Community arts space now open

A new community space focused on making Southland’s art scene more visible, valued and vibrant has opened in Invercargill.

Art organisation, Arts Murihiku, is opening its Whare Taupua – The Rest Room Community Arts Space to make room for arts to grow in Southland.

Whare Taupua will be a dedicated arts place for community exhibitions, meetings, workshops, small gigs and performances, practice and rehearsal space, short-term working artist space, storage and temporary office use.

Arts Murihiku chairperson Rebecca Amundsen said the space will be for use by people and groups across the sector and will be low-cost.

‘‘Opening the community arts space has been a long time in the making, but our team is hugely excited we are now able to offer arts practitioners here in the south a space in which they can continue to grow and build upon their creativity.’’

The project began in 2022, but faced delays including the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges associated with renovating the space.

The initiative was given a huge boost in the form of a successful application to Manatu¯ Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Regeneration Fund and received $448,000 in funding from the ministry, with the money earmarked to support the organisation’s Pathways For the Arts in Murihiku initiative.

Pathways For the Arts in Murihiku is made up of three components to build the capability of the arts sector, with an aim to develop a framework that supports the long-term development and capability of the arts sector over 18 months.

The components included an arts incubator programme, resourcing and activating the new community arts space in Invercargill and record the journey to show the impact of these actions. ‘‘We know there are many artists in our region doing amazing things, and Whare Taupua will help in making their creative endeavours more visible,’’ Amundsen said.

‘‘Our hope for Whare Taupua is also to have a positive impact on access and participation in the sector, and build a ripple effect that will support the development of arts within the wider Southland region.’’

The funding allows Arts Murihiku to staff Whare Taupua, which was opened on Thursday night.