Up Close & Personal: Art, Music and Performance - Chch

Up Close and Personal: Art, Music and Performance, Restarting the Heart of Christchurch

30 September 2012

Local music, performance, exhibitions, murals, graffiti art and art installations are set to bring further excitement and energy to Re:START – the City Mall shopping precinct that brought thousands of Christchurch residents back to the inner city last year.

The arts and music programme called Art Beat is an initiative of Arts Voice Christchurch and Re:START which will take place from November 2012 to February 2013, integrating art and entertainment into the city’s re-build.

Art Beat will build relationships between the arts community and businesses in the central city, as well as provide performance opportunities, exposure and work experience for established and developing artists.

Art Beat has received funding from Creative New Zealand for administration, project management, marketing and programme communication.

“Art Beat is a fantastic arts-led initiative that over spring and summer will give the people of Christchurch the chance to have a ball in the Mall. Clever site specific projects like this will bring fun, vitality and people into the city,” said Creative New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright.

Art Beat is a collaborative business/arts venture between Re:START and Arts Voice Christchurch, advocating for the art community in Christchurch and ensuring that it remains fundamental and essential to the life of the city.

Arts Voice Christchurch Chair, Warren Feeney says, “The funding Art Beat has received from Creative New Zealand is an opportunity for artists to operate outside traditional venues and institutions and get up close and personal in ways that will give Christchurch residents and visitors even greater reasons to visit the central city and Re:START.

“Bob Parker opened Re:START a year ago and commented that it marked the ‘beginning of our city making the most extraordinary comeback.’ Art Beat takes up the challenge of Parker’s remarks with considerable enthusiasm. It represents the response of a vital arts community engaged in the city’s rebuild, keen to create a vibrant central city that will connect - in the best of all possible ways - the arts , the city, businesses and people.”

Paul Lonsdale, Development Manager for Re:START says “Re:START is pleased to be working alongside Arts Voice Christchurch to produce Art Beat.

“The integration of the arts into the inner city and the Re:START precinct represents the development of an important relationship between the arts and business community of benefit to communities, residents and visitors to Christchurch, as well as the successful realization of the new city, proposed in the Christchurch Central Development Unit’s recovery plan.”

ENDS

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