Call for Proposals for Commissions for 2021

This is a call for the submission of ideas for commissioned projects that utilise vacant or fallow space in Wellington City. Please help us spread word. 

Independent New Zealand public art organisation Letting Space is commissioning six new projects for 2021 for Wellington City.  We are in discussion with four artist collectives and we’re looking for at least two more projects.  With funding from the WCC City Recovery Fund each commission will commence between March and November 2021 and is worth $7500. We welcome approaches from new groups or emerging artists looking to extend their work in relationship to the city, unafraid of developing bold new ways of working. Ideas should be with directors Sophie Jerram and Mark Amery by 5pm Monday 30 November (late proposals may be considered if the commissions aren’t filled)

We understand this is a tight deadline. Your proposal needn’t be too detailed and we expect the work and how it will be delivered to develop over time with our support, but should by email in a few sentences outline:

• The initial idea

• Who might be involved

• An envisaged time length, noting this project may look to be over days, months or years, or seed a longer term project

• Which communities it will engage with or it will bring with it

• An ideal size of space and the use of a vacant space - can be an internal space or ‘vacant lot’.

• How you want it to be presented to the world.

• What will make you happy to have achieved at the end of the project

In keeping with past Letting Space projects and the criteria of its Urban Dream Brokerage service (2010-2018) your project will:

• be participatory - involve the public in ways that are more than just observers or audience

• be innovative in concept - will not propose a use of space that currently exists, be that retail space, theatre or gallery

• Involve a collective of people

• Ideally speak in some way to its location, the whenua, its history, conditions and/or social, economic and political context,

• Empower a community of people that wouldn’t usually get ownership access to such a space.

• Be a critical work that isn’t afraid to raise discussion.

Any questions to Mark (0273566128) or Sophie (0299349749).

Ngā mihi,

Mark and Sophie

Ministry of Vulnerable Suburbs

In the two weeks of 21 November to 3 December 2016 12pm to 4pm you have the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Ministry of Vulnerable Suburbs: in a beautiful 'abandoned' house at 12A Parliament Street just above the motorways hum in the Wellington well-to-do innercity suburb of Thorndon. The Ministry is the impressive culmination of artist Tim Barlow's PhD. 

Letting Space has had the great privilege of working closely with Tim over a range of projects in recent years. Tim has inspired us: from The Public Fountain in Taupo through to his massive part in two Transitional Economic Zones of Aotearoa in Christchurch and Porirua. And then, in 2013 he produced the remarkable Elbe's Milk Bar in Lower Hutt while at the same time founding the Wainuiomata Water Festival, works that have helped inspire the theme of water for 2017's Common Ground Festival which we are producing.

Park the driveway is the Hillman Hunter pulled 'Just in Time mobile community centre response unit', while inside the house's rooms upstairs and down, devoted to film and ephermera documenting and exploring these projects as experiments in community art. Tim is occupying the house for week as home and studio. Do pop on in for something special.

 Image: Amanda Joe

Be the media - Join TEZA Media Team

Letting Space are in the midst of organising one beautiful and exciting coming together of artist and community projects to be held November 21-29 Porirua.

Can you help us with the TEZA project as a Letting Space intern? We need help to document and publish all the magic activity, and to participate in it.

Make friends and gain amazing experience with talented people. For what to (sort of) expect go to the catalogue of documentation from TEZA 2013: http://www.enjoy.org.nz/files/TEZA2013_TheCatalogue.pdf

and see www.teza.org.nz for details on this years project.

Let us know today. Positions available -

EDITORS - TEZA TRANSMISSION

If you are good with words, and interested in web, image and text editing work we are looking for people to collect together documentation from TEZA and publish through our TEZA Transmisson, published online daily.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS

Each day of TEZA there will be a host of participatory projects happening live around Porirua - from festivals to performances to discussions.

It needs to be documented and spread. If you are interested in gaining experience in this area and have your own camera, let us know.

MEDIA

TEZA has begun around Porirua with many of the dozen projects hosting workshops, establishing websites, social media feeds and establishing pop-up spaces.

All that love needs spreading through social, and local media. If you're interested in gaining PR and communications experience we've got a job for you.

PORIRUA PEOPLE'S LIBRARY

The Porirua People's Library seeks to document people's stories through different means: camera, audio, zines, pictures, you name it.

If you're interested in media and zines this is a project you can get involved in today by contacting Kerry Ann Lee at kerryannlee@gmail.com

Community Award Winners

Trumpet time! On August 25 at Te Papa Letting Space was the Arts and Culture category winner and the Supreme Winner at the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for Wellington City. We'd like to thank all the artists we've worked with over the last six years, and the hundreds of volunteers who have helped realised Letting Space public art projects and the Urban Dream Brokerage - this award is for you all. Its wonderful to get recognition as a contemporary art programme alongside so many amazing community organisations as we work to explorel how artists can be agents of social change and work to make cities living spaces.

Dawn Sanders and mayor Celia Wade Brown with Letting Space's Sophie Jerram and Helen Kirlew Smith (Mark Amery absent)

Wellington City Council mayor celia Wade Brown comments on the award here.

News Release: Special Economic Zone in Porirua

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Special Economic Zone declared in Porirua

Recently, Local Government New Zealand suggested “special economic zones” could be created around provincial towns to help regional development.

While the proposal for special zones is being considered at the top level, others have already picked up the idea and run with it.

TEZA (the Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa) is an artist led project aiming to change our ideas about what wealth is.

“Porirua is a great community, rich in diversity and culture. Let’s celebrate this by bringing people together to share everything from food to ideas and stories and show that an economy where everyone wins is not just possible, but the way ahead,” says Mark Amery, co-curator of TEZA.

The festival is the work of the award-winning Letting Space production team and part of a global movement that recognizes art’s ability to help find new ways for us to work together and revitalise communities. The most high profile example of this was the work done by Gap Filler in Christchurch following the earthquakes.

TEZA, supported by Creative New Zealand and Porirua City Council, will run between 21-29 November.

“We are really looking forward to TEZA being a catalyst for uniting the fabulous social innovation and collaboration that is being done in our suburbs and communities,” says Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett.

For the duration of the week, the site of the old McDonald’s will act as a hub for artists working on a dozen projects. The fast-food outlet was the first of its kind in this country when it opened in 1976 and an important meeting place, but the building has been disused for several years.

During TEZA it will be brought to life with a variety of works including, a people’s library, bread-making from the different cultures living in the area and a DIY funeral service.

As part of TEZA, a mini-festival will also take place at the nearby Takapuwahia community gardens, filmmaker Wiremu Grace (Ngati Toa) says. “We will celebrate our kaumatua with stories of connection to the land, sea and environment. Past, present and future. We will share fire, kai, rongoa, hangi, mirimiri, games, workshops and laughter in the spirit of community.”

Letting Space successfully staged the first TEZA in New Brighton in 2013. They are the same team behind Wellington’s Urban Dream Brokerage which helps artists transform empty retail space to enliven the city.

“TEZA is for demonstrating economies of mutual benefit and to show that cities can be kind places where people experience meaningful connections,” says co-curator Sophie Jerram.

Artists so far confirmed include TEZA 2013 veterans  Kim Paton, Tim Barlow, Mark Harvey, David Cook, Ash Holwell and Kerry Ann Lee.  New contributors include Wiremu Grace, Leala Falesuega, Lana Lopesi, Faith Wilson, Vanessa Crowe, Jennifer Whitty, Simon Gray, Paula MacEwan, Moana Mitchell, Kawika Aipa, Kava Club,  Barbarian Productions, Andrew Matautia, and Moses Viliamu.

TEZA is also supported by the Mana Community Trust.

Project summaries can be found here. 

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Mark Amery, Sophie Jerram and Helen Kirlew Smith

Letting Space

August 25th: Letting Space has won the Wellington City Supreme Wellington Airport Community Award. 

More information on Letting Space

www.lettingspace.org.nz

Update on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 07:24AM by MarkandSophie

Project Summaries can be found here

We are looking for a new broker for Wellington

Kia ora te whanau

It's time for us to add some more fabulousness to the mix at Letting Space by recruiting a part time Urban Dream Broker.

We are advertising for a broker who will work along existing Brokerage manager, Helen Kirlew Smith and receive some communications direction from Sophie and Mark.

Job applications close on Monday 24th August.   The job is for two days (16 hours) at present and after 3 momths we will review the position with view to keeping it going til June 2016.

A wee teaser:

Advertised Position: Broker

 Want to help revitalise Wellington city? Are you passionate about the role the arts can play in society? Feel you can talk to both artists and property owners as equals? This is a role to create new opportunities for the arts in Wellington and help change the face of the city.

see http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/work/jobs-opportunities/public-community-arts/visual-arts-projects/167940-broker-urban-dream-brokera

Dates and initial line-up of collaborators for TEZA 2015 announced

Thank you protest, Freeville School, TEZA 2013We’re thrilled to be able to announce dates and the initial line-up of collaborators who will be working with communities to help in declaration of Porirua City as a Transitional Economic Zone of Aotearoa, or TEZA for short.

22-29 November is the TEZA week of celebration. This is the coming together of communities from around Porirua City and the country, bringing together at least 12 projects, all which explore new ways for us to work together, exploring innovative socially productive activity. An open evolving platform, we are welcoming all to join in conversations, actions and events. 

Project leaders so far confirmed include TEZA 2013 stalwarts Kim Paton, Tim Barlow, Mark Harvey, David Cook, Ash Holwell and Kerry Ann Lee with newcomers looking to collaborate Wiremu Grace, Leala Falesuega, Lana Lopesi, Faith Wilson, Vanessa Crowe, Jennifer Whitty, Simon Gray, Paula MacEwan, Moana Mitchell, Kawika Aipa, Kava Club,  Barbarian Productions, Andrew Matautia, Moses Viliamu, and Makerita Makapelu. At least that is our beginning!

What will TEZA look like? We don’t know yet! It depends on what everyone brings. TEZA is experiment in being an open source model, both generous and critical, evolving in collaboration with the artists. Projects will be announced in August.

This is a platform for socially productive activities that are not recognised in the current economic system. We want to connect them to artists to together create projects that make us think about and look at the world differently, exciting change.

This is the second TEZA. The first was in New Brighton Christchurch and a book full of extensive documentation and writing on TEZA 2013 is available to read online and download here.

What is a ‘transitional economic zone’? Special economic zones exist worldwide. Yet usually in these zones, regulations are lifted to allow companies to extract resources, often at local expense and little acknowledgement of what has already been developed, for multinational profit. The playful concept of the ‘transitional economic zone’ turns this idea on its head. Here, a group of visiting artists’ work to see how they might best contribute to a region, recognise the strengths existent in a community, and how they might make visible understanding of its history and grounding. Their diverse projects will offer challenges and raise questions as well as bring joy and celebration.