Past

Every year, in town halls and theatres all over New Zealand, around 2700 teenagers perform their own original songs, live, to an audience of their peers. This is Smokefreerockquest – a national institution with its roots here in Nelson. Over 35 years, this has added up to thousands of budding musicians, many of whom have […]

Welcoming Age Concern to the Make/Shift whānau! We’re thrilled to have secured a space in Bridge Street for Age Concern– the local go-to charity for people over 65. Their focus is on improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older people across the Nelson region. Right now, they’re still settling into the space, and

Nelson Centre of Music Arts and Begg’s have been making music together for over 100 years. NCMA held its opening concert in 1894, and a few years later, Begg’s opened in Trafalgar Street (and then moved to this spot in 1970). As part of this fantastic relationship between two mighty organisations, Begg’s have given their

PUNK IT UP has a simple message – togetherness – fun to have in the CBD – promoting activity – bold, but happy. [Drawings partly inspired by Keith Haring.] The PINK backdrop has a secondary message – to celebrate us as humans – to be a ‘Safe Space’ and comfort for each other in this current,

In mid-2020, Cultural Conversations came to us for help finding a temporary space. Led by Tanya Nock, Cultural Conversations is a community-based arts hub that focusses on building relationships and empowering former refugee and migrant communities. There’s loads happening – exhibitions, workshops, gigs, gatherings, support and connections. Keep up on Facebook and the Cultural Conversations

The formidable Ann Bird made a huge contribution to Nelson’s early European settlement. Born in England, Ann was in her early 20s when she arrived in Nelson on the Fifeshire with her husband Reuben and daughter Anne, in 1842. Reuben soon opened a butcher shop. Regulations weren’t so stringent in those days, and in 1847

These works were constructed with a 3D knitting technique developed by the artist, Anne Rush, using jumbo-sized knitting needles. Luminous Clouds was first shown at the inaugural Light Nelson in 2013 – now Te Ramaroa. The work was suspended above the pond in Queen’s Gardens, gently moving in the breezes. Anne Rush is a Nelson artist whose career

A space to share Japanese culture. With no one being allowed to travel anytime soon, Pop-Up Little Japan is a chance to experience some aspects of Japanese culture, right here in Nelson’s ShopFront Theatre. Pop-Up Little Japan has a mix of exhibitions, shows and classes. Click here for more information on puppet shows and classes in calligraphy

A space to share Japanese culture. With no one being allowed to travel anytime soon, Pop-Up Little Japan is a chance to experience some aspects of Japanese culture, right here in Nelson’s ShopFront Theatre. Come along to Nelson’s littlest theatre-space and be charmed and delighted by Japanese puppetry. Plus, learn how to make your own

Make/Shift Spaces is working with Papercut to showcase a series of work by NMIT Arts and Media students. First up is Urban Ecologies by Kirsten Cooper. Macrocosm, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 690 x 750mmEcosystemic, 2020, oil on canvas, 700 x 750mm Representations of landscape form part of an ongoing narrative about our place in the world

The 1970s was a flourishing time for art and culture in New Zealand. With its wonderful scenery, agreeable climate and access to raw materials, Nelson was a magnet for those who dreamt of making their living through clay. It was into this fertile environment that American Steve Fullmer arrived in 1976, establishing a workshop in

Please note that this retail site has been briefly taken over as a Polling Station for the General Election – Community Action Nelson will return in late October. In the meantime, they’re still very active – best to check their Facebook page. CAN is holding a series of Lunchtime Talks on Tuesdays between 12.30pm–1.30pm– 18 Aug

Tēnā koutou katoaKei te harikoa a Make/Shift Spaces me te Kanihera o Whakatū kia tautoko ana i te wiki o te reo Māori. Kia kaha te reo Māori! Greetings! Make/Shift Spaces and Nelson City Council are pleased to support Māori Language week. We hope you give te reo Māori a go! If you’ve ever felt

Sri Lankan masks are famous for their eccentric characters and vivid colours. Historically, masks were used in dances performed at Sri Lankan rituals and ceremonies, as well as for drama and performing arts. Today the masks have become popular as collectibles and souvenirs.  The masks can be grouped into four categories: mythological, demonic, animal-spirit and

Fleur Woods is a local artist based in Upper Moutere. The installation is a high quality photo of one of Fleur’s original artworks. Fleur describes the style of her work as ‘Stitched Paintings’. Her process begins with painting a blank piece of linen in abstract washes, and then adding botanical and illustrative details with acrylic

Santalma uses her artwork to reflect a positive view of her homeland of Colombia, specifically the Caribbean region of her birth. She uses the passion of her country as a source of inspiration, influenced by its colours, joy, cultural contrasts, biodiversity, flavours and rhythms that resulted from the miscegenation of Indigenous, Spanish and African heritage.

This artwork was created by Takaka-based artist Dean Raybould for the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary’s entrance area. When the Sanctuary’s visitor facilities are fully developed, the art installation will find a permanent home in the Sanctuary’s visitor entrance area. In the meantime the Sanctuary will build its presence in Nelson’s CBD and the partnership with Makeshift

NEWSFLASH! Shopfront Theatre is open again with an extended season from 10 September to 4 October! While on Level Two, seats will be socially distanced and consequently there are less available.  “Food for thought in funny family drama with genuine heart” “(Helen’s) skill and authenticity brings all five (characters) to life”Skara Bohny, Nelson Mail   Nelson’s newest (temporary)

Frederick Nelson Jones, better known as Freddy, or Pompy to his friends, was a man of many talents who made a huge contribution to Nelson. Born in Nelson in 1881, Jones worked in his father’s Tattersall’s Stables. In 1904, news spread that Nelson College’s main building was on fire. Quick as a flash, Jones “packed

White Gold was developed as an installation for The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū in 2009. It then travelled to Forrester Gallery in Oamaru and Southland Museum & Art Gallery in Invercargill, before Dairy NZ installed it in their Head Office in Hamilton until 2018. Living next to the O’Connor dairy farm on

These especially collected pieces of firewood are presented here for the first time, from a private collection in Nelson. The collection has built up over a number of years, with each log being chosen based on their intuitive relationships to seminal works of art. These have been sourced from wintertime firewood stacks, with the pieces

In 1816 the French naval frigate, the Meduse, hit the coast of Mauritania due to the incompetence of its captain. One hundred and fifty men were set adrift on a raft that was patched together from the remnants. After 13 days at sea only 15 men survived. The survivors’ recounted rebellion, dehydration, hunger, mental exhaustion

“Everyone’s a winner, bargains galore That’s right, you too can be the proud owner Of the quality goes in before the name goes on One-tenth of a dollar, one-tenth of a dollar, we got service after sales You need perfume? We got perfume, how ’bout an engagement ring? Something for the little lady, something for

5 Warnings derives from labels on cigarette and tobacco packaging. Ann Braunsteiner has taken examples of such labels and created new meanings – from the serious to the playful. Ann’s interest lies in how successful such warning labels really are. They are stating an obvious problem regarding long term effects/consequences, and yet seem strangely limited

Small Change is a payback. This financial display featured as part of Viewfinder is a social exchange and capital redistribution subverting conventions found in the arts,finance and commerce. Small Change attempts to examine the often bureaucratic systems and services that facilitate community engagement and expression within and of the arts. The use of multiple nodes

Ideas…land…bodies – who owns them and who gets to use them? A Call to Dance celebrates a place and its people, asking questions about heritage, belonging, public expression and cultural authenticity. Join acclaimed choreographer and dancer Amrita Hepi for a fun, free, one-on-one yarn, and together you’ll create a small moment of personal rebellion: a

Every month, Voice Collective get together for a few hours to rehearse a song, and then do a once-only performance. This month, it’s Dolly Parton’s ‘Joelene’. Nelson Arts Festival has links to the song, lyrics and karaoke version! Voice Collective is a pop-up contemporary singing group where there are no auditions, commitment or rules apart

Home / 2003 belongs to a series of work that continues Catherine’s exploration of domestic life. Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting, The Potato Eaters, she recreates the scene of an adult daughter’s return to her parents’ home and merges everyday life with art history in a New Zealand context. Photographs of a New Zealand landscape and

The Mask Parade & Carnivale is one of Nelson’s most loved free community events. In the lead-up to the event, Nelson Arts Festival ran a series of free mask-making workshops. Too much fun!

Every spring, Nelson Arts Festival brings the city alive with its non-stop programme of theatre, dance, music, talks, exhibitions and community events. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019, it is now New Zealand’s longest-running annual arts festival. Is it ever too soon to take your baby to the theatre? Not with this show! Up and