the coromandel artbeat spring festival: September to December 2023
create, connect, come together, celebrate

1.9.2023, by Creative Coromandel

A brand new festival aims to bring more visitors to the Coromandel by promoting arts events from across the region under a single banner. Launched today, the coromandel artbeat spring festival is an umbrella festival promoting arts events, workshops, exhibitions, and performances happening across the Peninsula and Hauraki rohe between 1 September and 12 December 2023.

The coromandel artbeat spring festival programme already includes the Colville Festival, ‘Steampunk The Thames’, the Whangamatā Arts Collective’s ‘Art After Dark’ exhibition, the Thames Heritage Festival and the Coromandel Open Studio Arts Tour.

Festival organisers are calling on local creatives to get in touch with information about any events planned over the festival period, which will be promoted free of charge.

The coromandel artbeat spring festival is led by Creative Coromandel – He Mana Toi Moehau, a charitable trust that champions the area’s arts, artists and creative industries. Creative Coromandel chairperson Fiona Cameron hopes the festival will help strengthen and reinvigorate businesses and communities after the effects of Covid-19 and severe weather events have impacted the area both economically and socially. “With the Coromandel artbeat Spring Festival we want to create, connect and celebrate the creative people in our communities,” Fiona says. “By creating this ‘umbrella festival’ – a one stop shop for arts events in the region – we’re making it easy for anyone, anywhere to plan a day, weekend, week or all three months exploring the Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki rohe.”

Thames Coromandel District Mayor Len Salt says he’s delighted by the festival initiative. “There are so many talented, creative people in our district, and bringing events and activities associated with the arts together under this umbrella will make it easier for people to build the arts into their visit to the Coromandel.” Fiona Cameron says Creative Coromandel recognises that art is at the heart of many communities around the Peninsula. “That’s why this festival celebrates the ‘artbeat’ of our people.”

Anyone who has an event they would like promoted as part of the festival, free of charge, please email Creative Coromandel at: info@creativecoromandel.co.nz

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Connect with us:
the coromandel art beat spring festival
Website https://coromandelartbeat.nz/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CoromandelartbeatFestival
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coromandel_artbeat_festival/
Email info@creativecoromandel.co.nz

Creative Coromandel
Website https://creativecoromandel.co.nz/
Fiona Cameron, Chairperson, Email chair.creativecoromandel@gmail.com

Nau mai, haere mai. Discover and enjoy the creative, natural spirit of the Coromandel Peninsula at the Coromandel artbeat Spring Festival from 1 September to 12 December 2023.

Here on the Coromandel Peninsula, art is at the heart of our communities. We want to celebrate and share this creativity with you during this three-month festival.

Between 1 September and 12 December 2023, join us at events, exhibitions, workshops, open studios, musical and theatrical performances around the Coromandel Peninsula, that will welcome and inspire you.

Explore a diverse range of creative activities, take a scenic journey off-the-beaten-track, immerse yourself in artistic experiences and be inspired meeting the people creating work you will love.

Enjoy the laid-back pace of the Coromandel Peninsula, relax in our beautiful, wild spaces, find hidden gems, great food and coffee, and be welcomed into accommodation by our fabulous locals.

Get in touch: info@creativecoromandel.co.nz

Random Addition is an ambitious, experimental and really, really fun project by sound artist Matt Sephton running from 26th August to 3rd September 2023, which is aimed at encouraging creative play and exploration with sound.

For 9 days, an explorative music studio is set up in Hauraki House Gallery in Coromandel Town, with instruments microphones and all sorts of things that make strange noises.

Visitors are invited to join in on the creation of a continually evolving piece of experimental music, with the idea of it being loose, experimental, quite weird, and lots of fun!

Random Addition 3 image captions:

Random Addition is an ambitious, experimental project by sound artist Matt Sephton aimed at encouraging creative play and exploration with sound. It’s loose, experimental, quite weird, and lots of fun!

Random Addition – for 9 days an explorative music studio is set up by sound artist Matt Sephton in Hauraki House Gallery in Coromandel Town, with instruments, microphones, and all sorts of things that make strange noises.

Random Addition – in an explorative music studio by sound artist Matt Sephton set up in Hauraki House Gallery in Coromandel Town, visitors are invited to join in on the creation of a continually evolving piece of experimental music.

Contact for more info:
Coromandel Sonic Laboratory
Matt Sephton
Mobile 021 043 86 89
Web corosoniclab.co.nz

Coromandel Open Studios Artstour
By the coromandel artbeat spring festival, September 2023

Coromandel town and surrounds is known for its cultural and historical significance as well as for the vibrant creative people who have settled here. Historic Coromandel town is a haven for talented artists and craftspeople who have moved here from around New Zealand. The town has a unique character, soul and ambience, reflecting art and heritage.

Every year, on the first two weekends of October, nearly 40 artists from in and around the township open their studios for anyone to visit. The Artstour was started by local artists back in 2003, and this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Visitors are taken on an adventure through the creative spaces of local artisans and makers. Around 40 Coromandel artists open their studios and welcome visitors in. You can meet the artists, see the process, experience their creative spaces and purchase new and original artwork direct from the artist.

The Coromandel Open Studios Artstour is a self-guided tour, and visitors can drive, walk or cycle. A printed guide booklet shows where the artists are, and how to find them. Useful maps on the back page and at the start of each artist section in the guide enable visitors to easily find their way to the artist studios.

Many of the centrally located studios are at walkable distances from the town centre. The southern artists and the top town artists can easily be reached by bicycle in about 10 minutes. The northern artists are a bit further away, so a car is the best option to get to these studios.

A central exhibition at Hauraki House Gallery, which is located in the historic old school building, showcases one piece of each participating artist. It is a great starting point to get a sense of what’s on offer. Visitors can collect a guide book at the gallery and plan their day.

If you want to escape for a day or more from Auckland, Tauranga or Hamilton and would love an artistic adventure, then these first 2 weekends in October might just be it. Relax your soul, and discover the hidden creative spaces of the local artists.

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Contact and more information:
Website coromandelartstour.co.nz
Pete Sephton: 027 242 4090 or Kim Brett 021 866 879