated palaeontologist, discovered a dinosaur bone and revolutionised ideas about ancient New Zealand. Following the screening Joan Wiffen will hold a slide presentation detailing further her intensive work. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Free entry.

Sunday 25

1pm-2pm: Chinese New Year Performance and storytelling. Kids! Come and check out some fantastic Chinese New Year festivities. Join the WCSCC Chinese Dance and Cultural group for an exciting mix of dance and song, and then listen to some storytelling with Henry Lee. Inspiration Station, Level 4. Free entry. 2pm-3.30pm: A day in the life of the Chinese Opera. Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with the NZ Wellington Chinese Opera Society. Learn about and this centuries-old tradition of song, costume, and choreography. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Thursday 29

6.30pm-8pm: Aainaa Forums-Diversity of India. Join Wellington's Indian community as they reveal insights into the age old and hugely diverse Indian culture. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

Saturday 31

1pm-2pm: Te Kohu. Tühoe living in the Wellington Region, with a passion for singing and performing kapa haka. The Marae, Level 4. Free entry.

SHORT-TERM EXHIBITIONS:

Dinosaurs from China

Take this rare opportunity to see some of the world's largest and finest dinosaur skeletons. Marvel at huge fossil skeletons - the largest measures 24 metres long - that date back over 150 million years to the Jurassic Period. See gigantic, lumbering sauropods and vicious meat-eating predators such as the terrifying Yangchuanosaurus, a Chinese relative of Tyrannosaurus rex. 6 December-12 April 2004. Adults $9.50, children (4-14 years) $4.50. Family concessions available.

Great Family competition!!

Be in to win The Dominion Post family holiday to Hollywood competition! For your chance to win, clip out a current Dominion Post Discount Coupon entitling you to $1 off the adult and $0.50 off the child exhibition entry price, fill in your details and drop it in the dinosaur entry box at the exhibition. See your Dominion Post from December 5 for details.

Signs and Wonders ? He Tohu He Ohorere

An exhibition exploring through multiple cultural viewpoints and spiritual traditions, the ways in which people express ideas of supernatural encounters. Key New Zealand artists represented include Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Rita Angus, John Pule, Julia Morison, Don Driver, Milan Mrkusich, and Tony Fomison. 17 December-September 2004. Free entry.

Te Awa Tupua: The Whanganui Iwi Exhibition

In partnership with Te Papa, Whanganui iwi present stories and taonga from their unique Whanganui river culture, from Te Kähui Maunga (the mountain clan) to Tangaroa (the sea). The exhibition's central theme is contained in the whakatauakï (proverb), 'E rere kau mai te awa nui mai Te Kähui Maunga ki Tangaroa, ko au te awa ko te awa ko au.' (The great river flows from the mountain clan to Tangaroa, I am the river; the river is me). Until May 2006. Free entry.

Ngä Toko Rima | Contemporary clayworks

Out of the creation stories of fire, water, and earth, five leading Mäori artists create powerful new works in clay. Until April 2005. Free entry.

Kiri's Dresses: A glimpse into a Diva's wardrobe

Dresses from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's wardrobe and her memories of them give an intimate glimpse into the life of a world-famous lyric soprano. Until September 2004. Free entry.

Wings: Nature's flying machines | Hua rere a te taiao

A rich investigation of flight in the natural world and people's ingenuity with wings. Explore the marvels of flying, highlighted by hands-on interactives and stunning audio-visuals. Until 25 April 2004. Free entry.

Aainaa: reflections through Indian weddings

Created by Te Papa in partnership with New Zealand Indian communities, this exhibition explores the wedding ritual to show both traditional and modern experiences of marriage. Featured until March 2004 are the wedding rituals of the Sikh community. Until late 2004. Free entry.

Opening hours

Te Papa is open 10am-6pm every day of the year. Open till 9pm on Thursdays except Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Free entry. Charges apply to some short-term exhibitions, The Time Warp, and StoryPlace.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Phone 04 381 7000 Fax 04 381 7070 mail@tepapa.govt.nz http://www.tepapa.govt.nz

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