Whau the People: neighbourhood arts space

Whau The People: Neighbourhood Arts Space

Project 2016-01-21 01:48:37 +1300

We're going to open and run a neighbourhood arts space in Avondale, Auckland, that will be a hub for all sorts of excellent creative activities from bonsai through to painting through to karaoke.

Building on the success of a range of recent art projects in the area, this will be a space that can host exhibitions, performances, workshops, talks, screenings, meetings, parties, a children's gallery, and everything else in between. We're working hard to make as many of these as possible free for people to take part in.

We've been given an amazing (we know that's an overused word, but really it is) opportunity to take on the lease on a key building in the Avondale main street. Thanks to the support of a local businessman, we've been given a greatly reduced rent which means this is possible.

We all live around the area, and like it here, and think that a space like this will be a real asset to the area. We're keen to have a space where flash award-winning artists feel just as home as the seven year old that's never seen a real painting before, and our previous projects have all been a part of trying to embed interesting artistic projects within the wider community.

Taking a lease on a space is a natural extension of our previous projects; having a “home” means that we can take on even more projects and provide more opportunities for the local community to do cool things.

Where does my money go?

We're going to use a "social enterprise" model to run the space; this means that any money generated from the space goes back into running it. However, we can't start making this money until we get into the space, so we're hoping to raise enough to cover the overhead costs (rent, power, water, internet) for the first six months.

I can't pledge right now, but I'm keen to be involved somehow

Yep, we've been there, and know that sometimes the rent money just doesn't stretch that far! One super useful thing you could do right now is share our campaign with your rich friends, but if you'd like to be involved in other ways, email us here, or contact us on Facebook.

Who we are

Whau the People is a multi-disciplinary arts collective based in Avondale, Auckland. Over the two years of our existence, we've run two arts festivals, participated in he Whau Flotilla, (organised by the lovely people at Hoopla), organised a rally for a local heritage building, ran a gallery in the window of a shoe shop, and held a two month residency at the Avondale markets, where we presented a new project every week. Between us we've got a range of experiences, from professional venue managers through to being in the diplomatic service, and we use all of these when working together! We're a registered charitable trust, which means that we have a legal obligation to use any money raised for the trust only for that purpose.

Our website is here if you want to take a gander.

Rewards

Whau Real T-shirts

Cushions (note each cushion is different - when you come to pick them up you can choose one you'd like)

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