Tara and Smithy are joined by Anna Hayes to discuss sustainable art, and making artworks with a real-life purpose. As well as this, Anna shares her experience of getting into studying art at a later stage of their life, rather than straight from school.

An interview with Fordlands Community Centre's Whānau Connector, and Arts Village board member Heidi Symon. In this episode they discuss the mahi the Village and Fordlands have done together, as well as the services they provide for the Fordlands community... also sausage sizzles.

In addition, Tara welcomes new activities and co-host Smithy-James Sarah to the podcast!

Find out more about Fordlands Community Centre on their website: Fordlands Community Centre (fordlands.co.nz)

Tara goes solo for this episode and interviews Rafa Moreira, one of the organisers of Kupu Festival, which was held in Rotorua earlier this year. They discuss the sometimes painful process of organising a large event like this, as well as discuss some of the highlights of the festival itself. 

Kupu Festival: kupufestival.co.nz

McLeods Booksellers: mcleodsbooks.co.nz

Georgia and Tara are joined in the village by Iain Fraser (virtually) and Ann Somerville (in studio) to talk about the upcoming W. Stanley Wallis exhibition: "Enjoyment of the Search". 

In this episode Iain Fraser tells us the reasons he funded the renovation and renaming of Studio One (now the Wallis Gallery), and talks about the life and work of his Grandfather, W. Stanley Wallis. As well as this, Rotorua Museum's Ann Somerville reminisces about Wallis' daughter (Iain's mother), Rotorua icon, Ynys Fraser.

"Enjoyment of the Search" opens on the 6th of May and runs until the 28th of May.

You can find out more about the exhibition here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/276379284703427

Tara and Georgia sit down with Marcus from Rotorua's own Digital Natives Academy to talk about their mission to create a digitally literate Rotorua. They discuss the barriers to entry to the digital art world, as well as the benefits of using high-tech kit to teach tamariki who might be otherwise difficult to reach. 

Get in touch with the Digital Natives Academy by heading to their facebook page, or popping in while you're in town! https://www.facebook.com/DigitalNativesAcademy 

Georgia and Tara is joined by local musician and educator Trojan-John (Laughing in Bedlam), to talk about performing, songwriting and collaborating with others to make good art. They also touch on Trojan's musical projects Laughing in Bedlam and the unique "Studio-like Sessions".

You can find Trojan and his project Laughing in Bedlam here:

https://www.facebook.com/laughinginbedlam/

https://www.instagram.com/laughinginbedlam

Studio-like Session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iHavO2ADwE

Community highlights:

Almost Autumn Music Performances - https://www.facebook.com/events/193825452966536

He Kete Kotahi - https://www.facebook.com/events/149934170650497/

Rotorua Museum Roof Tiles - contact [email protected]

Tara and Georgia are joined by Astrid Bunne Namdari (& her new baby!)  to discuss the He Kete Kotahi exhibition (on now in every gallery in the Arts Village!). The exhibition is dedicated to Ábdu’l Bahá, the son of the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith to commemorate the centenary of his passing.

Our hosts also go through upcoming community highlights: 

In the Clouds - A Flash of Inspiration Drop-in Session (Saturday March 12th at the Arts Village): https://fb.me/e/7i4Kt3LQX

From Zero to Hero: Digital Art Workshop (Saturday March 19th at the Digital Natives Academy): https://fb.me/e/1km29NkXz

Almost Autumn Music Performances (Saturday March 26th at the Arts Village): https://fb.me/e/1h8CPAisP

Georgia and Tara are reunited with former Director at the Arts Village, Mary-Beth Acres to discuss her arts practice, her new job in Christchurch, an incredible story about her lost cat, and of course memories of her time at the Village.

Follow Mary-Beth on Instagram and Facebook by following this link: https://linktr.ee/mbacres

Learn more about the Cantabrainers Choir here: https://www.cantabrainerschoir.nz

Find Arts Village Merch here: https://tav-merch.printmighty.co.nz

This episode is a recording of the artists' panel from the Open Studios Summer Residency Closing Showcase, recorded live in the Arts Village on 29/01/2022. Also in this first episode of 2022, Georgia and Tara catch us up with everything you've missed, and what's coming soon in the Village and on the podcast.

Warning: there is some mild explicit language during the panel.

Panel begins at 13:54

Georgia and Tara reminisce about the history of the Arts Village and the Rotorua arts scene with community artists Angela Frank and Jill Walker. There was SO MUCH interesting stuff they had to say that this episode is a bumper 50 minute episode!

"Exile on Tombleson Road" by poet Brian Pōtiki and photographer Riley Claxton is launching this Sunday 21st Nov, 2pm at Mcleods Books.

PRODUCERS NOTE: Apologies for some of the dodgy audio for Georgia and Tara, we had some equipment issues for this record, so the quality wasn't as up to scratch as I would have liked it.