Community Nights travel over the hill
Te Atamira’s ever-popular weekly Community Nights have hit the road and will now take place once a month in Wānaka. The first three Tuesdays of each month will carry on in Queenstown at Te Atamira, while the fourth Tuesday of the month will now take place at Wānaka Community Hub.
The Community Nights offer fun, creative activities designed to bring people together. They include singing, drawing and craft, and can draw in anywhere from 25 – 75 people each week. They’re always free and everyone is welcome. Eric Lim, Arts Facilitator at Te Atamira, runs the nights and loves organising them – they fit into the five pillars of well-being, which he’s always focusing on.
“We aren’t just catering for one particular group, we cater with all different selections, so people can come and unwind in the evening, just doing the activity. This November we’ve got three exciting, different activities.”
Lim also wants to help welcome all different communities from around our region to the weekly events, and believes they’re a great way to meet people and connect. He says that his favourite part of the job is seeing a smiling face running out the door at the end of a session.
“We’d love to encourage more newcomers, who have just arrived into town on their working holidays – they need to come and explore and meet people.”
Director at Te Atamira, Ruth Heath, really spearheaded the Wānaka Community Nights - she lives there, seeing and hearing the demand for more arts regularly. Wānaka is full of artists and creatives, and Heath saw it as a great opportunity to support them and facilitate the sessions.
“It showcases what they do and helps the community to be aware of our creatives within the community,” she says. “At the same time, it’s a win-win because what they offer the community is so fun and new, and might offer something completely different that people haven’t experienced in a really accessible way.”
They recently ran the first community night in Wānaka and weren’t sure what to expect – they had over 60 people show up. Participants came from all ages and backgrounds, and all had a really great time. Te Atamira are excited to continue to explore ways they can extend their outreach into different communities in our region, and continue the weekly nights in Queenstown and Wānaka.
“I think it’s really important to get creative about the spaces that can be used for creativity and art. What I’m noticing in the performing arts space is more work coming through that is being made not just for the stage but for other environments and areas. With our constraints – around the cost of buildings and in general with space here – we can look at how we can utilise our existing spaces, because we do actually have a number of cool ones.”
Upcoming events include:
3 November, 7pm – 8pm: Community Sing, Kiwi Classics with Angela Maxwell-McRae
Bring to life two quintessential Kiwi songs – a 2-part arrangement of Rain by Dragon, then move onto a 3-part arrangement of Better Be Home Soon by Crowded House. The harmonies will rock, the vibes will be excellent, and most importantly we will have fun.
10 November, 6.30pm – 8pm: Community Draw, The Basics of Marker Rendering with Dr. Kanvar Nayar
Learn how to render a 1967 Ford Mustang using alcohol-based markers. Learn simple techniques to create a range of finishes, such as wood, metal, and chrome, as well as experiment with colour, shading, and texture to bring your concept drawings to life. No prior experience is required!
17 November, 6pm – 8pm: Community Craft, Loose Threads Social, in collaboration with Sustainable Queenstown
Loose Threads is a relaxed night out where you bring your own clothes to mend, meet lovely people, and spend a couple of hours doing something wholesome. This is your space to finally tackle that item sitting in your “to-fix” pile, with extra support if you need it. There’ll be a few fantastic volunteers on hand to share tips if you get stuck on a tricky repair.
At Wānaka Community Hub, 24 November, 6.30pm – 8pm: Community Draw, Faces and Figures: a drawing workshop with Laura Varns
Explore the basics of portrait and figure drawing. Look at simple ways to understand facial structure, body proportions and posture, then put these ideas into practice with a series of short drawings. Finish with a relaxed longer drawing where you can bring everything you’ve learned together in your own style. No experience necessary.
If you’d like to get involved with running a Community Night, you can get in touch with Eric Lim at programmes@teatamira.nz – he’s planning for 2027 now. For more information on the Community Nights and all the exciting things coming up at Te Atamira, head to teatamira.nz/whats-on
