As we get ready to truly sink into long summer days of lying around and letting our thoughts transform from sense and sensibility into day dreams / heat-fuelled delusion, we want to let you creatives know that NOise VACANCY is coming back to Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Gisborne in 2024! The sound-centric, site-specific, one-night-only, live art event will be taking over the CBD in Autumn next year and its going to be another like no other… The NOise VACANCY curators will be calling out for proposals from creatives wanting to take part in early February. Participating artists will create installations that: - explore the many layers of vacant space in our central business district. - occupy a nook in the CBD area, whether it is inside, outside, hidden or displayed, mobile or static. - include sound-centric concepts and site specific responses that explore ideas of vacant space in our central city. So find your spot in the sun and let your imaginations run crazy (yet achievable!) Follow @noisevacancy on Instagram to keep up with updates and to get an idea of the wider project and kōrero, but be warned - as above - the 2024 edition will be another like no other!

If you're anything like me, you know the good stuff that will make your life better, but struggle to consistently add them into your life. The irony is not lost on me that I was once a teen who couldn't abide being told what to do, and am now an adult who wishes I had a benevolent but unyielding minder who would hand me my drink bottle and command: "drink" or take the phone from my hands and guide me by my shoulders to the rug and order: "stretch." Thankfully we have benevolent support by way of a wonderful project led by Sandra Groves and Charles Barrie. As we head into summer, the new year brings with it time to prioritise our wellbeing and implement positive habits. So it couldn't be more timely that a collective of local wellness and environmental champions have put together a resource that helps us get out onto our local tracks and soak up that natural good stuff. Charles Barrie writes about this choice new resource. Pick up or download a copy and we'll see you out on the trails! -- Sarah Pocock Ways to Wellness - Tairāwhiti | He Ara Taiao ki te Ora - Tairāwhiti guide available now For many of us who call Te Tairāwhiti home, the rugged beauty of our local environment is a big part of the appeal, and likely part of our own way to wellbeing. Building on the understanding that connection with nature, whether alone or with others, supports mental, physical and spiritual wellness, a network of Tairawhiti environmental and health organisations have worked together to release a new health promotion resource Ways to Wellness  - He Ara Taiao ki te Ora, Tairāwhiti. The guide is intended to be accessible and available to the general public, and also distributed by health and disability support sector staff to clients and whānau who could benefit from restorative or active time in nature as part of a ‘green prescription’. Ways to Wellness - He Ara Taiao ki te Ora identifies a range of suggestions and ideas for healthy outside activity and deepening your connection with nature, including lots of family-friendly and wheelchair accessible options. In addition to information about volunteering, how to access all-terrain wheelchairs and ways you can get started with learning more about the histories of the whenua around us, the guide also contains information about a range of short walks and what you can expect to find there so you can plan your trip. Regarding volunteering, the guide suggests that for the socially minded, or those who want to get out and about with others, getting involved in a local environmental project is a great option. It also identifies opportunities to support others to engage with nature, who might be less able or otherwise find it difficult to do so on their own. For example through loaning one of the previously mentioned all-terrain wheelchairs available in our community, guiding them on a local walk, or supporting them to take part in a volunteering event. Finding its origin a number of years ago in a (now concluded) Department of Conservation programme called Healthy Nature Healthy People, the guide was developed by a collaborative team from the Tairāwhiti health, environment, recreation, volunteering, disability, whanau wellbeing and community development sectors including Sports Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Parafed Tairāwhiti, Strive Rehab, Tairawhiti Environment Centre and others. Supported by kaumatua, tangata whenua health providers and medical professionals the project was coordinated by Sandra Groves (First Chapter) and Charles Barrie (Taiao Huru Huri). You can find more about this project and the team that worked on it here. With summer approaching, people can start their Ways to Wellness journey by picking up or downloading a copy of the guide. The guide will be distributed by doctors, mental health advocates, disability sector staff, and partner organisations. It is also available from the Department of Conservation, Tairawhiti Environment Centre, Sports Gisborne Tairawhiti, Gisborne Volunteer Centre, Gizzy Local's HQ (64 Lowe St.) and online here.

The future is now. We're thrilled to share with you the latest and greatest in Gizzy Local technology... the "Submit your event!" button! Do you have an event or series that you want to put on the Gizzy Local website? Now you can make that happen straight from the website! And it's free! Just wander over to the Events page on our website www.gizzylocal.com/local-events and click on the yellow "Submit your event!" button. From there, you just complete the form... Easy! We've included in the form all the details that we need to know. Complete the form, hit "submit" and you're almost there! We'll give it a once over and then let you know once it's up and live. If what you're after is a listing on our website, a mention in our weekly newsletter, and if your event happens on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, a spot in our weekend reel on social media, then you're good to go. Your event will go out to the cool and diverse community who come to Gizzy Local to find out the haps. If you're after a bigger boost from Gizzy Local, for $25 you get what's above plus we'll give it a featured spot in our newsletter and give your event a push on our social media 24-hour stories. Just drop us a line at events@gizzylocal.com or reply when we let you know your event is "live" and let us know that you'd like a little extra promotion. For events with a real community focus/drive and bit more of a budget ($150), a story might be what you'd like. If you think this is the right fit for you, sing out and we can chat. We look forward to making it easy for all of us to connect with other local people and activities. Come on in and make yourself at home. Our event platform is your event platform. Nau mai.

Tōnui Collab 3 weeks of 1-day workshops, 9am - 3pm each day. Their workshops encourage children to explore the diversity of STEMM - science, technology, engineering, mathematics and mātauranga Māori through the experimentation and creation of animation, engineering, game development, robotics, coding, virtual reality and more! Tuesday 19th - Thursday 21st December Tuesday 16th - Thursday 18th January Tuesday 23rd - Thursday 25th January Caters for 7-13 year-olds. Location is Lawson Field Theatre, next to GDC. For more info, contact admin@tonuicollab.com or by phone 0800 886684 Book here: https://www.tonuicollab.com/holiday-workshops Arty Farty School Holiday Programme Nurture children’s self-expression through art, music, dance and drama held at Te Hapara School Hall, 31 Mill Rd. Caters to 5-10 year-olds. Options for $30 half day or $50 full day bookings. Book via Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kidscreationstationz For more info, contact: kidscreationstationz@gmail.com or 021 045 8113 The Y Oscar Summer Holiday Programme A variety of fun activities every day, from 18th Dec 2023 to 26th of Jan 2024 at YMCA Oscar House on Disraeli Street. Caters for 5-13 year-olds and costs are from $45 per day. For more info, contact: 06 8679259 Ext: 03 https://ymcagisborne.org.nz/ Find registration form here. The Band School | Busking Holiday Programme Become part of a musical ensemble, master some tunes, and join us for a week filled with the joy of learning and street performance. Participants get to keep the earnings and carry the experience with them always. These sessions are based out of Gisborne Intermediate. Everyday from 18th -22nd December, $50 a day or $225 for the week. Caters to ages 6 to 15 year olds. For more information and to book: http://www.thebandschool.co.nz/holiday-programme Ocean Rhythms Surf Camp A summertime, kids surf camp that will get them stoked to surf and spend time in the water. Located at Waikanae or Northern Makorori (depending on weather). If you need a wetsuit and board, they’ve got you covered with an add-on rental option ($30 for the December camp and $60 for the January camps). If you are looking to buy a wetsuit check out Sequence Surf Shop and their variety of suits! December 18-20th ($260) January 8-12th ($410) January 15-19th ($410) Caters to 6-13 year olds. For more information and to book, email oceanrhythmscoaching@gmail.com. Gisborne Gymnastics Club Holiday Programme During the school holidays, the Gym Club offer Free-Play sessions, Free-Play + Activities, Preschool Open Gym, and Competitive Holiday Gymnastics times. Cost is $10 for Preschool Open Gym and $20 for all other sessions. See timetable for offerings. 18 - 21 December: Morning sessions only 9am - 12pm 15 Jan - 26 Jan: Morning 9am - 12pm and Afternoon 12pm - 3pm sessions 30 Jan - 2 Feb: Morning sessions only 9am - 12pm 15 Jan - 2 Feb: Squad-specific sessions for Competitive Gymnastics in the afternoon Caters to ages: 5-13 (preschool ages for the Preschool times). Book in or find more information here: https://gisbornegymnastics.com/holiday-program Comet Swimming Club Holiday Programmes 30-min swimming lessons with an instructor held at either Elgin School Pool or Kiwa Pools. Monday through Friday all summer at $60 (for all 5 lessons per week). 18 - 22nd Dec at Elgin School Pool 8 - 12th Jan at Elgin School Pool and Kiwa Pools 15 - 19th Jan at Elgin School Pool and Kiwa Pools 20 - 24 Jan at Elgin School Pool and Kiwa Pools Caters to 3+ years. Book or find more information via the website www.cometswimmingclub.com by email: cometswimming@gmail.com PM on www.facebook.com/CometSwimmingClub East Coast Museum of Technology ECMoT are home to technologies of the past, like stationary engines, amateur radio, computers & games, vintage cars, firetrucks and much more! They’re located at 67 Main Road, Makaraka, Gisborne, and open Saturday and Sundays 10am to 4 pm. Entry is $10 per person and they welcome people of all ages. Summer closure between 23rd Dec - 6th Jan. East Coast Museum of Technology Live Day Sunday – 28 January 2024. Come see the technologies of the past come to life! 10am-4pm with a cost of $2-10. Reach out for more information by email enquiries@ecmot.org.nz. HB Williams Memorial Library (all events are free) Kiwiana Summer Reading Challenge: Read for two hours in ten minute time slots and go in the draw to win one of four mystery prizes. The Great Kiwiana hunt: Find the hidden kiwiana items, solve the riddle and go into the draw to win a prize. For children up to the age of 18 years. December 18 – January 21 Courtyard games: This holidays Kahui Whetū|Constellation Courtyard will be set up with giant classic games for families to enjoy. Weather permitting. December 11 – January 20 Christmas-themed Events: December 11 Monday & December 12 Tuesday 10.30am Christmas Story Time: Join Santa's little helpers for Christmas story time in the children’s area December 13, Wednesday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: Christmas card making for the family December 14, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: Gift bag making - design your own gift bag for Christmas December 15, Friday 10.30am Christmas Carols: Join the library team for Christmas Carols in the Kāhui Whetū Constellation Courtyard December 18, Monday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: DIY Christmas tree ornaments December 19, Tuesday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: Fun candy cane Christmas crafts December 20, Wednesday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: Christmas table centrepieces December 21, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Christmas Crafts: Come and make some fun Christmas crafts that you can use to decorate the house or give to someone for Christmas. Summer-themed Events: December 28, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am Diy Pot Planter: Make a pot planter using recycled materials December 29, Friday 10.30am - 11.30am Upcycle shirt day: Bring an old shirt and turn it into a bag using only a pair of scissors. Make as many as you like depending on how many shirts you have. January 3, Wednesday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids Tie Dye: Come and give tie dyeing a go with the childrens team. Bring something white to dye. January 4, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am The great paint day: It’s all about the paint and we’re painting rocks, shells, boxes and whatever else we can find. January 5, Friday 10.30am - 11.30am Origami for kids: Join Liam for some origami fun. Young children may need help from an adult for this activity. January 8, Monday 10.30am - 11.30am Craft a raft: See how well you can build a raft that floats out of recycled items. January 9, Tuesday 10.30am - 11.30am Egg drop and paper planes: Can you drop an egg from the top of a ladder without it cracking? Join the children’s team and give it a go. January 10, Wednesday 10.30am - 11.30am Kids solar oven: Build a solar oven and see how long it takes to bake smores. January 11, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am Marble run obstacle: Come and build a marble obstacle and see how long you can keep your marble rolling. January 15, Monday 10.30am - 11.30am Amazing puzzle race: Race to complete a puzzle the fastest. Do it as an individual or in a team of up to 3 people. We will also have other riddles and puzzles to try and complete. January 16, Tuesday 10.30am - 11.30am Classic birthday party games: Bring the kids down for a game of musical chairs, pass the parcel and other classic birthday party games. January 17, Wednesday 10.30am - 11.30am Classic family games, from Monopoly to Chess to Cards. January 18, Thursday 10.30am - 11.30am Dress up summer picnic: Dress up in your favourite costume and join us in Te Kāhui Whetū Constellation Courtyard for a story, bubbles and a picnic.

I live in the past and to some extent, have always done so. Little wonder then that although I taught art and art history for many years, I have taught Classical Studies for longer. Ancient Greece and Rome are where I wander in my head and their imagery influence both my painting and printmaking as well as my writing. I’m very attracted to a quote from the great Roman statesman, Cicero who once wrote: If a man has a library and a garden that is all he needs. My garden is not a showplace being far from extensive in the domain of vegetables, but flowers and shrubs are important too. Being surrounded by growing things that need tending affords a great deal of satisfaction. I am completely contented when at home; never bored and never lonely. Last year’s lock-down was bliss in most respects since there was peace and quiet, time to devote to favourite pastimes including taking long walks, listening to music while painting, writing and reading at length, pottering in garden spaces. When it comes to contemporary culture, I’m largely clueless. I dislike fashionable anything: style is much more useful from and artistic point of view although visual are is bedevilled by fashionable trends. Perhaps that’s why my house quite often prompts visitors’ comments about its myriad images, memorabilia, extensive library and paintings: they reflect my own style, the way I think and live. Nothing fashionable in my house and there never will be! I have greatly enjoyed overseas travels but have decided that if jaunting away is now over because of Covid, I don’t much mind at all. The privilege of living in this country should never be taken for granted. Being retired has brought the realisation that life has never been better. I have no apprehensions about the future and find myself completely at ease with life in general. Words by Norman Maclean Photographs by Thomas Teutenberg: "Using a large format camera (Linhof Technika 4x5") is a very slow process. "I only take 6 shots for this camera for each shoot, I have to make every shot count. Firstly I need to load film into light tight holders, this is done in a dark bag which is done by feel. I unfold the camera, set it up on a tripod and peer through the back of the camera. The image it projects is backwards and upside down when framing, so it can take some getting used to. "To focus I use a loupe to make sure it's sharp, once focused the subject can't move. I then adjust my exposure settings and load the film. I remove the darkslide from the film holder and release the shutter. Once exposed I can reinsert the darkslide. "One photo done". Thomas Teutenberg, for the ONO Project.

This is an appreciation post for the Ballance Street Village, the bustling little grouping of businesses at the intersection of Ballance Street and Ormond Road. In these times when online shopping has become such a normal part of life, and when many parts of Gisborne's CBD are literally crumbling into the ground, it feels almost miraculous that the Ballance Street Village is not only fully occupied, but thriving! If you are a frequent visitor of the Village however, it’s probably not so mysterious at all.. Most businesses in the Ballance Street Village are not only locally owned, but independent and one-of-a-kind. This can transform a 'shopping experience' into a lovely moment in your day, in which you might be inspired by the creative, individual, and non-franchised decor of the space you're in, or you chat with the person that you're doing business with, as you would a friend... The other thing we appreciate about the Village is the downright convenience of it all! It's how we imagine a village might have been back in the day when the word was first coined.. The need to grab ‘that little something’ becomes an enjoyable part of our day if we decide to walk or bike, and with the enticement of ice cream, we can usually convince the kids it’s a good idea too! And once we're there, we can take care of any number of things.. Solve the question of what to make for dinner and pick up a lovely bottle of wine while you’re at it. Get something quick to eat, fill a prescription, post off a package. Browse for gifts, plants collectibles or homeware. You can even tick some of the big things off your list like buying or selling a house, looking for IT support, or have teeth that require attention. And with so many options for food and coffee, it’s a great place to come together to meet up with, or bump into friends, old and new. This Christmas season, the Ballance Village retailers are coming together to make things easier for locals who've got lots to do in these last few weeks of the year. - They’re creating a bit of a festive vibe with late night shopping on Thursdays throughout December until Christmas. The first one is this week! - And if you shop anywhere in the Ballance Street Village up until Christmas you go in the chance to win a $1,000 Village Voucher which can be spent at Ballance Street Village businesses. The draw will be held on the afternoon of 23rd of December So, Gizzy locals, make sure you dive into the friendly and laid back vibe of the Village, support our local retailers and enjoy everything that’s on offer at the Ballance Street Village - 42 years it's been going and it's still going strong..!

In March 2024 Gizzy Local will be hosting our first exhibition, and we’re looking for local artists to be a part of it. After the year that has been, the theme of Tāwhirimātea’s Battle feels apt! For this exhibition artists are invited to draw upon this enduring story of the struggle between the god of the weather, Tāwhirimātea, and Tūmatauenga, deity of war and people. As we experience the effects of climate change first hand in Te Tairāwhiti, this battle between Man and Weather continues to play out before our very eyes. We welcome expressions of interest from local artists - from emerging through to experienced as. We welcome a wide variety of mediums from visual art forms to photography, sculpture, installation and interactive art, to craft. Expectations and Requirements: A body of work can look like one large installation / 3 large works / 3 - 8 pieces of varying sizes / 20 small pieces. Tell us about your creative vision and how you envisage it being presented within the space. Completed works to be received by Thursday 29 February 2024. Works to have hanging equipment attached or provided. Framed work to be framed to a gallery standard. When you submit your artworks please note details on medium/s and pricing. You'll also need to submit an Artist Bio with photo. Exhibiting artists are expected to attend the opening night and to promote the exhibition via their social media. You'll be working with our curator to hang your works. The exhibition and opening night will be promoted through Gizzy Local online and social platforms, plus printed posters. Exhibiting artists will be featured on Gizzy Locals Social platforms and Website. We're looking forward to a great Opening night with music, kai and refreshments! Artists are expected to attend and be able to talk about their works, even if just one on one with people. In bringing together this exhibition we are committed to walking alongside emerging and less experienced artists. Our curator will be available to assist you with framing, pricing, hanging your work to a gallery standard and writing your artist Bio and artwork details. We encourage interested artists to come and check out the exhibition spaces. There is an outside courtyard, hallway, traditional exhibition space, internal windows, and various other options depending on the nature of your work. To express your interest in showing your work as a part of this exhibition, please email kesampson10@gmail.com with images that convey your style and a brief outline of the body of work you are proposing. If your work lends itself to something less traditional in hanging, let us know so we can work with you to accommodate it. We have space for about 10 - 12 artists to participate in this group exhibition which will be held at the Gizzy Local space in Lowe Street. The opening night will be 15th March and the exhibition will run for 1 month.

Making music is just the output of sound, right? Actually a huge part of making music is tuning into the environment around you, like your bandmates or the audience. That keen awareness and perception is what allows musicians Annabelle & Ash to move between the mainstream world of musical performance into the more intimate and closed-loop world of leading musical healing, Medicine Music Ceremonies. This journey started over a decade ago when the two began making a partnership together, both in life and in music. Annabelle is a Gizzy girl whose post-music degree career led her to the cruise ship stage. There, she and Ash really honed their musical talents. Ash, who is also musically trained, credits the cruise ship environment and later getting positions in some great HB-based bands with helping him tune his ear for improvisation. Says Ash, “It was such a learning space for me. I was playing with accomplished jazz musicians, learning how to listen to what they were doing, to improvise.” When I asked him if he had a favourite style of music to play, it was less the genre and instead the improvising. “Creating music is where my art is, where I’m most joyous.” This music creation is what happens at a medicine music ceremony. Annabelle and Ash tune into the energy of the attendees and tailor the music to the room. I recently attended a Medicine Music Ceremony as a newbie and was surprised by the jumble of paradoxes. It was ancient and yet modern. It was foreign but also right here and now. The other people there were both inconsequential to my little experience but also compulsory to the undeniable sense of unity. They played a half a dozen songs, starting with a song that featured the Hare Krishna mantra. I’m not experienced in mantras or musical medicine. But I am the daughter of a big Beatles fan, so I knew the Hare Krishna mantra from the Beatles’ famous study of Transcendental Meditation and specifically George Harrison’s incorporation of it into his famous song “My Sweet Lord.” Annabelle and Ash shine as gifted musicians and musical ceremony leaders with the songs they’ve written around the mantras. These are no 3-chord numbers. They are modern and musically complex – maybe where you could recognise all those hours improvising with those jazz musicians. But they’re also easy to learn in a matter of seconds. The reason mantras are so effective at calming the mind and honing in on an intention is that they are simple, repetitive, hypnotic. Attending a musical healing ceremony by Annabelle and Ash, it could be understandable if you attended just to listen to them play. Because in addition to the power of the mantra and the beauty of the ceremony, what I want to tell you is how sublime and enchanting the music was. Ash plays the acoustic guitar in a way that grounds and also lightens the songs. He grounds the songs with percussive strumming and lightens the song with intricate and complex chords that serve as accompaniment to Annabelle’s voice that’s both bell-like and soulful. These ceremonies have a touch of an intimate concert in that the regulars knew the songs. I even heard quiet whoops of glee at one point when Annabelle told us the mantra that was coming next. But even as a newbie who knew none of these songs, it was impossible not to get swept up in the beautiful melodies and the soft choir of voices around me. It was like the best kind of concert, one where the artist plays all the songs you know and love and you sing along. Although they happily still play mainstream gigs, like wineries or weddings, it’s been a personal journey for the two of them to find themselves leading musical healing workshops. It was built on their curiosity about world music and the staying-power of these ancient words and instruments. They found themselves in a place in their lives, re-evaluating their priorities. “Do we love this? Is this making us happy? Purely happy? Not just a facade of happiness?” They embarked on a quest of introspection that at times felt like a major upheaval. When looking at alternate ways to live, when choosing happiness as the marker for success, it can feel like you’re reprogramming yourself. Says Annabelle about the mainstream life they’d left, “You ask yourself, ‘Is it acceptable to live this life?’ Because we’d given up our 9-5s in pursuit of this happiness. And inevitably there was a lot of judgement out there, people wondering what we even do. So we were feeling some hard emotions about it.” As musicians, they turned to music to help them. “We used music as a tool to help ourselves transform.” Ash says, “Those hard emotions came up and we were able to use music to express those emotions. And once expressed, you feel amazing.” They’d found a way to lighten the emotional load. This was one of the things that Annabelle stressed at the start of the ceremony. The mantras have the power to help you move the unwanted energy out of your body. It’s pretty well-accepted that stress, anxiety, negative emotions and thoughts can wreak havoc on our physical state. We might clench our jaw. The muscles in our neck and back can tighten into knots. Our blood pressure can rise. And similar to guided meditation, Annabelle reminds us that music, the process of setting an intention, bringing these ancient words into our minds, breathing in and singing them out, can allow us to let go of the negative emotions that aren’t serving us. We too can lighten the emotional load. In the beginning of their journey, they made familiar music that allowed them to express emotions. In talking with them, I was reminded that actually we all do this all the time. Were you ever a teenager who got dumped and felt hurt and rage and found comfort in yell-singing along with Alanis Morrisette? Too GenX-y? What about Taylor Swift? A bit over-excited for this party? Get the up-beat bangers on and belt it out. Soon, Annabelle and Ash began attending musical healing retreats. They explored accessing altered states of consciousness through holotropic breathwork. They were now surrounded by people with different knowledge and expertise who then introduced them to sanskrit mantras. “The words are some of the oldest in the world.” says Annabelle. “They’re known to hold the power of creation.” It’s no coincidence that folk singing and mantras have been well-preserved and shared over centuries, and still have relevance today. It’s because they still have power. They ground us in the moment. They link us to the people who are with us. They spiral our consciousness around an intention. In a word, it still works. And in our modern lives, with an infinite amount of input, Annabelle and Ash are seeing increasingly more people opting for a break from the modern onslaught of content and choosing this ancient and primitive kind of input. Annabelle and Ash’s songs are simple and comforting, containing maybe half a dozen words, sung in mainly the same order, with a couple variations of melodic lines, with just a guitar, a few percussion instruments, and a few dozen voices guiding you along. I found myself closing my eyes and singing along with the other voices and weirdly forgetting there were other people there. As Ash says, “It’s powerful enough to have these experiences by yourself. It’s even more powerful to have them with a group.” Annabelle adds that while there might be emotions that people let go of, mostly the ceremonies are about actively creating joy and a sense of unity, which might be lost amidst our rushed and busy lives. And that’s exactly what I felt: the delight in listening to the beautiful music and then the simple, infectious joy of singing along. Thankfully, as a society, we are talking about mental health and the importance of sharing your emotions with others. Suffering in silence serves no one. Annabelle and Ash seek to provide a safe space where people can express those emotions, literally usher them out of your body, without judgement. We all feel fear, grief, pain of one kind or another. Music can help us acknowledge and then let that pain go little by little, breath by breath, word by word. Says Annabelle, “We started to wonder, ‘How can we use music for another purpose, not just to entertain people? To help people heal themselves?’ Because we’re not actually doing the healing. We’re providing a safe space for people to heal themselves.” And that’s exactly how it worked for me. I felt happier and lighter. (Although, I was also definitely entertained a bit, too.) If you are looking for ways to be mindful, to let go of your busy thoughts for a time, or to do some introspection and introduce ancient musical medicine to your life, seek out Annabelle and Ash and their Musical Medine Ceremonies.

I recognise the goth girl in the photo because we both went to Lyton High in the 80s. Where I strived for homogeneity Mel Tahata gave a middle finger to the norm. She stood out from the crowd, and at the time I admired her bravery in being authentically herself which is something I struggled with. I saw her as a rebel. She wasn’t a rebel when it came to being studious, she says. Bookish and creative with good grades in school, Mel moved to Auckland to atend university and in 1997 she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts. We discuss our mutual enjoyment of watching TV with cats, as cats feature heavily in Mel's latest exhibition. I ask her if she's an introvert. "I guess I am, but I haven't always been. I used to be socially out there, DJing at goth festivals" playing tunes from the likes of Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and The Cult. However, her whakapapa is here, and in 2005 she came home to raise her son and become more involved in iwi and community projects. Mel works full time as a graphic designer and sign writer and does her art in her spare time, along with completing a masters at Toihoukura. Her range spans from sculpting and painting to intaglio printmaking. Some of the pieces in her latest exhibition 'Rima Tekau' are etchings on aluminium. The intaglio process is when the artist carves an image into a metal plate using different tools or chemicals. This manipulates the plate to hold ink, ‘creating unique textures and tones.’ Mel has used printer's ink on hers and there is a playfulness to the images on metal. She also dabbles in filmmaking, animation, writing and producing but most importantly, she is a mother, and I can see the whanaugatanga and aroha for her son in her art. He and her cats, her whānau, feature in many of the pieces, with the artist herself in the bones of each piece. I note a mix of contemporary Māori and gothic in the exhibition. When I say gothic, I don't just mean aesthetics. Goths in the 80s were socially and politically anti-establishment and there is a sense of that in these pieces, too. Mel explains that the style is a type of indigenous surrealism, based on whakairo/carvings of iwi carvers from Ruatorea like Hone Taahu. "There is fun in his style of carving." Some of her other art influences are international, like Marcel Duchamp and Ai Weiwei, so there is a mix to suit different preferences here. Rima Tekau is on at the Tairāwhiti Museum until the 10th December. I especially recommend this exhibition to anyone who loves cats and Māori families. Take the opportunity to buy a slice of aroha from the artist’s home, to hang on the walls of yours. By Aimee Vickers Images supplied.

Gizzy Local has a special relationship with psychedelic-groove quintet Subset BC… Our resident photographer and all round legend Thomas Teutenberg’s photo essay of the band during a show at the Dome Bar was one of the first arts features on Gizzy Local back when we'd just launched in June 2019. So we are very excited to announce that not only are Subset performing again at the Dome on Saturday 2nd December (their only show of 2023) but that it is in celebration of the release of their long awaited debut album the previous day! Known for their unique sound (ever seen a band with three bass players?) solid beats, moody danceable grooves and mind bending visuals, Subset have put on a number of memorable events over the years and become a much loved part of the Gisborne scene. Finding their sound through continuous experimentation, the band formed in 2016 from a bass players practice group, known as Bass Club, hosted at the studio of drummer Lincoln Wright. One of the group’s three bassists Charles Barrie recalls “in those early days we would do things like draw cards to suggest musical ideas, or play rhythmic or melodic games to spark creativity… exploring the potential of different tones and effects was always a big part of it too.” Following nearly a year of creative exploration, bass players Charles, Paulus Mckinnon and Ryan Raggett along with Lincoln Wright on drums, and the addition of keyboard/synth player Matt Tong, realised that the tones and grooves they could create with three basses, a plethora of effects, drums and keys was an exciting and original sound - the sound they call Subset BC. A sound which has now for the first time been captured on wax (and digital files too of course). The songs and soundscapes of Subset BC, whether live or recorded, cover terrain from soulful grooves and psychedelia to moody drum and bass and stoner rock and as Gizzy Local can attest, their shows always get the dancefloor pumping. Joining them for the album release show are two special Gisborne born, but no longer resident guests. International acclaimed digital artist Johnson Witehira will be providing his original visuals to accompany Subset’s performance, and the band will be supported by Sydney based DJ Olluss (brother of drummer Lincoln Wright). As for the album, it was recorded live in July 2022 (the Bass Club Anniversary month) in Raggett’s Rimu Room studio with support from engineer Simon Mallett. Written, produced and arranged by the band, mixed by Matt Tong and mastered for both digital and vinyl releases by Subvert Mastering UK’s Bobb Macc, the album presents a largely instrumental and layered multidimensional sound journey and also includes a special tribute to Gisborne musician Duncan Munro in a cover of song ‘Jubes’ by his band Bantam, of which Wright and McKinnon were members. Available in a limited edition run of 150 180gm vinyl records with original artwork/design by Mckinnon and innersleeve images by Raggett, or in digital format via Band Camp from December 1st 2023 - with preorders available now - subsetbc.bandcamp.com/album/subset-bc However, If you’re a Gisborne resident, the band suggest you send them an email at subsetbc@gmail.com to reserve your album and you can pick it up at the show to save on the shipping costs. Tickets for the Album Release party gig at the Dome are available from Under the Radar https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/87191/Subset-BC---Debut-Album-Release.utr, with limited door sales available on the night (maybe…). See you there on December 2nd! Subset BC Album Release Party With Johnson Witehira and DJ Olluss Saturday 2nd December - Dome Bar - 8pm Photograph by John Flatt Poster design by Paulus McKinnon

When Mātauranga Māori and western knowledge are equally valued the result is something outstanding. The Bush Kura is a local kaupapa that shows us just what can grown from a shared understanding of te ao Māori and Pākehā worldviews.. Run by Keelan Poi and his Dad, the Bush Kura adheres to a "military structure delivered in a coastie way." Keelan set up the charitable trust with the aim of giving rangatahi a break from the digital world and an opportunity to reconnect with the whenua and te taiao. The Bush Kura holiday programme is the charity's main drawcard, offering youth the chance to achieve missions by working alongside Army team leaders and local pirihimana, learning about bush kai, the stars, navigation and survival skills. And there's free range fun too, like spotlight. I can't think of a better place to play spotlight than in the ngahere at night. The kids love it, Keelan tells me, and I can tell that he loves it too. He speaks with passion and care for the community, and for such a driven guy, he is equally laid back and easy to talk to. He’ll make you feel welcome. And everyone is welcome at Bush Kura, all ethnicities, girls, boys, gender fluid, it doesn’t matter. Although it was designed for 'at risk' youth, Keelan believes it's good to have a mix of rangatahi from all walks of life. There is good learning in getting to know other people's ways of being. On top of the holiday programme there are specific courses rangatahi can sign up for. The first is taste testing. Youth come from all corners of Aotearoa to get away from their screens and camp for 3 days while learning about bush kai. The next step up is the 4 day Pukeko course, which is about bushcraft, basic survival, navigation and a korero about the stars. Then there's Tuatara, 5 day camping, tramping and pūrākau up and around Maunga Hikurangi. And, lastly, Taniwha, which is 8 days of tramping and camping around Ruatōrea. Keelan is also the regional supervisor of the NZ Māori Ranger cadets, Heteri ā Nuku (Guardian’s of Papatūānuku). He is ex-military himself and previously served in logistics. His whakapapa is Ngāti Porou and Ngā puhi so naturally he has given back to the community in Ruatorea and Tairāwhiti. He is the creator and chief of the increasingly popular Maunga to Moana race, based on the East Coast. I have to take a breath at this stage because there's more, and I don't know how he fits it all in. Keelan works alongside EIT running whenua based permaculture and food forest courses, again with a mix of maramataka/matauranga and western garden philosophy. He offers workshops on how to butcher and process meat, from the paddock to the plate. The majority of people who sign up to those courses are whanau groups, passing practical knowledge down through the generations. Keelan and his wife have their own slice of paradise out the back of Te Karaka where they practice what they preach with a permaculture style garden. He says they’ve retired a couple of paddocks to plant with native forest... but that’s a story for another time, and I promise I’ll tell it. Food and native forests are my favourite subjects so instead of talking his ear off during the interview, Keelan has kindly invited me to visit them at harvest time. In the meantime check out their YouTube channel Whenua based Whānau https://youtube.com/@Whenuabasedwhanau?si=oD9yME3PnoB6qmn6 To get involved in Bush Kura - it's easy to sign up online, and nominate rangatahi or self nominate at Bush Kura https://thebushkura.co.nz/ Or you can find them on Facebook https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100057202339612 Story by Aimee Vickers Images supplied.

I’m Pietro, I’m from Brazil, and I love playing music. How else could I start a story about the Latin Music community in Gisborne? We play music, Si! Latin music, Si! And of course: we love it! Most of us – my Latin Muso friends and I – have been playing music or been in close contact with instruments from a young age. For different reasons we ended up in this small, amazing town, far away from home. We are all very happy to live in Gisborne, but there is one thing that we miss from back home: making live music. So, we have no alternative except to pick up our instruments and build a band. Or 3 bands! As I am writing this story, administering my daily caffeine intake at the Raglan Roast cafe, I look up to find a poster on the window with the headline: “Live Latin Music - November 18 @ the Dome”. With a big smile on my face I think of all the behind-the-scenes moments in preparation for this event and I know it will be a great night. Whether we hold one of these nights at one of Gisborne’s great live music venues, the Dome Cinema & Bar or at Smash Palace Bar, or in someone’s backyard, every Latin music night we organise is an opportunity for us – the Latin Musos in Gizzy – to showcase our culture and to take our people back home for a moment. It’s an opportunity to prove that all those things you heard about South American party nights are real: the music will lift you up from any kind of mood and make you dance as if there is no tomorrow. Being part of this musical environment and lifting people’s spirits by manifesting our culture is a privilege that I feel honoured to have in my life. But it’s not a purely selfless act that I make music. When I see the crowd really feeling the music, appreciating it, loving it and dancing to it… ooh, that is IT! It is pure medicine for me. It makes the band feel proud and fulfilled. It is the harvest of all the hard work we put in during the weeks and months prior to the event. Oh yes: hard work. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to prepare the show. So let’s go deep into a rehearsal: it is 6:15pm on a Monday and I am running late. Guitar in one hand, water bottle in the other, I walk down the driveway towards the studio (someone’s living room). While I feel bad that I’m running late, if I’m honest, I secretly enjoy that moment. (My bandmates are surely reading this so let me explain.) I enjoy that moment because this is what I get to experience: It’s a quiet night and I hear the instruments as soon as I step out of my car. Trumpets, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass, ukulele, bongos, cajon and beautiful voices singing. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and can “see” inside that room and “feel” the vibe inside that room: people who I love playing songs that I love. And I am about to join them! So, just like a 3 year-old walks towards a lollipop, I follow the music and walk towards that room, leaving everything else behind. It is music time. I get in there and we say hello. We hug, we laugh, we make tea or, if we are lucky, hot chocolate. As we set up our instruments, we catch up about what is going on in our lives: someone is changing jobs, someone bought a double bass, someone is going on a trip to Mexico next week, someone is taking an audition for a show, someone’s dog almost ate someone’s cat, and finally someone says: “Should we play ‘Vamos’?” “One, two, three, four!” Someone counts us in and we start jamming. Just like that, it’s a moment of beauty and grace. It’s familiar and loving and fun, like a family getting together (but we bring our instruments and play music). My Sunday lunch at Grandma’s in Brazil is now a jam session on Monday evenings in Okitu. And just like a proper family gathering, there are a lot of great moments, but there are also some challenging times. Especially when we are getting close to a gig and finalising a new song. Those are the moments that bring us closer together. Like a family, it is about give and take. We lead and follow. Great music is about listening as much as it is about playing. We pay attention to each other’s tone, the timing, the dynamic changes and styles. And like a family, we feel the emotions that others are expressing. The songs we play and write are full of emotions that we express when playing. Doing that connects us on a very deep level. And that’s what us Latin Musos in Gizzy are doing. Making a family for ourselves far away from our Latin homes. The three bands playing on Saturday put in a lot of effort to make each song sound as good as possible. Because what we’re doing is important. We’re creating live Latin Music where it wouldn’t otherwise exist. And by doing this, a big group of people, coming from different countries and cultures (Brazil, Chile, USA, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, New Zealand and many more), have created a Live Latin Music community that makes us Family. So I invite you to come over and join us for this event on Saturday night where we will be celebrating our culture: getting together with people we love, and playing the music that we love! Our Family is having a party! Don’t forget your dancing shoes! On November 18, 2023 at the Dome, three acts will create music from different parts of Latin America. “Batu-cada Tairawhiti” will open the night with chilled drum beats, starting with a shamanic vibe building up to a more energetic sound. The band plays a variety of Afro-Brazilian hand drums and other percussion instruments. Second on the line-up, “Lars and the Clandestinos” will carry on with the show. “L&C” has an interesting set up where each one of their 8 members plays a variety of instruments. After they finish each song, you will see them rushing around and swapping instruments. It feels like if any sort of a sound-producing device were to fall from the sky and land on the stage, someone from the band would pick it up and start jamming with it. “L&C” plays a range of world music and for this event they will be focusing on up-tempo Latin pieces from Mexico and my home country, Brazil. To close up the night “Sonora Latina” will set the place on fire with a one-hour set of intense, upbeat Chilean Cumbia. Cumbia is high energy music that makes it impossible not to dance. The dance floor will get so hot you might feel like ringing the fire brigade, and if you do, please tell them to bring their dancing shoes. Story by Pietro Behar Images supplied.