Free & Koha

WHISPERS IN THE STREETS
Whakatū CBD + NMIT G Block Atrium
19-29 Oct | Tues-Fri 9am-5pm (NMIT)
+ Bollard takeover Sun 22nd - Sun 29th
Journey / Movement / Growth / Regeneration.

COULD BE BIGGER.
Nelson Airport + Refinery ArtSpace Window
19-29 Oct (Terminal daily 5am-late, window accessible 24/7)
Artist Talk: Sat 28 Oct 1pm (Refinery ArtSpace)
A bold, fun, 7 metre disruption literally pops up at the Airport this Festival!

NELSON SUTER ART SOCIETY’S SPRING EXHIBITION
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm
The NSAS Spring Exhibition presents a curated selection of members' artworks across various genres, harmoniously transitioning from the McKee Gallery to the Potton Gallery.

GATHERED VOICES: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FLETCHER TRUST COLLECTION
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm
Commemorating the Fletcher Trust Collection's 60th anniversary, the touring exhibition Gathered Voices was developed in collaboration with the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.

TE PITO
Kiss Me (By Kismet)
19 - 29 Oct | After sunset
A digital sound and visual experience that acts as a creative portal, Te Pito tells the story of connecting to our whenua (land) and ancestry.

FLORECER
Cultural Conversations
Throughout Festival | All Ages
Since migrating to Aotearoa, Lucia Zúñiga Cáceres' art practice has blossomed alongside her own journey of healing. Experience this in her joyful paintings at Cultural Conversations.

CAPTURING WHAT CANNOT BE CAPTURED
ATELIER Studio|Gallery + Christ Church Cathedral
Throughout Festival | Gallery Weds-Sat 11am-5pm | Cathedral daily 8.30am-5pm
Exploring relationships between colour, light and space.

KANOHI KITEA (the seen face)
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm
Moko kanohi (facial markings) are a powerful expression of Māori cultural heritage worn with pride.

CATHERINE BAGNALL
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm
An intimate display of Catherine Bagnall's magical, dream-like watercolours.

SENSORY SELF PORTRAITS
Refinery ArtSpace
19-28 Oct | Thurs 19 Oct 5pm-8pm, Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Enter into a breath-taking world of colour, filled with large-scale soothing sensory bubbles.

TE ARA O HINE RĒHIA – A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF KAPA HAKA
Nelson Provincial Museum
Throughout Festival
Te Tauihu ki te poi! A homage to kapa haka in Te Tauihu.

NIGHT VISION
Participating Galleries + Whakatū CBD
Thurs 19 Oct | 5-8pm
Join us in celebrating the start of our 2023 Festival with us - Night Vision invites you to see the whole town as a gallery!

IN THE TEMPLE
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Thurs 19 Oct | 5.30pm | 20 min
Hot on the heels of their acclaimed 2021 collaboration, artist Catherine Bagnall and poet Jane Sayle celebrate another collection of watercolours and poems inspired by nature.

TUNE UP
Kirby Lane
Thurs 19 Oct | 5.30-8pm
Tune Up is back to transform Kirby Lane into an outdoor music hub with an awesome line-up of rangatahi musicians.
CELEBRATION OF HIWA
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Sat 21 Oct | 5pm | 60 min
RSVPs essential
Join author and editor Paula Morris and some of her fellow contributors as we celebrate the Whakatū Nelson launch of this essential new anthology of our best Māori short fiction.
SOUNDPAINTING WORKSHOP
Cultural Conversations
Mon 23 Oct | 6pm | 120 min
A captivating multidisciplinary live composition technique that unites music, movement, and theatre.
SENTIMENTAL TUNES WORKSHOP
Cultural Conversations
Tues 24 Oct | 7pm | 75 min
You are warmly invited for an evening where we will share stories of our sentimental tunes.
SPANISH LANGUAGE STORYTIME
Cultural Conversations
Thurs 26 Oct | 6.30pm | 60 min
Everyone loves a good bedtime story - here’s your chance to spend a Festival event in your PJs.

TŌRUA
Meet at Refinery ArtSpace
Fri 27 Oct | During Mask Carnivale + Sat 28 Oct | 10am + 12pm | 50 min
Celebrated choreographer and director Malia Johnston brings together seven incredible independent dance artists from across Aotearoa and Australia for the immersive experience Tōrua. Walking shoes required!
VISUAL ART AND CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL AUDIO DESCRIBED TOUR
Starting at Refinery ArtSpace
Sat 28 Oct | 2.30pm-5.30pm
Join local Audio Describer Ang Pearson for a described tour of two of our major visual art installations, coupled with an audio description of the Christ Church Cathedral.

BY WHAKATŪ RESIDENCY SHARING
Suter Theatre
Sun 29 Oct | 12.30pm | 60 min
We’re proud to again gift a paid residency to an artist from our region, to progress their mahi or trial new ideas. Come experience the sharing at the culmination of the residency!