Saturday, March 30, 2024

Rural NZ urged to get creative

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Farmers across the country are being urged to get creative and enter the New Zealand Rural Sculpture Awards.
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Community leaders in Kimbolton have got together to form an arts trust to host the inaugural event in April.

Kimbolton Arts and Sculpture Trust chairman Tony Waugh said his group was calling for entries from farmers, artists and others with a connection to the land.

“We are looking to provide an incentive for anyone who works land or has something to say about the NZ landscape to leave their worries about making ends meet behind and engage with bigger ideas.”

Waugh said northern Manawatu villages would work together to create an annual festival to showcase the sculpture competition. 

“We want to be a more engaged, creative community and so we are starting with ourselves – getting together with neighbours to make something happen. 

“The next layer is to be a catalyst to encourage others to make sculpture and art. 

“We know there are a lot of talented people in the regions. We hope that by giving them support and encouragement it will become more normal for rural people to describe themselves as creatives – artists, sculptors, musicians and poets.”

Waugh said research showed self-expressed creativity was one of the most powerful sources of human happiness. 

“It seems to us that providing a platform for creativity is a positive alternative to being focused on problems.”

There were a number of categories with one just for farmers and another for school pupils.

The entries would be showcased at a festival in Kimbolton on April 28.

 

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Further information at ruralart.nz

 

 

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