Caring for our Creative Communities
Creative Communities of the Waikato, pop the jug on. CW is on the way…
Sharing
stories far
and wide
Creativity Every Day is now live
Improve your wellbeing and cultivate creativity as a life-changing skill Creativity Every Day Programme – and it’s now live!
Understanding the value of arts, culture and creativity
In times of election we hear a lot of conversation about policies, value and change. There will be talk of the economy and the social…
Toi Maaori in your face in Garden Place
Toi Maaori Ki Kirikiriroa is a wrap, so let’s recap…
Two Ticks for Arts, Culture and Creativity
Discover the vital link between government, arts, and community wellbeing. How can your vote can shape a thriving creative ecosystem? We…
Nurturing Mental Wellbeing Through Creativity
Dr. Jeremy Mayall is here to reminding us of the tremendous power of creative activity and the connection to our mental wellbeing. Take a…
Fostering Resilience with the CCS Festival Fund
The Hamilton City Council CCS Festival Fund is here to reinvigorate Kirikiriroa’s Festivals. How it can support your local festival or…
A Daily Creative Habit
Creative Waikato CEO, Dr. Jeremy Mayall explores creating daily habits. And creativity is on that list!
Community, Creativity and Ngaa Toi Maaori in Garden Place
Join us for Toi Māori Ki Kirikiriroa Community Day: workshops, live music, kai – A vibrant celebration of ngaa toi Maaori
Waikato Pasifika Fono coming to Kirikiriroa
Barbara Bilcich is sharing the exciting news of an event for Moana Pasifika artists to connect and be inspired.
Toi Maaori ki Kirikiriroa Waananga
He kai moo too kete – Food for your basket
Nurturing Wellbeing Through Creativity
Nick Clothier meets with Matamata Intermediate to investigate their unique Creatives in Schools journey.
Waikato Performing Arts Strategy
Developed with our community to enhance the future of Performing Arts in the Waikato.
The door is open for new Committee Members
Hamilton City Council Creative Communities Scheme Funding Committee are calling for nominations… Now!
Artists, connection and community – an observation of Whiria Te Tāngata
A catch up with Whiria te Tāngata as we share the connection between artist and community.
ELEVATE: towards a growing and thriving creative sector
Megan Lyon explores the Elevate programme over time after its initial launch.
Restorative Energies: Art and Healing
How does the wellbeing benefits of artistic activity support healing and healthcare? Dr. Jeremy Mayall explores the connection.
Does creative activity allow you to bend time?
Dr. Jeremy Mayall is analysing the marvellous contemplation of the science between creative activity and the perception of time and what…
The Spiral Effect
Creative Education Specialist, Nick Clothier, reveals how introducing creative professionals into schools is hitting the right notes.
Creatives in Schools: Is it making a difference?
Your introduction to the Creatives in Schools programme and how is it becoming a phenomenon in our Waikato communities.
Whiria te Tāngata: Meet the Mentors
Meet our Whiria te Tāngata mentors. Our 10 artists-in-residence are paired with a mentor to provide wrap around support and help them on…
Enriching a strong Māori arts practice
Writer Megan Lyon is delving into the experiences of the ELEVATE Toi Māori cohort and explores how it has deeply impacted the Māori…
Calling all superhumans!
Want to make a difference to communities throughout the Waikato region through the power of arts, culture and creativity?
Singing with a shared voice
Dr. Jeremy Mayall, CEO talks about creative advocacy and collective impact
Supporting Creative Professionals
Dr. Aimee-Jane Anderson-O’Connor shares our new research that focuses specifically on the wellbeing of creative professionals.
Alchemy in Action
Megan Lyon catches up with Elevate participant Jessica Moughan and explores her affinity with the natural world.
2023 – Creativity and Meaning in a New Year
CEO, Jeremy Mayall reflects on 2022 and also setting intentions for what might lie ahead in 2023.
The Integrated Creativity Resource – A Long Strange Trip
Nick Clothier shares his journey of looking into what teachers need the most to incorporate creative experiences into their classrooms.
A Journey Of Developing Audiences
Sasha McLaren shares her journey understanding audience development and what this means for our Waikato creative community
Whiria te Tāngata: Meet the Artists
Meet the faces of social impact – read the bios of the 10 artists on our multi community artist-in-residence programme.
The Face of Social Impact – Artists Announced for Whiria te Tāngata
Meet the Waikato artists selected for Aotearoa’s first multi-community artist-in-residence programme – Whiria te Tāngata (Weave the…
Wellbeing and Arts, Culture and Creativity in the Waikato
We’re thrilled release the results of our investigation into the impact of arts, culture and creativity on our region’s wellbeing.
Causing something to start
A celebration of Leafa Wilson’s time as
South Waikato Cultural Activator.
Right On Time
Megan Lyon explores the curiosity and creativity of Artist, Teacher & Elevate participant – Hong Cumming.
A beginners guide to beginning – Social Media
Social Media – it’s not going anywhere and it’s just how we do things now. Let’s dive in.
New to Audience Segmentation? Step this way…
Explore Audience Segmentation with the latest from our Audience Development Specialist, Sasha McLaren
Bringing back the zing – Creativity in the classroom
Our Creative Education Specialist Nick Clothier shares what he’s working on to change and reframe education as we know it
Insights from the Performing Arts
We’ve engaged with a broad range of voices from our community to hear about visions for the future of the Performing Arts in the Waikato…
The art of voting in a local election
What your local candidates have to say about arts, culture and creativity.
Expressions of Interest for Whiria Te Tāngata are open!!
If you were given a wage, and 12 months to embed creativity in the community – what would you do?
Waikato election candidates invited to show up and listen to the arts
You’ve seen the billboards – local government elections are on the horizon and Creative Waikato has a plan to ensure the arts sector is…
Response to State of the Arts Survey – Key Messages and Findings.
The last twelve months have been incredibly challenging for the sector. Even with the challenges that have been presented, however, the…
Want more audience engagement with your mahi?
The first in a series of articles from Audience Development Specialist Sasha McLaren – exploring the definition of Audience Development…
You’re going to want to hear about Whiria te Tāngata
Imagine if you were paid to focus on your creative mahi, weaving it through your community, for an entire year….
Creativity, Kindness, and Wellbeing
Living, breathing creative act of kindness, Dr. Jeremy Mayall, shares some thoughts on navigating ‘fight or flight’ through kindness and…
CREATIVE ACTS OF KINDNESS
A digital celebration of kindness as a force for social good. Commissioning 40 Waikato artists to celebrate kindness through digital…
Help our communities share the stage!
Keeping tabs on the Waikato Regional Theatre? The next step in that vital process is an exciting opportunity for the right General…
Art, Diversity, and Celebrating Difference
Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!
For Creative Waikato, we know it is…
Be active in positive change
There’s a brand new way to measure the impact arts, culture and creativity have on wellbeing in the Waikato, and it’s live and ready…
Creativity and How to find it.
Guess what. Humans are creative. That means that if you identify as human, then you are creative too.
As we have been enjoying World…
Refreshed and looking at a bold future
Jeremy Mayall on Creative Waikato’s bold new look.
There are two fundamental things that shape what make us human – creativity and…
A 2022 Vision for Change
By Dr Jeremy Mayall
Creative Waikato, CEO
Change and interruption has been a defining feature of the past two years. There are…
Creative Communities Scheme funding now open
Calling all creatives in Kirikiriroa – Creative Communities Scheme funding is now open!
Hamilton’s Creative Communities Scheme…
Dr Jeremy Mayall: Take time to be silly
Play is an important part of the learning and development that all humans go through as we move through childhood into adulthood.
It is…
Painting a picture of the arts in Waikato
More awareness of the role arts, culture and creativity plays in a COVID-19 environment is critical.
That’s one of the key findings…
Dealing with the noise in your head
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
There’s a lot going on at the moment. Many of us…
Creative Communities Scheme fund recipients announced
A raft of creative events are in the pipeline for Hamilton, following the latest round of the Creative Communities Scheme.
Twenty seven…
Moving past creative frustration
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
It’s pretty common for people to get frustrated…
Kyla Greening on good vibes and leaping into a creative career
Waikato singer-songwriter Kyla Greening releases her debut single Rich Girl today. She chats to Creative Waikato about how the ELEVATE…
Arts, culture and creativity in the future of local government
By holistically understanding the value that accessible arts, culture and creativity should play for all people, we can examine how this…
5 steps out of limbo
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
A lot of us feel like we’re in limbo at the moment….
Shaping the future of arts, culture and creativity in Aotearoa
Manatū Taonga – the Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) is seeking feedback on the proposed subject of: ‘Cultural…
Cultural activator to unleash creative potential of South Waikato
A new cultural activator appointed for South Waikato is excited to hit the ground running to unleash the creative potential of the…
The Magical Creative Zone
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Doing arts…
State of the Arts survey – we want to hear from you!
Creative Waikato is calling for people who work in the arts, culture or creative sector to share their insights through a survey, with…
A Letter to the Sector
Tēnā koutou katoa
These continue to be uncertain times. It feels familiar, but also unusual at the same time. We endorse the necessary…
Get Creative Again
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
Lots of people are finding it difficult to do…
Stay Grounded in Times of Change
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
Uncertainty can really squash your creative…
CW on: Kindness
By Sasha McLaren, Michael Moore, Bethany Rolston, Claudia Latisnere, Alexis Holmes, and Jeremy Mayall.
Image by Kylie Fisher
As Waikato…
Create Motivation
By Stephanie Christie
Creative Development & Creative Coach at Creative Waikato
In these strange times, it’s okay for your…
Funding now open for creative projects in Kirikiriroa
Creative Waikato is calling for applications from groups and individuals looking for cash to supercharge their next creative…
Humans are creative beings – Dr Jeremy Mayall on Innovating Streets
Humans are creative beings. This is how we have invented, adapted, innovated and imagined our way from the beginning of human life to…
Innovating Streets – It’s about recognising human diversity and designing for everyone’s needs
Hamilton Kirikiriroa Innovating Streets is an open invitation to embrace a kind of change that benefits, not just the arts, but the…
Performance videos wanted for Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival 2021
Hamilton youth performers, here’s an opportunity to have your performance work screened on stage to a live and global audience at the…
We are recruiting – Creative Facilitator
Creative Facilitator
Applications are now closed.
Today is the perfect day to start something …
And by something we mean a…
We are recruiting – Creative Development
Creative Development
Applications are now closed.
We’re looking for a particular type of person.
A unique and creative person, who not…
A stirring new performing arts development programme for Waikato creatives
BOIL UP will foster the creative development of new, high quality, original Waikato performing arts works, through a tasty blend of…
A boost for the arts is a boost for all – or nothing
Behold the rallying cry of the arts.
Right now, 9 outstanding Waikato based projects, direct from our own community, are running…
Taiohi Māori take their spotlight in performing arts
More than fifty Māori performing artists stepped into their spotlight following a four-week intensive mentoring programme for the…
Boosting the Waikato region through art: Calling for Expressions of Interest
Boosting the Waikato region through art
CALLING FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS
Creative Waikato is collaborating…
Waikato councils encouraged to use art as part of their Covid-19 recovery plans
Waikato could lead the country’s Covid-19 recovery, using art as a first responder.
That’s the hope of Creative Waikato’s chief…
Performers transform Waikato streets into stages for Best Fest
A colourful wave of performances transformed streets into stages across the Waikato during a region-wide, one-day event to bring life and…
Hamilton makes Shroom for giant light sculptures
Twelve giant glowing mushrooms have sprouted in Hamilton’s Garden Place to bring joy to the diverse community and to boost the local…
Expert artists pARTner Up in new Hauraki initiative
In June 2020, He Mana Toi Moehau Trust/Creative Coromandel announced the launch of a new, much-needed arts initiative for the…
Creativity under restriction: a local perspective
Scott Granville, Chasing Time English
Image: Still by Dan Inglis from Breaking News, a Transmission project short film.
As we begin to…
Copyright vs copywrong in the arts
Who owns what and what can be used where are often difficult questions to answer when it comes to the arts. In a recent kōrero artists…
Weaving the fabric of wellbeing
By Creative Waikato CEO, Dr. Jeremy Mayallz
Buzzwords for 2020? COVID-19, Dr Bloomfield, and wellbeing.
The word ‘wellbeing’ aligns…
Funding boost for Hamilton creative scene through COVID-19
Hamilton City’s creative scene has received a $58,000 boost thanks to the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) Hamilton City’s latest…
A practical guide to wellbeing through art
By poet, visual artist and creative coach, Stephanie Christie
When the pandemic reached New Zealand, our early, science-based reaction…
Top 16 artists confront racism with creativity
Kotahitanga through creativity: Visual artist and experience curator, Sybille Schlumbom from Hamilton, is keen to spark crucial…
Bounce back from COVID-19
Since March, the Waikato regional arts sector has been deeply affected by COVID-19.
Here’s a summary of how the creative sector is…
Regional campaign to flatten the curve on racism
Image: Ten artists are being selected to create ten commissioned works with the same sentiment as Waikato’s new Te Tatau ki…
When Dancing is Life
“I started dancing at 5 years old and was involved with the theatre from a very young age. At that age almost everything you learn…
Building from ground zero
Let’s be honest, it’s been wild.
The COVID-19 storm has left us windswept, drenched and thrown off-balance. And now before we’ve…
What are the arts bringing to humanity right now?
By Kate Powell, cultural critic columnist
Image: Hannah Höch, Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly…
Kotahitanga through creativity: Call for proposals for commissioned work
Kotahitanga through creativity
CALLING FOR PROPOSALS FOR COMMISSIONED WORK:
Creative Waikato, in engagement with our multicultural…
How to travel in lockdown
“To me, music is an excellent way to time travel! A memorable song can take you back to the first time you heard it, your senses…
The Art Of Simplicity
“To me, some of the ultimate moments in life are when all the ideas and busyness that sit up in my head melt away. Often that will…
Creativity as essential: bridging the gap
Dr Jeremy Mayall, CEO
Creativity is a vital part of a thriving and innovative society. It’s part of our core.
This is true at all…
Grow 7 creative habits: A youth guide
By Michael Moore, spoken word poet
We’ve been in lockdown for weeks now and for the young creatives of the world, what’s it been…
Why the arts matter now more than ever
By Paul Bradley, Creative Waikato
Image: Street art by Vera Bucsu and Bruce McLachlan, 11 Empire Street, Cambridge
In times of crisis,…
Bringing soul to your sofa
It’s a huge ask to get all 5 million of us to keep calm and stay home, stay healthy, stay sane, stay happy, stay cultured, stay…
Quarantine creative kids
Time in lockdown can be an incredible moment for you and your whānau to get creative. Artists around the country are behind you with…
So… what can I do?
Dr. Jeremy Mayall, CEO
Be flexible, be resourceful and be creative.
It is hard to comprehend the true scope of what is happening and…
Learning how to jump (and summersault and backflip) online
Online tools for artists in the new normal
Jumping online is easy. But now we’re being asked to summersault and backflip too. Artists…
Extra for sound experts: Using multiple audio sources in ZOOM
For the ordinary meeting or catchup, Zoom’s great. The audio and sound quality when you plug in your earphones or have good laptop…
Actually no, we didn’t cancel: An intro to livestreaming
Coronavirus said, “Cancel everything,” but the internet said, “No”.
With lockdown in place we’ve been ZOOMing…
8 artist hacks to adopt the ‘new normal’
At Creative Waikato, we’ve been closely following the Ministry of Health’s advice around the rapidly developing COVID-19…
Realising Beethoven 250 years on with Hamish McKeich
New Zealand’s largest Symphony Orchestra is touring the country to celebrate Beethoven’s 250 year-long legacy. Rather than a…
The Waikato Regional Theatre already exists… virtually.
Waikato fans of live performance can now experience what it will be like to look all around inside their future favourite venue.
From…
Unique NZSO tour brings Bach, Beethoven and more to regions
New Zealanders can enjoy the music of Bach, Beethoven and get up close with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as part of an innovative…
Colourful plans for Waikato’s premier street art festival
Eight national and international artists will be painting the town red, and a few other colours, during the fifth annual BOON Street Art…
Local dancer and choreographer turned theatre creator
Hannah McFarlane’s first original piece ‘Three Little Words’ will make its debut at the Hamilton Gardens Arts festival from the…
Creative Waikato Board in support of RNZ Concert
Art is powerful and we’ve seen, a hundred times over, how one piece can inspire and transform.
Recently, RNZ proposed major…
Large funding pool towards a new year of creative projects
The Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) Hamilton City funding round is now open to see a new year of arts projects off the ground.
In 2019…
Dr Jeremy Mayall to lead Creative Waikato waka into 2020
Creative Waikato has a new leader at the helm with the CEO appointment of Dr Jeremy Mayall.
Mayall, composer and performer with a…
Artists revealed for Aotearoa’s largest mural
New Zealand’s soon-to-be largest mural now has mastermind artists behind it, preparing to bring it to life in January 2020.
A group of…
New writer in residence for the University of Waikato
From small towns in Waikato to a Japanese text – the newest writer in residence at the University of Waikato is set to take inspiration…
Cross-cultural arts collaboration strengthens indigenous voice
Artists from around the globe will descend on the Waikato this week for a nine-day hui to celebrate indigenous culture through art.
The…
Little theatre wins big for the second year in a row
Onewhero Society of Performing Arts (OSPA) has, for the second year in a row, won the Best Play Award at the Musical Theatre NZ Zony…
Shout of support for Waikato composer
Every year RNZ takes a nationwide poll to find our country’s classical music champs. We’re stoked to see the mahi and talent of…
Tautoko your locals this Christmas
We love all the goodness that comes with Christmas – whānau, decorations, pohutukawa in full bloom, BBQs, beach weather, and…
Mike Sorensen's journey into a career in dance
Mike Sorensen has been dancing since he was nine-years-old. Two decades later, the blood, sweat, and tears have finally opened the door…
Govt funding hits ‘go’ for Waikato Regional Theatre
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement today of Government support for the Waikato Regional Theatre is ‘the moment of…
Ngahau e Whā: Step into your spotlight
Thirty-five Māori performing artists took to the stage in a culminating showcase following an inaugural performing arts mentoring…
Financial boost towards creative activity
Twenty-nine Hamilton based community arts projects will receive part of a $58,000 grant pool towards their initiatives thanks to the…
Breathtaking design soars to new heights at WOW
Lisa Vanin, an artist from Cambridge, has made the region proud through her award-winning entry Kaitiaki at this year’s World of…
Introducing the Waikato region's new leaders
This weekend we saw a ripple of change across the region as each council’s new team of leaders were assembled following the 2019…
Silent and live art auction a must for art lovers
An ‘out with the old art and in with the new’ Creative Raglan Art Auction is on its way.
A fundraiser for the Raglan Old School Arts…
25 Day Creative Challenge
Whether you’re a one-year-old learning to walk, the CEO of a multimillion dollar corporate or somewhere in between, coming up…
Candidates' stance on arts and creativity
We’ll soon be voting for the next Mayor and Councillors to lead our districts for the next three years. The arts are at the top of our…
Postgraduate study has been life-changing for this artist
Like many art teachers, Claudia Avril was in a familiar predicament, pondering the question; how to continue a teaching career and…
Waikato performing artists pave historic new path to the stage
Three young Hamiltonians pave a historic new path to the stage having recently received unprecedented support following a new creative…
Waiata Māori Music Award winners announced
Pop collective Te Kākano, and singer songwriter Amba Holly were the big winners at the Waiata Māori Music Awards in Hastings. Te…
Run For Creative Health
We caught up with Rhiannon Jackson, a local artist and art tutor in the Waikato. With a passion towards the arts and teaching toddlers…
Meet the Candidates – Hosted by Creative Waikato
There’s an election coming up and we want to hear from this elections candidates how much they love the arts!
Creative Waikato…
Boon After Dark injects light into Hamilton
Five years on from the first Boon Street Art Festival in 2015, Boon is taking their creativity off Hamilton walls and onto the…
National Art Award nomination for Ngaruawahia Matariki project
Twin Rivers Community Art Centre in Ngāruawāhia has recently been nominated for a national art award on the back of their success…
Major New Zealand artist Judy Darragh comes to Hamilton Girls High School
Hamilton Girls High School is delighted to welcome celebrated New Zealand artist Judy Darragh to work with students on a temporary art…
Winner of the Aria Competition
Congratulations to baritone Aidan Philips who is the winner of the Aria competition 2019 and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Aria First…
Waikato artist wins Fieldays No.8 Wire Art Award
Hamilton artist Gaye Jurisich has taken out top honours in the 2019 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award with her captivating piece…
Artist proposes to use sculpture to create 'an icon' for Whitianga
A Whitianga sculptor is hopeful one of his pieces will come to life in time for the next transit of Mercury in November.
Hans-Leo Peters…
Beauty and depravity to be revealed in new poetry collection by Cambridge author
The beauty and depravity of human nature as seen through the eyes of a diverse group of female characters is the focus of a collection…
Top Waikato poets' works showcased in new anthology
The Waikato might not be an environment that many might believe would inspire works of poetry – but you would be believing wrong,…
Free choral music in Hamilton Gardens thanks to the Hamilton Civic Choir
On Sunday 31 March at 2:30pm at the Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton Civic Choir will kick off their 2019 season with a free concert which…
Rotorua's first Fringe Festival to be staged next month
Rotorua’s first Fringe Festival will feature world-class theatre from local and international talent next month. The week-long…
Garden Place Becomes A Battle Ground
Friday 8th and Saturday 9th of March sees Garden Place, Hamilton turned into a dance battleground. The NZ All Styles Championship 2019…
From underground performers to damehoods, the Topp Twins have come a long way
Their career spans 40 years and is emblematic of changing attitudes to gay and lesbian people. The Topp Twins, Jools and Lynda, started…
Top director backs premier venue in Waikato
A leading musical theatre director says the planned Waikato Regional Theatre will be “one of New Zealand’s premier venues” and a…
Wintec celebrates Waikato leaders with honorary awards
Image to the left: Health professional Peta Karalus has been awarded an honorary Fellowship Award by Wintec.
High achievers in the fields…
Avant-gardens: Line-up revealed for Hamilton's summertime arts festival
Penelope Scheidler, Scott Nery and Hilton Denis appear ready to go bananas in the cabaret show Deluxe Deluxe, one of the headline acts of…
The art of korowai: Waikato weaver has taught hundreds, made 29 cloaks
Maata McManus explains weaving like this: “open your legs, bring the old fella down, throw your legs up”.
And if you mess up…
Hamilton Fringe Festival
No experimental stone has gone un-turned for this year’s Hamilton Fringe Festival, with nearly 40 acts announced to hit the central…
Exhibition to mark David Lloyd Gallery decade
An exhibition of art works by artists who have exhibited at the David Lloyd Gallery in Hamilton during the past decade is to be held…
Waikato and Chinese artists exchange places, spaces and perspectives for new exhibition
A major new exhibition of modern art created by artists in the Waikato and the Chinese city Chengdu is opening this weekend .
Hosted by…
Stan Walker sings Waikato Regional Theatre's praises
Creative talent from Hamilton’s poorest areas – where Kiwi musician Stan Walker grew up – could be tapped with a …
The Creation of LOUD Creative
We are always intrigued and excited when new things pop up. This is no different. We managed to catch up with Mel Martin to chat a little…
Major national art award partners with Wintec
Next year will herald a change of venue for one of the country’s major art awards. The Waikato Society of Arts (WSA), in collaboration…
Comedy and characters of Vicar of Dibley coming to Hamilton's Riverlea Theatre
Comical British humour and a familiar cast of characters will grace the stage of the Riverlea Theatre next month.
Hamilton…
Spot The Difference
Antony is Samoan. Benny is Cook Island Māori. But no-one can tell the difference. Their hit show Spot The Difference tells the story of…
In The Spirit of Giving
A stalwart of Hamilton’s vibrant musical theatre scene has targeted his donation for the Waikato Regional Theatre towards its music…
Arts, culture and creativity can help New Zealanders age well
Arts, culture and creativity could play a key role to support better health and well-being in aging Kiwis as part of a Positive Aging…
Conducting Up A Storm
Timothy Carpenter needs no introduction. Born and bred in the Waikato, Timothy has credits that people only dream of. Here is a little…
Waikato Museum hosts art crime exposé
Curator and art historian Penelope Jackson compares a copy of Floral Still Life, by Adele Younghusband, with the original at Waikato…
National Contemporary Art Award winner epitomises contemporary
The winning work from the 2018 National Contemporary Art Award is the epitome of contemporary, featuring a structure and appearance that…
Māori teen shines in Ciara's new hit
Maiya Smith is only 13 but she’s in a class of her own in the latest music video of US popstar, Ciara. The song, Level Up, has…
Waikato's Orchestras Central receives record $140,000 funding from Creative NZ
A trust that brought together the talents of three orchestras has become the first in Hamilton to receive funding from Creative New…
Words will be had at Hamilton Book Month in August
Anyone who has struggled to express themselves will likely find guidance and inspiration from some of the masters of the art during…
Toi Wāhine Festival celebrates women’s creativity
Hamilton’s Toi Wāhine festival kicks off for the first time in August as this year marks the 125th anniversary of women’s…
Spark Festival at Wintec prepares for its 20th anniversary
Wintec’s annual Spark International Festival of Music, Media, Arts and Design will be celebrating its 20th birthday this…
Creative New Zealand investing in the Waikato
Creative New Zealand will invest $27 million in a wide range of arts organisations through its investment programmes in 2019, and for the…
Artist, 95, proves you're never too old for firsts
You are never too old to have your first solo exhibition. Two members of the Waikato group Artnexus, Jean Horn and Vicki Carruthers, are…
New younger committee in charge of Fringe Festival
The Hamilton Fringe Festival is looking for fresh blood. A younger committee has been given control of the annual festival to attract…
Hamilton to get its Central Library back after a year-and-a-half
People have been pressed up at the windows of Hamilton Central Library, wanting to get inside.
On Monday, they can. It’s 19…
Value of vinyl in the eye of the beholder
There’s two Princes on offer. A world of distance and musical careers separate them and they’ve both been dead for some time…
Music hitting the right key for Cambridge High School students
With an appreciation of music as wide as Tchaikovsky to Taylor Swift, Three Cambridge High School students have hit the right chords…
Hamilton artist Amanda Herbet paints Cambridge's telecommunications cabinets
Artist Amanda Herbert has been putting a touch of colour into the seasonally grey, winter streets of Cambridge. The Hamilton woman has…
Hollywood adventure beckons for assiduous Hamilton songstress
If good luck is the residue of hard work, then fortune is surely set to smile broadly upon Coral Pitcher.
The 24-year-old…
Hamilton's Drury Lane dance school marks 50 years of shows
The Drury Lane dance studio in Hamilton is preparing to celebrate 50 years of annual recitals with founding teacher Aileen Downey still…
Award Winning Artist to present one-night exhibition
Hamilton, Waikato – The University of Waikato is delighted to present in collaboration with Award Winning Artist Yaniv Janson,…
Zinesters in Hamilton
Hamilton Zinefest celebrates the world of D.I.Y and independent creators with zines, indie comics and any kind of…
Recognising the importance of our arts, culture and heritage
Budget 2018 lays the foundations for a significant programme of work that highlights the essential role the cultural sector plays in the…
Kiwi tenor superstar Simon O’Neill is back with the NZSO
Internationally renowned tenor Simon O’Neill will kick off a national tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Hamilton next…
Blink Film Production – Givealittle
Blink follows the story of Sally, a onetime could-have-been champion in a highly illegal, underground competition. Beaten, washed-up, and…
Hamilton students dominate art awards
Hamilton students have won the top three awards in an art competition for high schools in Waikato, Coromandel and Auckland.
Eva Shen from…
A Few Of My Favourite Things
When the Waikato Story publicity material was launched I felt a bit deflated truth be told. We were presented with a beautiful video…
Are we there yet? ‘35km Road Trip’ paves the path for a new kind of art exhibition
The Little Gallery brought an adventurous twist to art exhibitions with ‘35km Road Trip’, which opened last Saturday 21 April. The…
Waiclay brings creativity to Cambridge
Gail Drake will bring her interests in creativity and the Bruntwood Pukeroro Hautapu Hall together to put on the Evergreen Expo.
It…
$73m Waikato Regional Theatre gets 200 more seats
The proposed $73 million theatre overlooking the Waikato River would come complete with an art gallery, boutique hotel and retail…
Raglan artist to display artwork at United Nations in New York
Raglan artist Yaniv Janson will exhibit his paintings at the United Nations in New York in June. The idea of Please Do Touch came from…
Moving on up
Guest writer James Cain’s newest play has been shortlisted for the Playmarket Adam NZ Play Award. He shares some thoughts about how…
Loading Docs: Impact. Call for proposals
LOADING DOCS, New Zealand’s leading platform for high-quality short documentaries, is once again seeking proposals from New Zealand…
Frankton gets fancy thanks to street artists' endeavours
If the Hamilton suburb of Frankton were a person, it would be getting decked out in a brand new wardrobe’s worth of snazzy outfits….
Sculpture garden to be installed at Ruapehu Community Arts Centre
A new sculpture garden at the Ruapehu Community Arts Centre has been given the green light. Members of the Taumarunui Ohura Ward…
Music lovers of jazz, opera, catered for during Cambridge Autumn Festival
Jazz and opera lovers will have no problem getting into a musical mood at this year’s Cambridge Autumn Festival. Polish your shoes…
Giant Kārearea to soar over Waikato River in Hamilton's largest mural
A giant native falcon is spreading its wings above the Waikato River. The kārearea is central to a massive mural taking shape on a wall…
Datsuns to roar into Hamilton for Future City Festival
Widely regarded as the Waikato’s greatest rock and roll export, The Datsuns are heading back to Hamilton to headline a two-day…
$150,000 Grant Approved for Old School Arts Centre Raglan
The Lottery Grants Board has awarded the Old School Arts Centre in Raglan a $150,000 grant for the Creative Space project. This is…
Māori customs immersion for Creative Waikato team
Creative Waikato team members Paul, Craig, Adrienne and Michelle recently attended Te Tauihu at Wintec in Hamilton. Sarah and Era will be…
Calling all music and theatre lovers
Did you know we produce Music Matters, a fortnightly enews alert for all things classical, choral, and everything in between. For…
Ballet in action through words
In a first for the Royal New Zealand Ballet the season of Romeo and Juliet offered a live audio description of Romeo and Juliet for…
Artillery – Creative development workshops coming soon in 2018
After an amazing year, we have now finished the Artillery pilot programme of workshops. 55 workshops delivered to over 1000 people in 11…
Funding available for Coromandel arts groups and projects
Get a helping hand for your arts group or creative project through the Creative Communities Scheme. We’re taking applications for…
Theatre matters set for public consultation
Two significant theatre projects will be the subject of public consultation processes following today’s Hamilton City Council…
Harbour to take centre stage for spectacular opening of 2018 New Zealand Festival
“Waka carry stories, art, science, knowledge whakapapa and performance. When the waka arrives it seeks relationships, contact and…
Hamilton Garden Arts Festival gets two new directors
Veteran arts event organisers Sally Barnett and Bronwyn Bent have been announced as the co-directors for the 2018 Hamilton Gardens Arts…
New theatre would put Hamilton and Waikato back on the touring circuit
We’re $15m closer to having one of the best theatres in the country.
A proposed Waikato Regional Theatre could put Hamilton back…
Handmade: Dance stories from here and now
handmade: dance stories from here and now weaves contemporary dance, film and music together with the fabric of everyday life,…
It’s a wrap! Kiwis leave their mark on Edinburgh once again
From the powerfully provocative to the light-hearted, New Zealand shows and artists were a formidable presence at the Edinburgh festivals…