The Arts and Culture Award recognises the outstanding contribution an individual or not-for-profit group has made to the community within the Selwyn district, by increasing access and enhancing participation in arts and cultural activities.
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MINISTRY OF THE MIND MUSIC LTD
Ministry of the Mind Music helps keep the Selwyn District rocking by promoting local musicians and helping fundraise. After the 2011 earthquakes, there were many venues lost in the city where bands could play, particularly original bands and bands just starting out. So, Duncan Sole started Ministry of the Mind Music and started holding monthly open music nights at the Rolleston Rugby Clubrooms. He also started setting up a small studio in Rolleston to record the performers, promoting them and putting on events throughout Selwyn and around the South Island. Since 2011, more than 300 open mic events have been held, along with an annual event called ‘Leading Ladies’ which promotes female fronted acts.
ARTS HEART - SELWYN CENTRAL ARTS COUNCIL
Arts Heart is a small group of volunteers who are passionate about creating opportunities for artists in the Selwyn District. Each year, they put together the Selwyn Art Show, a major event on the local arts calendar. This year will be the 21st annual art exhibition they have organised. Starting from humble beginnings in the Rolleston community lounge, they have met the challenge of the population growth in the district and this year will have over 75 artists taking part in the event.
SIGNS OF ART
Signs of Art has been painting murals all around Rolleston for the past five years to help brighten up the streets and reduce the amount of graffiti. The organisation has also worked with local youth, teaching them how to paint on a large scale and giving them the skills to go on to be mural artists.
ARTS INTEGRATED
Arts Integrated is an organisation that provides performing and creative arts classes to young disabled people. The service began in 2021 by designing a performing arts course for Waitaha School, which was offered to 16 students in 2022. This year, the course is being offered to disabled students at Rolleston College.
MALVERN COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL
For more than four decades, Malvern Community Arts Council (MCAC) has been involved with exhibitions, workshops, music and drama performances, and scholarships for young people and artists in residence at Darfield High School. One of MCAC’s main achievements is Darfield Artweek. It began as a weekend event in 1982 and has grown to a 10 day event held in October. This event showcases the work of about 200 artists from throughout Canterbury and the wider South Island. It attracts more than 1000 visitors and the entire event is run by a team of dedicated community volunteers.
STARJAM
StarJam is a not-for-profit where young New Zealanders with disabilities unleash their full potential through the magic of music, dance and performance. Its nationwide workshops, gigs and events connect young people (Jammers) with their passions, peers and the wider community. In Rolleston, StarJam has an inclusive workshop for young people aged six and over. It supports not only the young people but their families who get 1.5 hours a week of respite.
ELITE STUDIOS
Elite Studios established soon after COVID restrictions were lifted, providing a space for people to do what they love in a safe environment and to ease some of the mental stress that COVID caused for many. The studio teaches singing, which has been improving young people’s confidence, while also providing hope for local performers and an escape for students. Alongside other outstanding local institutions, Elite Studios has helped to rebuild local arts and keep its excitement alive through some of the community’s toughest years.
SELWYN ARTISTS COLLECTIVE
Selwyn Artists Collective was established in 2020 by several artists who felt the group would be a great forum for local artists to share ideas, resources and knowledge. It is open to all artists to meet physically once a month. Initially a small group, it has continued to grow carrying on the founding principles of inspiring, encouraging, informing and connecting artists of all genres and their work throughout the district. The group is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers.
CANTERBURY INDIAN WOMEN GROUP TRUST AND BHARTIYA SAMAJ CANTERBURY TRUST
The Canterbury Indian Women Group Trust (CIWGT) and Bhartiya Samaj Canterbury Trust (BSCT) have been providing platforms and opportunities to Selwyn’s diverse Indian community for several years. Their purpose is to maintain, promote and celebrate Indian arts and cultural heritage. Members are from regions including Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Bengali, and have worked to deliver events such as Selwyn Diwali, Selwyn Culture Fest and Karvachauth (Indian Festival for Married Hindu Women). Their offerings have featured everything from performing arts to exhibitions of ethnic costumes, jewellery, and crafts such as Rangoli, Heena, Diya painting, block printing, card making and culinary art.
VINTAGE FEST NZ
Vintage Fest NZ (VFNZ) began in 2022 as an inclusive community event for everyone to enjoy, including families, vintage lovers, stall owners, car enthusiasts, musicians, photographers, older people and children, and attracted travellers from across the district and wider South Island, and overseas. The event includes the Miss Vintage Australasia pageant for women of all ages, shapes, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. VFNZ aims to create opportunities for locals and businesses to participate in the event including photographers, models, cabaret performers, pageant goers, rock n roll dancers, and performers from all cultures and ethnicities.
MALVERN WRITERS CAFE
Two years ago, Fi started a monthly session for writers to come together and write at the Darfield Library. As an author and long-time freelance writer, she was keen to find others who wanted company to write, share ideas and experience. Over the last year, Fi has successfully applied for funding to run a free workshop for creative writing with a Canterbury author, as well as funding for visiting authors to speak to the group every second month in 2023. The workshops and speaker visits are inspirational and provide valuable experience for the writers.
CENTRESTAGE ROLLESTON
CentreStage Rolleston was formed in 2018 by a group of locals with a wealth of experience in all aspects of theatre. Their passion for the performing arts saw them embark on a quest to provide a platform for people to be involved in all facets of theatre, both on and off stage, as well as provide a local arts attraction for audiences of all ages to enjoy. Their mission is to ‘connect the community through theatre’, be inclusive, and develop individual talents.
The group’s aim is that its values will encourage an environment where both people and community theatre thrive.
KIRWEE PLAYERS INC.
Kirwee Players are the longest standing community theatre group in Selwyn. This amateur theatre group has been providing local entertainment for the 46 years. Its ‘whare tapere’ is the central meeting place of the district, involving and serving the community by storytelling, performing arts, and entertainment. Originally, Kirwee Players created, rehearsed and performed an annual musical at the Kirwee Community Hall, but its contribution to local arts and culture has grown to include junior musical theatre performances and plays. Kirwee Players aims to continue the tradition of accessible quality theatre, and contribute to its future sustainability for the community.