Creative and Cultural Work
Kōtare has always sought to integrate music, drama, art, craft, writing and other creative activities into our workshops. We sometimes call this ‘cultural work’ – the use of creative methods to strengthen and support educational and political learning and change. We are not all artists or musicians, writers or actors ourselves, but we wholeheartedly welcome the involvement of those among you who are, and who would like to help us strengthen this side of our work.
Poster project
Kōtare is home to a collection of more than 500 political posters, covering some of the key issues that have affected our communities over the past 40 years. The collection honours the creative force and passionate energy of those working for justice as embodied in the power, beauty and humour of street poster art. In 2011 Kōtare hosted an exhibition called Art/Movement: Political poster art in Aotearoa which featured over 140 posters. We welcome new additions to our collection.
Music and singing integration in our workshops
Where possible we integrate singing into our workshops, above all at our residential summer and winter schools. Many of the groups with whom Kōtare has worked over the years have used music and songwriting as a way of building solidarity and strength. We enjoy learning new songs and waiata and sharing old ones. We’re always looking out for people who are keen and able to lead shared singing during workshops. Is this you? We’d love to hear from you.
Riverbed Exhibition at Artspace Gallery
In 2018-2019 Kōtare engaged in a major collaboration with artist Fiona Jack and Artspace Gallery. Riverbed was ‘an imaginative provocation that connected artistic, pedagogical and political concerns, asking how we might use our hands to organise, and to enable our kōrero to shape the world, together.’ We held workshops where people worked with clay while taking part in the kōrero. The rocks created by participants were wood-fired and became part of the exhibition which concluded the project.
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