New research conducted by Basement Theatre and Insights organisation, Perceptive has highlighted that spending time watching live performances or engaging in the creative arts has been shown to lift the well-being of our communities and the economy.
Cat Ruka, Director of Basement, says the research shouldn’t come as a surprise but rather a wake-up call for policymakers to view the creative industries as an economic and social investment, not simply a cost. To hear more about the research, Frances caught up with Cat Ruka.
Grace Mirams is an artist, graphic designer and researcher practicing here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Recently she shared exciting news via Public Record in Ponsonby that Gallery Crossing in Japan asked Grace to exhibit her first solo show in Japan in August this year. To hear about Grace's work, her trip across the world and an upcoming workshop, Frances caught up with her on Various Artists.
Frances speaks to Cat Ruka from Basement Theatre about new research on the economic & wellbeing benefits of seeing live performances in Aotearoa
Liam has a yarn with Luna from Parallel Aotearoa,a new speculative fiction bookstore that has just opened up on Karangahape Road.
Frances speaks to visual artist, graphic designer and researcher Grace Mirams about her practice, relationships with local practitioners and a new show opening in Japan in August.
And finally we have your art guide for Tāmaki Makarau this week.
A brand new bookstore has just opened up on Karangahape Road! Parallel Aotearoa has just moved in to bring all sorts of awesome speculative fiction, lefty non-fiction, graphic novels, and locally made wares on offer.
The owners, Luna and Jess, have been running Parallel for a few months, but the physical space has just opened up last week. Liam had a chat with Luna to learn more about the bookshop, its origin story, and what’s next.
We got a Various Artists all sorts on the show today! E Whai Ake Nei:
Frances has a live chat with Eiko Olykan about his show Believe in the Journey, a duo exhibition with Grace Crothall opening on Karangahape Road next week.
Liam had a chat to Jazmine Rose Phillips about their show Their Feet Did Not Touch The Ground, a performance art piece based around recorded conversations with detained refugee Farhad Bandesh.
Frances speaks to award winning author Catherine Chidgey about her new psychological thriller Pet.
I also had a chat with Johanna Cosgrove about her bonkers stand up comedy show Hi, Delusion!
Joining us first up on Various Artists this week is artist Eiko Olykan, one half of the show Believe in the Journey, a duo exhibition with Ōtautahi based artist Grace Crothall. The show addresses Disney Pixar’s changing literary landscape, slips into bleached Frozen (yes, the movie) aesthetic voids, and taps into enchantment and the loss of it.
Opening from 6pm Friday 23rd of June.
Open 10am to 5pm from the 24th to 27th of June at 312 K Rd—corner K Road and East Street.
Artist's talk at 1pm on Saturday the 24th.
Pet, is a chilling new psychological thriller from internationally bestselling author Catherine Chidgey which came on the 8th of June. Told from a single point of view, so as not to show the hand of the novel’s other characters, Pet is an unflinching examination of the corrosive power of guilt and the extent some people will go to cover their tracks.
Because on Various Artists we consider all creative endeavours to be artmaking in the broadest sense, and writing an art form very worthy of our time, this week Frances caught up with the creative mind behind Pet to hear about how it came to fruition.
Coming up next week at Basement Theatre, Jazmine Rose Phillips new performance art show ‘Their Feet Did Not Touch The Ground’ is on from the 22nd to the 24th of June.
This show circulates around conversations they had with Farhad Bandesh, an imprisoned asylum seeker in Australia, in an effort to tell his story and spread word about wrongful imprisonment of refugees.
Another awesome show at Basement theatre next week! Johanna Cosgrove’s stand up show ‘Hi, Delusion’ is running once again after a sold out run last month. This is depicted as a casual descent into the void , it’s hilarious, dark, and it’s fantastic. Liam had a chat to Johanna about how the show came together.
Liam chatted to Gabby and Aliya from Nice Goblins Collective about Love/Hate, their new exhibition opening up at the tattoo studio next Friday. Frances spoke to Hamish Carter about his new show To Breathe, To Sit, To Listen, To Talk which opened at Window gallery on Wednesday. Liam also had a quick yarn with Malcom from Kirikiriroa Hamilton Zinefest, happening tomorrow at the Hamilton city central library if you’e wanting to take advantage fo the sun and have a wee day trip.
And to round off the show we have your local arts guide for Tāmaki Makaurau over the next week!
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