Stories

Christchurch’s contribution to the Royal New Zealand Ballet story takes centre stage in the company’s 2024 programme with a production of Swan Lake that honours the legacy of the city’s own ballet star, Russell Kerr. Russell returned to New Zealand in 1957 from establishing a dance career in Europe and teamed up with Danish dancer Poul Gnatt, considered the founding father of ballet in New Zealand. From 1962 to 1969, Russell was artistic director at the still fledgling New Zealand Ballet Company. In 1978 he took up the reins as director at Christchurch’s Southern Ballet Theatre, whose teachers have turned raw talent into members of the company ever since. Russell’s acclaimed production of Swan Lake was first performed in the 1960s and reprised in the 1990s. Next year’s Swan Lake, coming to Christchurch in May, will showcase the dazzling designs created by Kristian Fredrikson for the 1990s’ production. The RNZB will...

It’s a simple notion – normalise talk about mental health with young people and they will realise they are not the only ones struggling with distressing self-talk and overthinking. They are not alone and help is available.  Mike King’s I Am Hope campaign has been spreading that message for 10 years in schools and communities throughout Aotearoa. It’s a message not just for parents but for aunts, uncles, family friends and co-workers – anyone in fact who has young people in their life. “We all have that voice in our heads, that inner critic, second-guessing everything we do,” Mike says. “The voice of doubt that beats us up and tells us we’re failures, that we’re worthless. “Having an overactive inner critic is not a sign of mental illness, it’s a sign that we are normal. When our kids hear that self-doubt and overthinking is a shared experience, they are more likely to...

Clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Anticich, co-founder and director of Christchurch wellness practice Grow Daily, has some advice for getting off life's treadmill one step at a time. In our fast-paced lives filled with constant demands, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed. Clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Anticich offers a refreshing perspective, advocating for the power of taking small, intentional steps that can momentarily lift us off the treadmill of daily life. Rooted in the principles of wellbeing science, positive psychology and growth mindset, this approach forms the foundation of Grow Daily, a Christchurch practice dedicated to the transformative potential of these "intentional daily habits" – small, manageable actions that can be seamlessly integrated into our routines to cultivate healthy practices that significantly improve overall wellbeing. At the heart of this behaviour change system are microsteps, which have the potential to help individuals and organisations build resilience, strengthen connections and enhance performance. These...

US-style low-and-slow, Argentinian asado, South Africa’s braai – all variations on the theme of meat cooked over a fire. As we head into the barbecue season, we talk to two of Christchurch’s top fire chefs about the allure of the flame. Cooking over fire is as old as humanity. Even older – palaeontologists have shown that pre-humans living 2 million years ago in southern Africa were the first beings to catch and control fire. Sure made the warthog a little less tough! Wood fire in particular gives food a special flavour. Some believe the hot but mellow effect of cooking on fire is the best for building one’s chi, or life force. Now, after many decades of cooking moving from the firepit to the kitchen, the trend is reversing. Gas barbecues are giving way to wood and charcoal as everyone from serious chefs to backyard burners catch the wave of flame....

After 25 years’ nurturing by founder Deborah McCormick, public art programme SCAPE has a new director. Richard Aindow tells Cityscape about the weight of responsibility in his new role and the goals he wants to realise. At its heart, SCAPE is about bringing communities together in public spaces through contemporary art – how will you put your stamp on that? We are looking at ways we can amplify the public programming around the artworks this year and we have a few exciting ideas we would like to realise. For me, creating meaningful connections between artists, their ideas and the wider community is the essence of what SCAPE is and can be. For example, several of our artists this season are seeking to shed light on and generate debate about social, cultural, environmental or economic issues, so we would like to bring community together around their works – creating points of assembly...

Books to read, television to bingewatch, music to dance to and podcasts to fill your spare time this October. Bingewatching Queen of Oz: Catherine ‘Am I bovvered’ Tate has a lot of fun playing the bratty British royal sent off to the Antipodes in this BBC series. Seems the King has had to deal with one PR disaster too many due to his errant princess so he finds her a new job as Queen of Australia. Foundation: Created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, this series is loosely based on the Foundation series of stories by Isaac Asimov. Expect a multi-layered story that sweeps across space and time and where the origins of humanity are so long ago as to have become a myth. Mrs. Davis: A nun on the run does battle with an all-powerful artificial intelligence called Mrs. Davis in a series described by Rotten Tomatoes as “positively...

Irish family band The Corrs perform in Christchurch in November. We ask Sharon Corr about being in a band of siblings, her mum’s best advice, and her thoughts on the passing of Sinead O’Connor. With such a rich catalogue of songs to choose from, how was it coming up with a set list for the tour? It’s not that hard really. An audience want to hear the hits they remember, we are lucky we’ve had so many. So the songs people fell in love with, some trad and a few unexpected. As a band you have always worn your heart on your sleeve when it comes to supporting causes. What are you drawing awareness to at the moment? My wardrobe, it’s a disaster, haha. We have always been involved in many really worthy charities and very honoured to help in any way. You will have lost a fellow spirit with the...

New Zealand’s busiest film festival director, Fergus Grady, is at it again, this time curating the British and Irish Film Festival, coming to Academy Gold, Deluxe and Lumière cinemas from 18 October. All up, the festival will screen in 24 cinemas across 15 cities and towns nationwide. A filmmaker in his own right, with feature documentaries Camino Skies and Gloriavale, Fergus is Limelight Distribution’s acquisitions manager, which means he views and selects for cinema distribution a couple of dozen films a year. This involves visiting the major film festivals, including Cannes, Toronto and Venice. So he’s done the hard yards in the cinema at early-morning critics’ screenings so you don’t have to. From that he has put together a festival of the best of British Isles and Irish contemporary cinema, with a programme shot through with films that featured at festivals such as Toronto, Cannes and SXSW. To help you with your decisions, we...

Tami Neilson is as famous for her fashion as for her fullbore stage presence. In October, she gets to revive the look and sounds of the ‘60s with another style icon, Dinah Lee, in a night of mini-skirts and the occasional rhinestone. How would you describe your fashion style? What are you looking for in an outfit? For me, the ethos has always been what Dolly Parton famously said: ‘I’m not interested in looking pretty, I’m interested in standing out.’ Especially for my stage persona. It’s like putting on this persona gives me an extra confidence, it gives me my mojo. And it’s tying in with that message in my music. As an artist and a singer I’ve always been drawn to artists that use the visual as just another platform for their art. David Bowie, Prince and Dolly Parton for example – they’re all very visual artists. When you think...

Pioneer Stadium hosts another Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo on the weekend of 14 – 15 October. The extensive array of exhibitors and workshops covers everything from exercise and fitness to clairvoyants, mediums and healing. Whether you’re seeking info, inspo, inner peace, mental stimulation or you’re just curious about what’s out there, the Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo invites you to revitalise your body, stimulate your mind and pamper your soul. Sunjar, the driving force behind the expo, hopes it will inspire people to make positive, healthy and holistic changes in their lives. “Your health is your greatest asset,” he says. “We are responsible for our health and wellbeing as we head into the future. Open their minds and open their hearts to new holistic possibilities to enjoy life. Everything is evolving and change is definitely happening.” The Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo is not about being alternative, it’s...

Shopping for a sculpture? Or just looking? Either way, Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre’s annual Sculpture Festival, from 14 – 29 October, will command your attention. Curator Koji Miyazaki has assembled about 40 artists working in a range of media. Among the more than 300 works on display will be glass by Graeme Hitchcock; ceramics by Katie Gold, John Parker, Rick Rudd and Chris Weaver; sculpture by Tony Matthews and jewellery by Lynn Kelly. Prices start around $85. Smaller works will be on display in the Great Hall between 10am to 5pm daily. Larger works will be installed in the North Quad and surrounds, where people can view them at any time. During opening weekend (14-15 Oct) there will be six artist-led creative workshops covering clay head sculpting, 3D digital to physical making, clay bowl making, putiputi harakeke, clay sculpture making, and needle felting. Koji Miyazaki, jeweller and director...

As a portrait photographer, Ebony Lamb has an eye for the defining detail. As a songwriter, she shows that same clear insight. We talk timing, connections and the power of 3 ahead of her national tour. This album’s been a slow burn for you – why was that? Good things really do take time. Finding the right collaborators took some superb universal timing, to have Bic Runga and Kody Nielson (UMO) as my producers. I met Bic while at the Christchurch Art Centre at a songwriters’ workshop she was part of. It was a really great meeting of minds, followed by touring with her and then working together. The pandemic has held back this release by at least two years and now is totally the right time – touring nationally, going overseas, having the opportunity to go for it without the deep worry of cancellations. It also took us time to create the sound...

Harry Parsons had a Smokefree Rockquest win, a debut single, a degree in pop music and a clear trajectory to stardom ahead of him. The only thing missing was Harry. His heart wasn’t in it. “Being a little pop star” had lost its allure. So in 2019 Harry took time out from gigging and spent a year writing songs, hanging out with producer Ben Malone and getting back into the big band sounds he loved but had forgotten. Bands like The Smiths, The Cure, The War On Drugs and The Killers.    Harry wrote about 50 songs during this period. He also changed his name to MACEY, the name under which he has released his debut album, Lovers – a “proper” album, he says, with a story of heartbreak, loss and ultimately a kind of resolution. And it’s as MACEY that he is finally getting the attention as an artist that he...

The crater of a volcano is full of fire and energy and in the case of Lyttelton, deep pools of creativity as well. Only fitting, then, that a fundraising art auction for the local school should become famous for the quality of works on offer. The late Bill Hammond, for example, regularly donated works for the auction. Bill Hammond originals went under the hammer for under $10,000 in 2019 and 2017. This year his widow Jane has donated a 2007 etching Bone Eagle C, expected to fetch over $4000. The biennial Peninsula Art Auction, which began in 2005, was not held in 2021 due to Covid-19 planning challenges. With over 100 artists in this year’s auction with links to the port town or the wider Banks Peninsula, it is an opportunity for emerging artists to exhibit alongside the famous. As well as the Bill Hammond, there will be works by Jason...

Two major exhibitions coming to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū celebrate art as storytelling, the first through relics and artworks from the gallery’s historical collection, the second through works by 24 contemporary artists whose personal and collective stories encourage us to reflect on social and cultural concerns. Out of Time opens at the gallery on Saturday 23 September. Filled with tales of the unexpected, the exhibition includes an early Bronze Age Cycladic figurine more than 4000 years old and originating from the Greek islands. Among the most recent works is a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock made in 1860 by Yoshitora Utagawa to commemorate a 12th-century hunting party. Returning to display for the exhibition is The Physician by Gerrit Dou, accompanied by a rare pottery flask remarkably similar to the one in the painting. Out of Time runs till 28 April 2024. It will be introduced by curator Ken Hall in...

Cityscapers, it’s time to apply your hard-earned expertise to the search for a winner of the People’s Choice category in the upcoming Canterbury Hospitality Awards. Industry insiders have already voted to select the finalists in the 18 other categories for the awards, to be held at Te Pae on Monday 16 October. The Canterbury community is now able to vote for its favourite establishment. Voting is open until 1 October and the winner will be revealed on the night. Cast your vote here. Newly established boutique luxury hotel Majestic at Mayfair is leading the way in the industry categories, with an impressive five nominations, including Outstanding Café. Sophie White has been nominated for Outstanding Barista, Zachary Chin for Outstanding Bartender and Ben Hamilton for Emerging Chef. The fifth nomination is for the coveted title of Outstanding Front of House Team. Majestic At Mayfair will be up against Little Poms, Estelle and...

Whether you are vegan-identifying or just curious, the 2023 Vegan Expo on Sunday 15 October will give you a safe place to explore a smorgasbord of plant-based cuisine and to hear about the beauty and benefits of a vegan lifestyle. The annual expo, hosted by the Christchurch Vegan Society at Haere-roa, University of Canterbury, is a celebration of plant-based living and sustainability. The programme includes talks, demonstrations of eco-friendly products and live music. And in case you still think vegan food is boring, the expo is an opportunity to indulge in a diverse array of delectable cuisine from vegan food brands and stalls as well as food trucks. There will be options to satisfy every craving. Sustainability is central to veganism so the expo will also feature second-hand clothing stalls offering unique and eco-friendly wardrobe choices. A programme of interactive cooking demonstrations offers the opportunity to learn from talented chefs and cooks as they demonstrate preparing delicious and nutritious vegan dishes. Wherever...

Mayfield. Crow Valley. Albury. Kellands Pond – four Canterbury place names with a special claim to fame in this year’s Dulux Colour Forecast. The annual forecast, the result of extensive research into global and local trends, celebrates its 15th birthday this year with a trio of palettes – Solstice, Muse and Journey – featuring rich golds, olive greens and reddy browns. Dulux Solstice is a warm and reflective palette of rich browns, clay and warm neutrals with a sun-loving yellow as an accent, designed to evoke a comforting, familiar and inviting feeling. Dulux Journey takes its inspo from travel and the cultural differences we discover, highlighting rich mid-tone hues with yellow green at the heart and rich decadent reds for contrast. Dulux Muse strikes a balance between nostalgia and modernity with its colourful array of mid-tone hues – warm browns and rich tans, accented with deep blues and soothing greens. Canterbury’s colours and tones feature...