Click on any WASA!® media release below to view:
Jan 2012 - Twas a perfect day for letting creativity rip
Jan 2012 - Get your wildly creative canvases to Nelson Lakes
Sep 2011- Superheroes hit the wall and get planked for a good cause
May 2011- Wild and Sneaky goes underground
Feb 2011 - Wildly creative group activities and conference experiences sneak out
Jan 2011 - Continued support from Nelson Events Development Programme
Dec 2010 - Wild couchy generosity sneaks out just in time for Xmas
Oct 2010 - Highlights of the first ever WASA! festival
Sep 2010 - WASA! makes world debut with visiting WOW media
Sep 2010 - Wild appliance artist sneaks out
Sep 2010 - Wild glamour couple make Nelson home
Sep 2010 - First ever RAAAAAs sneak out at Broadgreen Intermediate School
Sep 2010 - Colour sneaks out onto Air Nelson luggage trolleys
Sep 2010 - Wild Tomato sneaks up on WASA!®
Aug 2010 - Why the name Wild and Sneaky Art?
Jan 2010 - Bold new art genre and fringe event receives council funding
Twas a perfect day for letting creativity rip
January 2012
A wild range of unique creativity ripped out on a perfect relaxed Saturday at Festival Nelson Lakes. Creativity, it seems, appeals to all ages and backgrounds and it soon became apparent that camp stretchers make very good canvases. Paint brushes and hands transformed fire guards, camp stretchers and lampshades, as Sika’s didgeridoo classes provided some very wildly creative and inspiring sounds in the background.
WASA!
® Director Nickola Blunt said, “With this kind of art you never know what is going to sneak out of people, and sometimes they don’t know either. It’s like a wildly creative adventure into the unknown, and even if you get a bit lost in the middle, it usually works out well. I love to see kids, parents and grand parents taking the time to get creative together and hear kids excitedly talking to their parents about what they have done and watch their faces smile big are when you tell them they can let their creativity rip."
Hats and ties were popular take away canvases. Husbands found their straw hats being commandeered for artistic purposes by their wives and a hat raided husband remarked it was his golfing hat so he hoped it better reduce his handicap by at least three! Swiss tourists Siegfried and Tabea were inspired to go wild with Tabea’s cap and Tabea took to an apron impressionist style as well and kids did some wonderfully funky embellished ties.
A visiting English primary school teacher said the experience of painting a shoe storage device had restored her faith in her creativity. Festival organizer Jan was a wildly enthusiastic model for the inspirational wild and sneaky toaster created by Elise Black. WASA!
® now has a very wild and sneaky collateral of community created art works and is considering a sneaky exhibition.
Thanks to Resene Paints for the brilliant colours, Paint Aids for the great paint brushes, the Nelson Recycling and Reuse Centre, Sport Tasman for the marquee use and to the Festival Nelson Lakes organizers for a well organized festival with a great vibe.
For more info contact: Nickola Blunt 021547091.
Get your wildly creative canvases to Nelson Lakes
January 2012. Click here to download media release in PDF format
Get your wildest, sneakiest and funniest forms of canvas, like tramping boots and tentflys, toasters, kayaks, sleeping bags, a billy, piece of wood or a stone, a toilet seat or your friends body (BYO body paint) to Nelson Lakes this Saturday. Let your creativity rip at the WASA!® artistic unleashment session on Saturday Jan 21
st at Kerrs Bay in St Arnaud in the sport Tasman Marquee from 3-5 pm.
There will be awards for the smallest piece of art work, most quirky, original, wildest rendition, most comedic artist, work that least resembles the lake and much more. No previous talent is required and all levels of creative unleashment are appreciated and welcomed.
Your wild creative piece can be preplanned, but must be done on location on the day. You can bring creative materials with you. Paint and brushes are available at the marquee. Wear suitably wild painting clothes that can get messy. Be prepared to take out what you take in, in keeping with the leave no trace environment policy.
These wildly original pieces will create a brief spontaneous marquee lakeside exhibition, which will act as a suitably colourful starter to the music, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Grant Dicker cooking demonstration, delicious dinner and outdoor film that follows.
Nickola Blunt, WASA!® director said that one of the best aspects of this kind of event is seeing how people inspire each other and have fun being creative without worrying what other people think. WASA!® is all about celebrating the unique and wonderful creativity in everybody in everyday life. She is always inspired by people and their creativity. Thanks to the Nelson Recycling and Reuse Centre for their generosity and support.
For more info go to www.festivalnelsonlakes.co.nz to register your interest ASAP as spaces are limited.
Superheroes hit the wall and get planked for a good cause
September 2011
Click here to download media release in PDF format
Click here to download instructions on how to make a wildly creative Superhero Wall Plank
Your wildly creative heroic actions are needed to unleash the kryptonite force of an inspirational kids’ superhero feature wall. Superheroes from the region and beyond are getting planked to celebrate the creative superhero in us all and raise funds for a great cause at the Playhouse on Sunday 25th of September from 11am to 4pm. Plank Donations go to the Starship Foundation which raises funds for Starship Children’s Hospital.
So grab hold of your superheroines/heroes, your business teams, organisations, friends and family to paint, glue, nail, laser and kryptonite your favourite super hero figurines to the planks provided. Add the names of your favourite superheroine/hero people to the plank as well. Add some artistic tension by adding the arch nemesis of your superhero or heroine, or funky props and background!
Take part in this day of fun for a good cause, a good laugh and a good day out. Dress as your favourite superhero; enter the safe planking competition or hero show-and-tell talks. Enjoy the music and see your plank become an inspiring community art wall at the new kids’ playground area and donate to the Starship Foundation.
The wall has already attracted local and international tourist interest and seems to have a universal appeal. Edouard, a regional visitor from Marseille, went especially to a local toy store and bought a crazy Pokémon® Pac Rat to add to a plank. He posed for a photo before heading home to France, leaving a small heroic monument to his stay in Nelson. Recent emigrant, Saija, is going to make Finnish superheroes for her plank. A consultant from Invercargill is off to her local recycling centre in search of super heroines to send up.
Kids as far south as Waimate are collecting their superheroes and discussing what makes superheroes special, like, “they do good things for people, they are fearless, don’t give up easily”. Several classes at Tahunanui Primary School, Broadgreen Intermediate and Nayland Kindergarten are also unleashing their creative kryptonite on planks.
The Playhouse is providing the planks as your epic palette of creativity. Head out there with your friends, donate as much or as little as you like per plank to the Starship Foundation and let your superheroes hit the wall for a good cause. Planks and glue can also be purchased from Bunnings Warehouse if you would prefer to let your creative kryptonite loose at home. Local groups, businesses and teams who want to do a superheroine/hero plank together can also head to the Playhouse or contact Nickola Blunt from WASA!® to
organise a heroic team planking session. We at WASA!® understand it takes courage to let your inner artist sneak out, remember it’s not about being perfect it’s about having fun unleashing your creative superhero!.
Donations to the Starship Foundation can be made to the Playhouse Café with each plank. The best three planks will also be auctioned off on Trade Me for the Starship Foundation. We are grateful for the support of the Nelson and Waimea Weekly and the Nelson Recycling and Reuse Centre. The wildly creative superhero wall was the idea of Nic Roland from the Playhouse and Nickola Blunt from WASA!®. It is a WASA!® Wildly Creative Collaborative Business Project. Nickola Blunt WASA!® director said inspiration, creativity, positivity and fun are vital components of a vibrant community.
Contact: Nic Roland, the Playhouse Café on 03 5402985 or Nickola Blunt, WASA!® 03 547001
9
Wild and Sneaky goes underground
May 2011
In a wild and sneaky turn of events WASA!® has elected not to uplift the generous funding it was successful in applying for through the Nelson Events Marketing and Development Fund this year.
Festival director Nickola Blunt cannot say enough about the positive support WASA!® has received via Nelson Tasman Tourism and the NCC and the many other organizations who have been so generous with their sponsorship in 2010. This type of constructive positive support makes the huge undertaking of organizing a new event possible.
The directors are passionate about the event and continuing to brew it wildly and enjoyably and all good things take time as the cheese ad says.
Expect wild sneaky fun things to pop up in the year ahead. Workshops of the wild and sneaky variety are now available year round for locals and regional visitors and the event/movement is already inspiring people outside of Nelson to have fun getting into action creatively.
We are excited about what the event has inspired to date and we are looking forward to
creating a wildly bright future in this great region says Nickola.
People can keep in touch by joining our facebook site on www.wasa.co.nz and keep up with events through www.itson.co.nz.
Wildly creative group activities and conference experiences sneak out
February 2011. Click here to download PDF brochure
Wild and Sneaky Art® Ltd has just sneaked out a range of fun activities suitable for conference delegates, work colleagues and groups of friends.
So if you're wildly scratching your head about what do do for your conference, delegation or team incentive session, the WASA!® wild crew can help you with icebreakers, fun relaxing social evenings, team optimisation sessions, themed events, surprise sneak-outs and other wildly creative ideas. The flexible sessions range from 30 minutes to a full day and are tailored to meet your budget and time requirements.
WASA!® director Nickola Blunt said the sessions are all about the joy and fun of discovering and unleashing your wildly wonderful and unique creativity and enjoying the company of your colleagues. She said that sometimes people feel a little nervous to begin with, however, they are all about encouraging people to relax and enjoy themselves.
Facilitated by people who are passionate about encouraging you to let your creativity sneak out without having a freak out, these special people understand that everyone is creative. They have seen many people transform from mildly terrorised, worried about what might sneak out and whether it will be good enough to flicking paint on canvases, painting tee shirts as well, breaking out into dance, shrieking with laughter and discovering the fun and power of creative collaboration.
For more information, contact Nickola Blunt 021 547091 or email info@wasa.co.nz.
Continued support from Nelson Events Development Programme
January 2011
A big, wild thank you to the Nelson Events Marketing & Development Programme, funded by Nelson City Council, in showing their continuing support to the Wild & Sneaky Arts® Festival in 2011.
The programme's objective is to help develop distinct events that will provide significant economic benefits to Nelson City, increase visitation in shoulder and off peak seasons and enhance the city's profile nationally and internationally.
Wild couchy generosity sneaks out in time for Christmas
December 2010. Click here to download in PDF format
Highlights of the first ever WASA!® festival
October 2010. Click here to download in PDF format
WASA! makes world debut with visiting WOW media
September 2010. Click here to download the Nelson Tasman Tourism related media release
International journalists from 15 high profile print and online publications visited Nelson Tasman this week, fresh from their attendance at the World of WearableArt Show in Wellington.
Participating in three advance WASA! workshops, journalistic creativity sneaked out in different directions at the beautiful setting of Nelson's Fairfield House on Sunday.
"The media were thrilled with their experience of WASA! The workshops immediately captured their imagination and seemed to instantly inspire creativity", said Astrid Fisher, International Marketing Manager at Nelson Tasman Tourism.
WASA! is all about people relaxing and having fun getting creative together and not worrying about having to be perfect. WASA! director, Craig Wilson, said that the visiting media seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to relax and have fun letting their unique creativity sneak out.
Wild appliance artist sneaking out
September 2010
Whiteware has just become the new canvas. This coming week, Pammie Moonlight will be showing people how to transform their appliances into funky, hip works of art at the Wild Appliance Workshops being held as part of WASA!® Festival from 2nd to 10th October.
Pammie says that when she first took to her kitchen fridge, her husband was initially a little unsure about the concept. However, having seen her latest cool BAA fridge covered in sheep, and the gorgeous Iris fridge - he is now a total convert.
Pammie firmly believes that art should be a fun, hands-on, learning adventure and that anyone can paint with a little encouragement in the right environment.
Many thanks to the Nelson Recycling Centre for their support. For more information, contact Pammie Moonlight 021855647 / 5447593 / pammie.moonlight@hotmail.com
Wild glamour couple make Nelson home
September 2010
If we didn’t already know that Nelson-Tasman is the most wildly creative place on the planet, the recent sneaky arrival of this outrageous colourful duo provides proof. Wild glamour couple, The Wasaroonians, hit town this week in advance of the Wild and Sneaky Art Festival being held in Nelson from the 2nd to 10th October.
The artistic pair are sneakily residing outside a central Elliott Street address drinking copious amounts of refreshing tea while taking full advantage of the fun and frivolity of the WASA!® festival. In an official statement the Wasaroonians said, “We love your region so much, we have decided to stay!” Once their festival commitments are over, the Wasaroonians take up their new post in a rural Brightwater vegetable patch to enjoy the bird life.
Created from old hay and other stuff that was mostly lying around just waiting to be made use of, the Wasaroonians are a collaborative effort put together by a Nelson household. They took around two hours to make amidst much laughter and hilarity. Their purpose is to make people smile and to encourage other residents to roll their sleeves up and get creative in any wild way that takes their fancy.
The Wasaroonians are available for public viewing in Elliott Street from now until the 9th October, at which time they look forward to being guests of honour at the fabulously outrageous WASA!® Wild Hair Ball, before embracing the challenge of their new scarecrow career.
For more information about WASA!® activities and events, visit www.wasa.co.nz
First ever RAAAAAAAAs sneak out at Broadgreen Intermediate School
September 2010
What is a WASA!® RAA – and just how did they come to be sneaking out around Nelson?
A wonderful story of how collaborative domino creativity has resulted in a new kind of art experience sneaking out into Broadgreen today and later in the month at Nelson Intermediate , courtesy of art teachers Jeana Packer and Robin Fairbrother. It’s raising the interest of other schools too.
WASA!® Festival Director, Nickola Blunt, and inspired art teacher and tutor, Jeana Packer, were discussing the idea of RAAs (random acts of art). Jeana liked the idea of students developing their own unique works of art that would randomly appear at school. The students simply loved the idea and got wildly inspired.
When Robin Fairbrother heard about the idea, she got wildly inspired too, which set off a chain events. When Impressions Picture Framers and Art Suppliers heard about the idea they donated a prize for the most popular RAA as voted by the students.
Jeana says, “Allowing the students to bring out their inner artist is a bit like putting the ball in their park. They brainstorm their ideas, refine them and put a proposal to me before beginning work on their RAA”. The beauty of the process is that students have complete ownership of and responsibility for their work, resulting in some amazing classroom energies. All students are buzzing with ideas – they can be creative, spontaneous and free – and for Jeana as a teacher, it has been an eye opening experience.
“I have had to let go to some degree, and trust in the process of encouraging the students to let their inspiration sneak out. It has been incredibly exciting to see how engaged and enthusiastic the students have been, sometimes even wanting to continue working into lunchtime”, says Jeana. She is also in awe of the originality and diversity of some of the concepts that have sneaked out, and after asking the students to write down their thoughts about the process, was thoroughly delighted to see how positive they were.
Here’s some student quotes:
"RAA is original. You can be yourself" – Sam McKinstry
"I like being spontaneous and really random" – Stevie McAllan
"It's brilliant because you are not told what to do. You don’t have any limitations" – Blake Winstanley
"This is a cool opportunity to show my personality in my artwork" – Susa Robertson-Burns
"It's fun! It's creative!" – Luke Hughes
"Its fun having the freedom to do what arty things we want” – Sam Roberts
"I love expressing myself in my own ways" – Jamie O'Meagher
"I love doing wild and wacky things that are art" – Serena Knight
Jeana says “these students have come up with the most interesting ideas- some bordering on the bizarre, some whimsical, some comical and some with serious global messages behind them. It’s been so rewarding to see their inspiring and original ideas sneaking out.
One group are working on a 'stop war' sign, incorporating little plastic soldiers on a stop sign covered in red paint. Another group of students are working on a mouse house, where the idea is that instead of dirty, brown little vermin, the mice are beautiful little creatures created by Mother Nature. Others are playing with the idea of sustainability and how we are creating too much plastic waste and the environment is suffering. Some are excited by the thought of decoratively wrapping a tree or putting large googley eyes on a building.
Nickola Blunt says working with Jeana and her Broadgreen students has been a privilege and that Broadgreen and Nelson Intermediate should feel incredibly proud of both their creative students and teachers.
The RAAAs are part of the WASA!® Festival’s Random Street Acts. This section is sponsored by MoreFM, along with the generous festival support of Nelson City Council and It’s On through the Nelson Events Marketing and Development programme. The Leader and The Nelson Mail have also been very generous in their sponsorship support.
WASA!® offers a wide range of workshops and social events celebrating creativity in everyday life and encouraging people’s inner artist to sneak out.
For more information, check out www.wasa.co.nz or contact:
Nickola Blunt 547 0019 / 021 547 091
Jeana Packer 0275 986 477
Colour sneaks out onto Air Nelson luggage trolleys
September 2010. Click here to view the article in the Nelson Mail.
Air Nelson General manager Grant Kerr said, “We are delighted to be part of the first WASA!®. Air Nelson is a big part of this community and we know our customers will get a big kick out of seeing their luggage arrive on the colorful baggage trolleys. We think it’s great the children were able to display their artistic talents, we just provided the canvas!”
The first ever official WASA!® art “sneak out” is happening courtesy of Air Nelson, Broadgreen Intermediate's after school art class and it's inspired art teacher, Jeana Packer, and a bit of creative inspiration by WASA!® directors Craig Wilson, Julia Kelly and Paul Libeau Air Nelson’s Airport Manager.
In the last ten days, students of Broadgreen Intermediate have been deciding what kind of WASA!® works of art to splash on the Air Nelson luggage trolleys.
Jeana said, “When Craig approached me with one of his 'wild and sneaky ideas' - that is, would my students be interested in painting trolleys at the airport - I realised this was a fantastic opportunity for my extension art students to create works in our community which are seen by the public.
The students enjoy the permission granted to them to create whatever works of art they would like on the trolleys. Their ideas flow as they sketch out all sorts of colourful, creative possibilities. As an art teacher it is refreshing for me to watch this transformation.
There are no inhibitions- it is their art work, they own it and they love having complete ownership over the whole process.”
Here’s what the students had to say:
"It's fun, random and sneaky”, Kanya . “It's exciting painting something in public" - Hien .
"It's a chance for people who come to Nelson to see how creative Nelson people are.” - Luke
“It's out-of-the -blue, joyful art" Laura . "Wacky WASA!®, a chance to show our true talents" - Matt
"This is a great way to express your own idea of Nelson" - Kate.
“I’m excited to see what’s going to sneak out”, said Nickola Blunt, WASA!® Festival Director.
This is exactly what WASA!® is all about, people having fun letting their creativity sneak out in everyday life.
The word WASA!® is a celebration of this transformational process that involves both the students and the trolleys. e.g. I WASA!® Air Nelson luggage trolley, now I am a moving work of art……….
Nickola is delighted by this wonderful local example of collaborative inspiration, domino creativity and generosity that provides local students with a great opportunity to let their creativity sneak out and add a little colour to the region. We are also very grateful to our Street WASA!® sponsor, MORE FM. This event is also supported by the Nelson City Council
and Its On through the Nelson Events Marketing and Development Programme.
“One of my WASA!® dreams was to have live wild and sneaky creative advertising that’s moving around in everyday life. This project has made it come true, it puts a huge smile on my face”, said Nickola.
People wanting to check the creative progress of the Air Nelson luggage trolleys can go to www.wasa.co.nz and click on the Facebook icon, or check out the trolleys when they are at Nelson Airport.
This is just the beginning of live art promotion and advertising. WASA!® is looking for businesses and individuals who would like to get into the spirit of ‘live advertising’ and moving creativity or promotion during September and early October. In the incredibly creative Nelson region, a huge amount of fun can be had with this concept and it can potentially attract national interest.
If you are a business, group or individual and you have a wild sneaky creative live advertising idea brewing that’s safe and respectful of public and private property, WASA!® wants to hear from you NOW. To find out more about the wide range of WASA!® workshops
for your inner artist check out www.wasa.co.nz.
“I’m also looking for businesses in the CBD that want to dress their building during WASA!®, because building dressing is another fun part of the WASA!® vision”, said Nickola. “We also want wild and sneaky knitters, creative wrappas, quirky quilters, car colour funkers and other wildly inspiring talent to add to the WASA!® brew. Those keen to show their fun and wild side can go to www.wasa.co.nz and fill out the supporter or volunteer section.”
Tickets for WASA!® are available from Everyman at www.everyman.co.nz. WASA!® program information is available on the website at www.wasa.co.nz. Thanks to Ricki Biggs Photography, Donna James Hair.
For more information contact Nickola Blunt Festival DirectorWASA!® 5470019 mob 021547091 or Craig Wilson 5472009.
Wild Tomato sneaks up on WASA!®
September 2010. Click here to download in PDF format
Why the name Wild and Sneaky Art® festival?
August 2010. Click here to download media release in PDF format
People often ask asked why the name Wild and Sneaky Art®?
First of all its fun. Secondly, so often people’s real talents (wildness) and uniqueness is somewhat caged because they are worried about what others think or whether what they do will be good enough and sometimes the only way for it to get out is to sneak out.
Our workshop facilitators (most of whom are based in the Nelson Tasman region) see people arrive thinking they’re not creative or feeling too afraid to try something new and leave with a wonderful piece of work, a remarkable experience, a big smile and new creative friends. They describe seeing people free their creativity as the most satisfying feeling in the world.
WASA!® is a celebration of creativity in EVERYDAY LIFE. It’s an acknowledgement that the most valuable currency in our society is the uniqueness of every individual. Nurturing this unique individuality and allowing it to unfold in ourselves and in others is central to our wellbeing and ability to flourish and prosper as individuals, races, nations and as a planet.
Nickola Blunt
WASA!® Festival Director
Bold new art genre and fringe event receives council funding
January 2010. Click here to download media release in PDF format
A surprising new locally born art genre is about to sneak into NELSON to celebrate the inner artist in everyone. WASA!® (Wild and Sneaky Art®) is Nelson’s new creative fringe festival “wild child” scheduled to make its debut over 9 days in October 2010.
WASA!® has received sponsorship funding for this year’s event from the Nelson Events Marketing & Development Programme, funded by the Nelson City Council. Sponsorship funding will be used to develop and market the event. The Nelson Events Marketing and Development Programme is funded by the Nelson City Council to stimulate Nelson City’s economy in the shoulder and off seasons, by bringing new spending through visitors coming to Nelson for distinct events.
WASA!® will be a festival that celebrates creativity in its wildest and most surprising forms.
It will offer a wide range of fun, creative activities and remarkable experiences to watch, or preferably experience first hand. The 9 day festival will offer a mix of free public events, ticketed iconic celebrations, workshops, competitions and more.
It’s about Nelson
“There is an enormous wealth of creative talent here and we feel our region has potential to make a big original new art genre creativity statement that further strengthens our image as a creative region people love to visit and benefits a broad cross section of the community”, says Nickola Blunt, Festival Director.
“This is an event that wants to stay in Nelson, we think Nelson is the perfect region for WASA!®. We want to see the whole community involved because creativity is for everyone. WASA!® is about the fun and joy of giving yourself permission to try all those new creative experiences you always wanted to do. The ‘Wild’ and ‘Sneaky’ challenge for Nelson and its regional visitors is to surprise even ourselves as to how creative we can be.
We envisage people attending events and taking a finished work of art home to hang on their wall ...or better still, people designing something to liven-up their own wall, fence or even mailbox. It’s not just about visual art, it’s about all arts, mixing your media, getting outside the square creatively and not being afraid to try something new, like put down a track/record music with friends.
Support from others
“We are extremely grateful to the Nelson Events Marketing and Development Sponsorship Fund for assisting us to let this event sneak/get off the ground, without this assistance it would be so much more difficult start an event”, says Nickola.
“We want to acknowledge and celebrate all the remarkable creativity in Nelson/Tasman already. Our many local artists - the Nelson Market, the Nelson Arts Festival, the Victory Community, the World of Wearable Art and Classic Cars Museum. The Recycling Centre Robot and great retail creativity in businesses, such as Go Clothing, Global Soaps, Coastal Trader, Palm, Shine and Eclectic. Also, Auckland Point School’s Dinosaurs in the Park Exhibition, Refinery Art Space, the hanging flower baskets on our main streets and the numerous other creative expressions that enrich this remarkable region for us all.
No other region in New Zealand has as much to offer creatively and we believe WASA!® will help reinforce Nelson’s position as New Zealand’s creative epicenter.”
Quotes
“At last we have some farsighted people in Nelson who recognize, that the time has arrived to Celebrate and Yahoo the very real fact that it’s time we hailed, applauded, lauded, the essence of what makes Nelson truly special. Its’ Creative People.
What is truly magnificent and timely about this project is that it is to be done from the place of Quirky Fun and Loads of Laughter. At a time when many feel burdened by the economic situation and the Fear Factor which pervades our newspapers and viewing media every day – here in WASA!®, is going to be generated the living and lasting proof of the wonderfully Humorous, Artistic, Heartfelt Essence that Speaks from the People of Nelson.”
Catherine Callaghan www.dancemoves.co.nz
“I am excited about WASA!® already. One only has to look at the way our communities collectively engage in participatory events such as the Masked Parade to glimpse the latent creative energy and enthusiasm that exists in Nelson.
This concept has the potential to establish an open platform upon which people, from all walks of life, are able to unleash their creativity without judgement, inhibitions or for any other reason other than ‘art for fun's sake’.
The fun of being wild and sneaky is WASA!®'s crucial point of difference, opening doors and enabling access for people to make their own appropriate creative contribution regardless of ability or circumstance.
In attempting to redefine preconceived boundaries around what art is, and who is artistic, WASA!® has the potential to engage and celebrate people in their ‘everyday lives’. WASA!® is effectively endorsing an ‘artistic licence’ for everyone, if communities embrace this concept and its’ goals become reality, we could be seeing an enhanced collective cultural identity where ‘everyday life’ may never be quite the same again...
“Life Jim, but not as we know it”
Lloyd Harwood, Arts Council Nelsons’ Community Arts Manager
END
For more information on WASA!® please contact: Nickola Blunt on 021 547 091 or 03 547 0019
Email: info@wasa.co.nz
For further information regarding the Nelson Events Marketing and Development Programme, please contact: Victoria Bruce-Miller Email: Victoria@NelsonNZ.com
