A free chance to lap up many of Queenstown’s top performers including singers, dancers and musos comes with tomorrow’s ‘Community Carnival’ outside Remarkables Park’s Te Atamira arts and cultural centre.
Running from 10am till 4pm, the celebration — on a scruffy pad dock opposite Wakatipu High — also kickstarts a fundraiser to convert that area into a dynamic outdoor space.
Launched in May last year, Te Atamira’s proven to be a popular multi-use facility for the local visual and performing arts community, including many teaching classes.
Director Olivia Egerton says the 4000 square metre space is ‘‘a hidden gem’’ which, in a town short of easily-accessible outdoor space, can become ‘‘a wonderful fit-for-purpose space’’ for the whole community to enjoy.
Subject to fundraising — including a Givealittle ‘generosity generator’ campaign from this coming Monday till November 17 — she hopes work on converting ‘‘what is sort of a weedy paddock’’ will start in March.
The new outdoor offering will include a performance space, celestial compass, half basketball court, swings and pump track plus seating for relaxation.
‘‘And those who are not sure about walking through our doors ’cos it’s ‘arty’ can actually get closer to us and then hopefully come through the doors,’’ Egerton says.
She notes tomorrow’s carnival’s aimed at showcasing a wide range of the area’s creative talent.
Along with six hours of entertainment on the main stage, there’ll also be seven food trucks, silks and circus performances and free games.
Fundraising activities — people are advised to bring cash — will include cupcake decorating, face painting, paint-a-pot, shoot a hoop to win a bike and Christmas decoration crafts.
Community Carnival, Te Atamira’s outdoor space, tomorrow, 10am till 4pm
Community Carnival programme
10am-10.30am: Sunny Sky, music and games
10.30am-11am: Erica Hastie, violin performance with students
11am-11.30am: Wakatipu Conservatoire of Classical Ballet dance performances
11.30am-12pm: Queenstown Highland Dance group
12pm-12.15pm: Project Symphonize
12.15pm-1pm: Frothy La Frou Frou DJ set
1pm-1.30pm: Angklung — traditional Indonesian bamboo instruments
1.30pm-2pm: Melina Shabel, afro dance
2pm-2.45pm: Turn Up The Music showcase
3pm-4pm: Calico
