Designers Speak Series

DINZ Designers Speak Series comes to Christchurch this Thursday. The event will host a line-up of speakers from three design studios, each sharing insights on what makes their studios tick.

Speakers include Steve Le Marquand from interactive agency Resn, designer and typographer Catherine Griffiths, photographer Bruce Connew, and Dean Poole from Alt Group. If you love design, this is an evening not to be missed. Design led conversations like these are few and far between in our fair city, so spread the word and come along.

Thursday 25th March 6pm, CoCa Gallery, 66 Gloucester Street

For further information and ticket purchasing options click here.

Fundraising Friday at The Physics Room

Fancy a limited edition tote bag for your library books?

Then head down to the Physics Room tomorrow night for their Cash 'n' Carry release party. Your $30 donation/entry fee into the event, will help support the operation of the Physics Room and their upcoming exhibitions.

Plus, you'll walk away the proud owner of a locally designed and printed tote bag! Artwork featured on the bags was selected in a design competition. Chosen works are by artists: Fiona Connro, Jacqueline Fraser, Rob Hood, Sean Kerr and design competition winner Geoff Newton.

Friday 19th March 6pm

Physics Room, Second Floor 209, Tuam Street

Local Wine Release at Temperance Bar Tonight

Come out to taste a local wine with a complimentary glass at Christchurch Temperence Society from 5-6pm tonight. The wine, formerly known as Prince Albert, with artistically driven labels and being sold by young entreprenuers at Riccarton Market and at a few local shops, is changing their name Uncle Fritzl's Cellar. Come out to taste the wine and get the dish on why they've had to change their name.

Chinese Lanterns Set to Light Up the Night Sky

The sixth annual Chinese Lantern Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday nights (March 6 & 7) in Victoria Square. This event marks the end of the two week Chinese Lunar New Year festivities and showcases of hundreds of intricately designed lanterns, specially commissioned from China. There will also be Chinese food stalls, crafts, and live entertainment by visiting Chinese performers.

Here are a few images of the Chinese Lantern Festival from previous years, submitted by Local Vanguard flickr group members Joseph M and Kristin Hartnoll . Click here to see many more on flickr.

Chinese Lantern Festival
Saturday and Sunday, March 6 & 7
Victoria Square, Christchurch
The Chinese Lantern Festival is organized by Asia:NZ.

Handmade Nation on the Big Screen - Thurs. 4th March

Handmade Nation is a film that documents the growing craft movement. This region will have a one-night only showing of the film on the big screen on Thursday 4th March at 7:30pm at the Hollywood Cinema in Sumner. This viewing is organized by local crafter Miss Millie in association with local crafting organization Felt.

Handmade Nation explores today's craft world as a synthesis of historical technique, punk culture, and the DIY ethos, and its influences in traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. Handmade Nation is the feature film debut of director, author, artist and curator Faythe Levine, who traveled to 15 cities and covered more than 19,000 miles of the United States to interview artists, crafters, makers, curators and community members. Click here to find out more about Handmade Nation and to watch the film trailer.

Tickets are $20 per seat and your ticket price includes a glass of wine and nibbles on arrival. Click here to purchase tickets.

Handmade Nation
The Hollywood Cinema, Sumner
Doors open at 7pm. Film starts at 7:30pm.

The Eastern Album Release at Wunderbar, 26 & 27 Feb.

The Eastern is celebrating the release of their new album with two shows at Wunderbar this Friday and Saturday (26-27 Feb). A Blues/Bluegrass/Country band based in Lyttelton, The Eastern has played in venues around the world, but enjoy most playing in their home country rather above chasing the dream of fame abroad.

We first heard The Eastern play at the Arts Centre, as part of the Buskers Festival, and can attest to their talent of performing foot-stomping music that get the crowd really going. For a bit of insight into The Eastern's style and flavor, we use their own words - The Eastern"believes in kicks and sadness, heartbreak and hope, 12 bar blues and 12 round rock’n’roll, fistfights and dust, road songs and trains, justice and freedom, holding it up and putting it down, that long lonesome sound, the river rise, the gospel plow, scratches and skips, static and hum, bleeding fingers and beating hearts, pages and type, ink and lead, rain on tin, iron and wood, 33 and a third, 45, 78, boots on the floor, dirt in the cracks, guts, harmony melody and soul, thinking and walking, the road and the lines between, closed signs and flickering lights, nightfall and sunrise, Kerouac, Guthrie, the end of the golden weather and the night of the riots, sheds, collections and dreams, Strummer/Jones, Morrissey/Marr, the Hanks Chinaski and Williams, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Devlin, Memphis and myth, the south from gore to the Cargill and back…". Local Vanguard loves this description and couldn't have said it better ourselves.

For a taste of The Eastern's music, and to find out when even more of their shows are on, go to the The Eastern's MySpace Page.

French Film Festival Starts Tomorrow

The French Film Festival starts tomorrow in Christchurch and will run until Sunday 28th February at Rialto Cinemas (corner of Moorhouse Ave and Durham St). A variety of French films will be shown throughout the week - three showings per day Tuesday-Friday, and an additional two showing times on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are only $12.50 for an adult and less for students and seniors. For a description of the films, to view trailers, and to see a timetable of showings click here.

The French Film Festival is organized by the French Cultural Trust.

Lyttelton Festival & Street Party - Fri 19-Sun 28 Feb.

Project Lyttleton, the organisation that brings us the popular Lyttelton Farmers Market, is also the primary organizer of this annual summer event. The Lyttelton Summer Festival is a ten-day long festival celebrating arts, food, entertainment and community culture of Lyttelton, a suburb and primary port town of Christchurch.

Events include free musicians and bands, wine tastings, coffee tours, interactive culinary evenings, historical walks, photographic and art exhibitions, a bio-diverse gardening display, and a chance to up-cycle your old clothes. The festival will conclude with a fun filled street party, filled with music, food vendors, and quirky performances (Sunday 28th Feb 2010, 12-6pm). Click here for a full line-up of events held throughout the week.

Image source: mrsteve1_nz on Flickr.
mrsteve1_nz is part of the Local Vanguard Flickr Group. Join our Flickr group to have your photos posted on the site.

Bicycle Show on Saturday at Goodbye Blue Monday

After you've got your bike all fixed up at the Free Bike Workshop on Saturday from 1-3pm (an event we covered a few days ago), you'll be ready to cruise over to Goodbye Blue Monday at 4pm for their 1st Annual Bicycle Show.

GBM is kicking off this annual event in honor of their one year anniversary. In this past year, GBM has been proactive in fostering and supporting the young creative community of Christchurch by hosting events and a providing a space and online blog platform that city's young creative types are drawn to. From offering up cutting edge musicians, such as Daedelus a few weeks ago, to hosting Tuesday night ping pong sessions, and now this annual bicycle show, GBM has in many ways become a kind of go-to and a central hang out spot for creatives in Christchurch.

This Bicycle Show should be a good time - for drinks and checking out some of the city's sweetest rides from garage hobbyists Bishops Cycles and other bicycle hobbyists. So come check it out, rain or shine.

Goodbye Blue Monday
Poplar Lane, Central City, Christchurch

Annual Vintage & Modern Airplane Show on This Sunday

"Warriors at Wigram" is the theme for this weekend's annual Open Day event at the Air Force Museum in Wigram (Sunday 14 February). Watch as planes, like some of the ones in the image above, are taken out of the hanger and off the ground by the Royal NZ Air Force, the Royal NZ Navy, and NZ Army. Flying displays will include the Iroquois, Classic Harvard, Red Checkers Acrobatic Team and the Kiwi Blue Parachute display Team. These displays will be coupled with static ground displays which allow you to get up close and personal with the modern equipment of the current Defence Force.

Air Force Museum of New Zealand
45 Harvard Avenue, Wigram, Christchurch
Sunday 14 February; 10am-4pm
Entry Fee - $20 family or $10 indiv. adult, $5 indiv. child

Image source: mrsteve1_nz on Flickr.
mrsteve1_nz is part of the Local Vanguard Flickr Group. Join our Flickr group to have your photos posted on the site.

Free Bike Repair & Maintenance Workshop - Sat. 13 Feb.

Do you have a bike that requires some work or has been lying around neglected in the shed? Then come along to the free bike maintenance/tune up workshop at the Linwood Community Arts Centre this weekend, Saturday 13th February from 1-4pm.

This event was started by a group of bike enthusiasts who were motivated by the high cost of basic bike repairs at bicycle superstores. On this day, these enthusiasts will be on hand to provide time, tools, and help with basic bike repairs. Attendees can participate in the process of tuning up their bike, and learn the basics of how to maintain it (fixing tire punctures, lubing chains etc.). So drop by with your ride to do some fixin' while getting to know other bike lovers of the community.

Back 2 School By Bike Maintenance Day
Linwood Community Art Centre, 388 Worcester Street (corner or Worcester St and Stanmore Rd)
Saturday 13, February

Image Source - Biker in Christchurch taken by Mark-of-Cain on Flickr. Photo submitted to Local Vanguard Flicker Group.

Pecha Kucha Night - Thursday Feb 4

A Pecha Kucha night is an evening event where presenters show a slideshow of 20 images, each of which is shown for 20 seconds — giving a total presentation time of 6 minutes 40 seconds. Each event usually has 8 - 14 presenters. Presenters (and much of the audience) are usually from the design, architecture, photography, art and creative fields.

The Pecha Kucha presentation format was originally devised by two architects in Tokyo, Japan in 2003. Since then, the event format has been replicated in more than 200 cities around the world. New Zealand's Pecha Kucha Nights (PKN) are now held in 6 cities: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Hamilton and Dunedin.

Christchurch's upcoming PKN wil be held this Thursday at Dux de Lux and is a special edition event, produced in collaboration with Ten-Pacific Arts Festival. Click here for more information about PKN events and for a list of speakers and photographs from the last PKN held in Christchurch in September.

Dux de Lux, Corner Hereford and Montreal Streets
Doors open 7pm, starts at 7.30pm, entry by koha, come early - space is limited

Images from Sounday

Yesterday's sunny, warm weather created a perfect day for lounging on the lawns of Hagley Park for some good live tunes with friends and fam. The crowd was a mix of ages and genres, but all smiling and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. Here are some images of attendees hanging out, walking around, and jamming to musical acts like Phoenix Foundation and Electric Wire Hustle.

Upcoming Final Buskers Show With Highlights of Festival

With every buskers performance we've attended, Local Vanguard is reminded that the Buskers Festival is real treat for the city of Christchurch and visitors. To have this many talented performers and laughs taking place in one city for a little over a week is pretty awesome. So we've been trying to squeeze in as many acts as possible in these last few days.

With this in mind, we thought we'd highlight the upcoming performance on Sunday evening at The Bedford. It will be the very last show for this year's festival and an opportunity to see some of the "best bits" of performances from the past ten days.

Doors open at 8:30pm and the show starts at 10pm.
The Bedford (corner of Madras and Bedford Row)

Images from Last Night's Buskers Fest. in Victoria Square

These are photos of the Buskers Festival Night Sky Aerial Show and the Fire Show in Victoria Square last night. If you haven't caught any of the Buskers Festival yet, shows run through Sunday January 31st. Click here for schedules and locations for upcoming shows.

Sounday 2010 Only One Week Away

Sounday is an all-day, open-air event of music, food, and drinks held in Christchurch's Hagley Park. This year's event will feature 11 musical acts from New Zealand and overseas.

Musicians include those with close ties to Christchurch - keyboardist and Jazz School attendee Taay Ninh of Electric Wire Hustle (a Wellington based band), and Christchurch based band Sleepy Age. Other musical acts include NZ's Module, The Pheonix Foundation, and Delaney Davidson with Tuscson based french born signer Marianne Dissard, as well as other international acts - American The Handsome Family, and Australian electroacoustic Dizz1.

Sounday goes from 10am-8pm (30 January). Tickets are available for purchase at Embassy on High Street, Burgers & Beers, Hunters and Collectors, Real Groovy, and The Dux De Lux, or online from www.rdu.org.nz and www.moshtix.co.nz. $27 for adults, kids under 12 free. Click here for a full list of musical acts and information about the event such as food, parking etc.

Upcoming Frocks on Bikes Event - Tour de Tart

Frocks on Bikes started as away to mobilize NZ women to embrace biking as a fun and sustainable way to move, leading up to the 350 Climate Action Festivals on International Climate Action Day on 24 October 2009. Over 350 Frockers came out in New Zealand's cities, including Christchurch.

Since then, the group has hosted two more monthly rides in various parts of the city. This month's event, Tour de Tart, will be held on the 30th of January. Riders can choose either a 6 or 12 K ride, starting from a point in the city/Linwood and concluding in Sumner at the Tart Cafe. 12K'ers will meet up at 1:30pm at Piko Wholefoods on Barbadoes and Kilmore streets. 6K'ers can join up at 2pm at Café Le Tour de France, 1091 Ferry Road, Linwood. Check out full details on the Frocks on Bikes Christchurch website.

The image above is of one of the sweet bikes seen at the Frocks on Bikes launch event in Christchurch in October. For more photos of the day, visit the photographer's blog - CHCH Ding Ding.

Upcoming World Busker's Festival - Not To Be Missed

The World Buskers Festival starts next week (Jan. 21-31). The festival is eleven days of 450 live shows of street, circus, and comedy style performances. Now in its 17th year, the event offers an international line-up of talent that includes 44 of the world’s best acts from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Japan, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand.

Many of the shows are free to the public and performed throughout the day in central city public spaces such as Cathedral and Victoria Squares, at the Arts Centre, as well as in locations in New Brighton and Sumner. Late night performances (8:30-10:30pm) ask for a nominal donation of $5-$10 and will be held at The Beford, on the corner of Bedford Row and Madras Street.

For a schedule of events and to learn about participating performers and their acts go to the World Buskers website.
Image Source: World Buskers 2010 website

Lyttleton Farmers Market

There is probably nothing more I love than a morning at a farmers market. I've been spoiled by some good ones in New York City and in St Luis Obispo California, and I'm just starting to explore the markets in and around Chirstchurch. I've been to the Lyttelton Farmers Market a few times now to get my veggies for the week and to try out some of the baked goods and treats. This market has the best sausage rolls around, cupcakes and croissants from the Cosair Cookie Company, Vics Bakery's amazing breads, sliced jerky from Biltong, and delicious pies, eclairs, goats cheese, artisnal chocolates, the list goes on. (Oh, and don't forget your veggies too!)

The Lyttelton Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 10am to 1pm, in the grounds of Lyttelton Main School, Oxford Street, Lyttelton. You can even make a morning out of it, by going to the farmers market and grabbing a coffee or brunch at one of the cafes in Lyttelton.

A Crafty Christmas Affair

These posters on the street caught my eye and made me curious about this event. I was lured in by the fun girlie graphics and also because I really do think nothing beats the personal touch of handmade gifts at Christmas time.

The Night Market was held yesterday evening at Our City O-Tautahi, in the Queen Anne Building on the corner of Worcester Boulevard and Oxford Terrace in central Christchurch. It was a small hosting 20 local crafters and designers displaying and selling their goods to the public. The first-time event was organized by Felt, a local craft group and online shop. I was pleased to find some unique pieces on display and walked away with a couple of items in hand, a little packet of illustrated greeting cards I bought from Ballpoint and a precious hand-stitched book from The Busy Finch. Let's hope this market becomes and annual event with a growing number of participating crafters and designers.

To find these products: visit the Ballpoint Greeting Cards website. Handmade goods from The Busy Finch are available at Pocket on London Street in Lyttelton and on the Felt website.