FOSTERING COMMUNITY UNITY AT THE CENTRAL LAKES POLYFEST 2023

The vibrant hues of cultural diversity illuminated the Queenstown Events Centre on the 18th and 19th of October 2023, as the Central Lakes Polyfest unfolded, uniting approximately 1,300 tamariki and rangatahi from Central Lakes and Central Otago. Hosted by Mīharo, two-day celebration showcased the rich cultural heritage of our region and highlighted the power of unity and understanding within our community.

Mīharo held the first Central Otago Polyfest in 2018 and it has been growing ever since. This year, the event also welcomed a local Tongan community group, adding a new dimension to the festivities and enhancing the Polyfest's cultural mosaic.

A notable highlight of the Polyfest was the initiation of the Whakamanahia te Rangatahi-youth mentoring programme. Through this programme, youth from the Whakamanahia te Rangatahi (WTR) team engaged with students from Mt Aspiring College, promoting leadership skills and cultural pride.

“Next year we have high hopes that the new Central Lakes youth mentoring cohort will be able to lead the way in the volunteer space, get to have real life work experiences and embrace a kaupapa filled with art, culture and performances,” says Hiria Palmer, Mīharo Business & Finance Manager.

The Polyfest was more than just a series of cultural performances - it embodied the essence of community spirit. Volunteers, participants, and spectators joined hands to create an inclusive environment where manaakitanga and kotahitanga prevailed. The event served as a platform for building connections and enriching the cultural fabric of Central Lakes and Central Otago.

 CLT is proud to have supported the success of the Polyfest through the granting of $25,000 towards sound and lighting costs.  

ARASAN NZ TRUST

The Arasan Foundation Trust supports migrants from South Asia to settle well in New Zealand. There is evidence that suggests that lifestyle changes, changes in diet, and the change in family structure from a joint family to a nuclear family unit may negatively impact the physical and mental health of t some migrants arriving in New Zealand.

To address this challenge, the Arasan NZ Trust held the first Queenstown Lakes Subcontinental Community Cricket Festival on 22 and 23 October 2022. Sport has been shown to improve mental and physical health while offering a natural opportunity for people to come together and participate in community and social life.

The festival had two days of cricket matches played in and around Queenstown, as well as a Community Gathering Cultural Evening featuring cultural performances and other family-friendly activities.

The Queenstown Lakes Subcontinental Community Festival, with its emphasis on health, social cohesion, and cultural wellbeing, successfully brought together South Asian communities and the wider public in a spirit of inclusivity and celebration. By fostering a sense of community and empowering the youth, Arasan NZ Trust aims to make a significant impact in promoting the overall wellbeing of South Asian communities in New Zealand.

 https://arasan.org.nz

ARROWTOWN MATARIKI LIGHT FESTIVAL

In a first for Aotearoa New Zealand, on 24 June 2022 we experienced our first public holiday to celebrate Matariki, which is the first appearance of a series of stars in our northeast horizon, indicating a time to celebrate the Māori new year or Te Tau Hou, a time for reflection and celebration, a time to think about the people that have passed in the previous 12 months, and do one final harvest before winter.

Matariki is the most significant event on the Māori calendar. When the Matariki cluster also known as The Pleiades rises mid- winter, Māori welcome winter and the start of a new year.

Matariki Arrowtown Lights was a three-day cultural event that took place in the heart of Arrowtown.

It involved visual storytelling, stunning light displays and projections down Buckingham Street. Buckingham Street was lit up with light installations and displays by the South Island Light Orchestra (SILO). Arrowtown Museum hosted an art exhibition “Stories of Matariki” by students of Arrowtown Primary School.

One of the world’s pre-eminent astrophysicists, Prof Brian Boyle shared the wonders of the clear Otago night skies, and his photographs of Matariki in an interactive session next to the Arrowtown Museum.

Dorothy Brown played a series of movies as part of the Māori Film Festival including Whale Rider, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Waru, and Whina.

MICHAEL HILL INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION

The Whakatipu Music Festival celebrates music in all its many forms, bringing together New Zealand’s outstanding emerging artists and leading professional musicians, together with local performers, grassroots music initiatives and dedicated local and national educators.

The festival had over six days of concerts, public talks and workshops, 25 performances by local and New Zealand’s top classical, jazz and taonga puoro musicians, 148 musicians participated, 700 safe live attendances (in a COVID-19 red traffic light setting) and 21,000 livestream views.

Twelve of New Zealand’s most talented and promising musicians, who, were it not for Covid, would normally be offshore representing New Zealand in competitions and major events, were auditioned and selected to participate in the festival’s Young Artist Programme receiving coaching, essential career development, and performance opportunities.

TE ATAMIRA ARTS AND CULTURAL FACILITY

In December 2018, the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) undertook a review of community facilities which identified that 50% of 189 groups would outgrow their facilities in the next five years.

In 2019, the Three Lakes Cultural Trust (TLCT) was established to support and encourage arts and culture in the Queenstown Lakes District in ways that enrich the quality of life of residents and contribute to the cultural, social and economic vitality and resilience of the district. They commissioned AEA Consulting, preeminent cultural strategists, to undertake an audit of QLDC cultural provisioning and built infrastructure and create a strategic cultural masterplan. Presented in February 2020, one of the key findings was the urgent need for a fit-for-purpose place to practice, rehearse and showcase creative activities.

The Te Atamira refit in Remarkables Park has created the facility to house arts and culture from the region.

We all know Queenstown Lakes has experienced phenomenal population growth over the past years. It stands to reason that community facilities also need to grow in order to accommodate this rapidly growing population. Te Atamira caters to more than 40 groups and organisations. It has two dance studios, two theatre spaces, a recording studio, multiple artist studios and music spaces, a pottery workshop, a workshop classroom, a curated art gallery, and a flexible youth focused space.

CLT recognises the need to respond to the region’s population growth and the importance of arts and culture to our region’s long term resilience. Arts and culture enrich people’s quality of life and contribute to the cultural, social and economic vitality of the district, something we need more than ever.

The number of people expected to benefit from the establishment of Te Atamira is estimated to be just over 2,500 people a week (350 people a day). It is anticipated this will be a diversified user group, including all ages and backgrounds, and a wide range of community groups and different arts and cultural disciplines. Users include groups providing lessons, workshops, exhibitions, students attending lessons, visitors in all the spaces and visitors attending events