Archived Events

Unleash your power, passion, and confidence through every beat. Feel sexy, strong, and free- dance your way into unstoppable energy!

Saturday Arts Social is a multi-arts programme and morning tea designed for our 60+ community. We gather every Saturday morning for a broad programme of events including concerts, art workshops, dance/movement classes and artist talks. Next event: Saturday 20 December, 10:30am.

Join us on the third Tuesday of each month for Community Craft - a free, drop-in night to explore creative forms like writing, sewing, and dance. All levels and ages welcome. Come along and hone a craft! Next event: Tuesday 16 December, 6:30pm - 8pm

Come along to our Afterschool Programme lead by our new Education team, where we form a fun environment for creative learning for tamariki. Mondays - Thursdays | From 3:30pm | Ages 5 – 14

Join us with sketchbook and pencil in hand for Community Draw, on the second Tuesday of every month. No experience necessary - come along and embrace the joy of different approaches to drawing. Next event: Tuesday 9 December, 6:30pm - 8pm

Wriggle and Rhyme is a free weekly music and movement programme for ages 0 – 2, facilitated by Sunny Sky from EpicKids. Mondays, with two sessions available: 10am – 10:45am for Toddlers / Under-2s, and 11:00am – 11:45am for Babies.

Following a sold-out season at the Auckland International Film Festival, TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty comes to Wānaka.

'GRACE A Prayer for Peace' brings together filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston and artist Dame Robin White (Ngāti Awa) in an extraordinary collaboration. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the Director and Artist.

Following a sold-out season at the Auckland International Film Festival, TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty comes to Tāhuna Queenstown.

Join us at Te Atamira for an inspiring kōrero exploring the importance of collaboration in the arts with four iconic New Zealand artists and storytellers

Dance QT presents its End-of-Year Christmas Show. Saturday 6 December at the Queenstown Memorial Centre, from 10:30am.

Come find some 'new to you' clothes. This Christmas party is dress up - optional but highly appreciated!

Have fun sketching a series of animals and mythical creatures then turn them into creative self portraits! What creature would you be?

Who can resist the spirit of Christmas surrounded by candlelight and the warm, acoustic feeling of a cathedral?

It’s Christmas time again! Join Margaret O’Hanlon, a self-professed Christmas fanatic to sing your favourite carols around the Christmas Tree.

Spring Sessions are a series of original music evenings showcasing our local Tāhuna artists. It's time to put a spotlight on the compositions created from around our lakes and mountains we call home. ‍

Queenstown Arts Society invites you to explore the worlds of imagination, ambition, and reality in our upcoming Members Exhibition, Dreams & Schemes.

Declutter Your Digital Life: Tech Strategies for Creatives with Mike Reading, Using Technology Better.

Join Queenstown Arts Society for 8 weeks of classical figure drawing, guided by artist Kasia Hebda. Enhance your observational drawing skills and deepen your understanding of composition, line, mass, and texture through drawing with a life model in a relaxed atmosphere.

Join Southern REAP for a hands-on 6-week journey into the beautiful world of raranga harakeke – the traditional Māori art of flax weaving. Mondays, 13, 20 October, 3, 10, 17, 24 November, 6pm - 8pm

Unleash your power, passion, and confidence through every beat. Feel sexy, strong, and free- dance your way into unstoppable energy! Classes start at 7pm.

The Cardboard Project: Composing Creative Movement – A workshop for artists of all kinds

Roll up, roll up, Te Atamira’s Community Carnival is back and brighter than ever! Join us for a vibrant day of celebration and community as we raise funds in support of Te Atamira - bringing creativity to our community every day. Sunday 9 November, 10:30am - 3:30pm

Discover the stunning artworks that celebrate raranga, traditional Māori weaving techniques.

An evening of live electronica from multi-instrumentalist Henry Boyle as Trekkers Hotel. Merging rhythmic foundations of classic breaks with spacious, bass-heavy atmospherics of dub.

A celebration of local grassroots filmmakers showcasing recent short films, documentaries and music videos created by Otago and Southland creatives, presented by the Southern Filmmakers Collective.

The Queenstown Writers Festival is an unmissable event each November for anyone who loves books, words and insightful conversation.

Money Matters for Creatives: An Overview and Practical Guide to Financial Literacy with facilitator Mylrea Bell

Mīharo is proud to present an exhibition that celebrates the work of early childhood tamariki through to high school rangatahi based on the theme ‘Legends of our Lands - Our People, Our Places, Our Stories.’ Awards Night: Wednesday 17 September, 5.30pm

Spring Sessions are a series of original music evenings showcasing our local Tāhuna artists. Join us on our first evening for jazz compositions from Queenstown Funk Orchestra and Louis Koopman.

Led by Resident Artist Amalia Remus, learn the foundations of truthful, naturalistic acting for camera in a unique class building connection, confidence, and community. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 17 July - 18 September, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

For this AWE+ Free Event we are thrilled to welcome legendary local skier Jossi Wells for a conversation around how his movement on snow becomes a physical expression of his connection to nature. Sunday 12 October, 4:15pm

Our final programme, Horizon, explores the human need to explore, to bridge divides, and to aspire for more. Sunday 12 October, 2pm and 5:30pm

An AWE+ Free Talk with architect Fred van Brandenburg, who will be sharing with us about his architecture and its powerful relationship with nature. Friday 10 October, 6pm

Our Young Musicians Session is an interactive opportunity for local young musicians to meet, hear, and play alongside Festival Artists, truly experiencing the fullness of AWE. Friday 10 October, 2:30pm - 4:45pm

An AWE+ Free Performance showcasing our 2025 Emerging Artists performing a powerful selection of music from around the world, including the premiere of a new work by 2025 AWE Emerging Composer Lauren Doherty. Friday 10 October, 5pm

Reverie explores diverse forms, natural and musical, and the fluid space between form and freedom. Friday 10 October, 7:30pm

Join us at our open rehearsals, and experience the sights and sounds of our Festival Artists deep within their performance preparation. Observers are encouraged to move freely between the selections of rehearsals at Te Atamira. Friday 3 October, 10am - 6:30pm

This AWE+ Free Presentation features Festival Artist Erin Helyard introducing his harpsichord. Monday 6 October, 6:30pm

Claviers is a special Queenstown festival programme exploring the evolution of the harpsichord and piano, continuing the Baroque composers' exploration of nature-inspired aesthetics. Monday 6 October, 7:30pm

Learn about the process of creating cyanotypes in this hands-on workshop which reflects the use of the cyanotype in the exhibition Notes in the Border, Notes at the River, Notes from the Ocean. We will look at making cyanotypes based on text (from handwriting) and objects. Saturday 4 October, 10:30am - 12pm

Join us on the shores of Lake Whakatipu for the launch of Isla, a floating performance by Chilean artist Máximo Corvalán-Pincheira.

Join us at our open rehearsals, and experience the sights and sounds of our Festival Artists deep within their performance preparation. Observers are encouraged to move freely between the selections of rehearsals at Te Atamira. Friday 3 October, 10am - 4:30pm

Looking for an exciting school holiday programme in Queenstown? Join our September arts holiday programme, led by experienced art educators. Designed for tamariki aged 5-7 and 8-12, this creative, multidisciplinary programme inspires creativity through fun, hands-on workshops. Registration now open.

Join Southern REAP for a hands-on 6-week journey into the beautiful world of raranga harakeke – the traditional Māori art of flax weaving. Wednesdays, 27 August, 3, 10, 17, 24 September, 1 October, 6pm - 8pm

A rare opportunity to collaborate with one of Aotearoa’s most distinctive artists. Owning a “living portrait” goes beyond acquiring art, it is an investment in cultural legacy, personal storytelling, and the creative life of Queenstown.

Join Queenstown Arts Society for seven weeks of classical figure drawing, guided by artist Kasia Hebda. Enhance your drawing skills and deepen your understanding of composition, line, mass, and texture through observational drawing with a life model. Wednesdays, 13 August - 24 September, 6pm - 7:30pm

Vanessa Edwards returns to Tāhuna Queenstown, supported by members of the Toi Whakaata - Māori Print Collective, Alexis Neal, Jasmine Horton and Tessa Russell, to honour her mother and explore the role of pattern within visual culture. Exhibition open until 22 September. Artist Talk - Sunday 31 August, 11am.

Write, plan, shoot, act in and edit your own short film or series! Ages 13-18. Sunday 27 July - Sunday 21 September, 4pm - 6pm.

Come along to our Afterschool Programme where we form a fun environment for creative learning for tamariki. Mondays - Thursdays | From 3:30pm | Ages 5 – 14

Wriggle and Rhyme is a free weekly music and movement programme for ages 0 – 2, facilitated by Sunny Sky from EpicKids. Mondays, with two sessions available: 10am – 10:45am for Toddlers / Under-2s, and 11:00am – 11:45am for Babies.

Does your teen have bright ideas or just needs something a bit different to bring out their best? Join local entrepreneur Mason Kingdom every Sunday afternoon to learn tips and tricks to start, grow, or just dream about their own hustle. Sundays, 27 July - 14 September, 4pm - 6pm

Inspired by the Lost City of Atlantis, join practising artist and qualified teacher Lisa Duncan as students sketch & design unique sea creatures, treasure maps and ancient ruins from the Lost City. Students will then create a final painting adding mixed media treasure maps, enchanted plants, sunken treasure and their own creations to finish a final work. Fridays, 3:30 - 5:00pm. Starting from July 25th

Elemental speaks to the raw, foundational forces - earth, water, fire, and air - that shape both the natural world and the creative process. Exhibition open until 10 September.

Create your own bespoke slow-stitched bear in this creative and calming workshop led by esteemed embroiderer Dianne Van Brandenburg. Tuesdays, 12 August, 19 August, 26 August, 2 September and 9 September, 10am - 12:30pm

Come along for a relaxed and fun evening with Remarkable Theatre! A casual get-together with some light-hearted theatre games - no pressure, just a great chance to connect, have a few laughs, and enjoy some playful creativity. Next event: Wednesday 3 September, 7pm

Travel through a world of emotion and elegance in this intimate concert featuring exquisite string trios from Vienna, Paris, and beyond. Performed by a trio of award-winning musicians, this programme brings together some of the most beautiful and heartfelt chamber music ever written. Sunday 31 August, 11am - 12pm

Karanga atu, Karanga mai - calling outward, calling inward artists Vanessa Edwards and Jasmine Horton will share insights into their creative processes, the kaupapa underpinning their work, and the personal and collective narratives that inform their practices. Sunday 31 August, 11am

Grounded by the constellation Puanga, Karanga atu, Karanga mai artist Vanessa Edwards leads this workshop weaving whetū (stars) from hand-printed materials. Learn simple binding techniques to create meaningful taonga – a necklace or brooch. Saturday 30 August, 2pm - 5pm

Create your own wearable taonga using the cyanotype process while exploring whakapapa and whakawhanaungatanga in this hands-on workshop with Karanga atu, Karanga mai artist and jewellery maker Jasmine Horton. Saturday 30 August, 10am - 1pm

Acting for camera classes for our next generation of local stars! Saturday, 9 and 23 August, 2pm - 4pm

'Love and Information' is a fast-paced, funny, and thought-provoking production that explores how we connect in a world full of noise. Saturday 23 August, 7pm

Join Poet Laureate Chris Tse for a Poetry Masterclass. In this session, Chris will lead participants in reading and discussing several poems to explore a range of voices from contemporary New Zealand poetry. Saturday 9 August, 10am – 12pm

Let's move forward by learning to let go. Learn to loosen body stiffness by science supported methods, in a playful and safe manner. Move the way we were designed to, let's move like mammals. From Saturday 28 June, 10am - 11am

Pōneke trio vegetable.machine.animal tours their new album GUEST, blending electronic sound, analogue percussion and drumming skills of Kieran Monaghan, and biosignals of non-human band members including plants, fungi, and lichen. Wednesday 6 August, 7pm

Te Atamira and Emergence Magazine present Shifting Landscapes- a documentary series directed by Emmy- and Peabody-nominated filmmakers Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, exploring the power of art and story to orient us amid the complexity of our time. Two of the four films, 'Aloha ‘Āina' (47 mins) and 'Taste of the Land' (1 hr 10 mins), will screen on Tuesday 22 July at 6pm.

Sharpen your short story skills in this focused workshop with Caroline Barron. Gain practical tools to craft compelling fiction that stands out, deepen your understanding of the form, and inspire new work. Sunday 13 July, 9am - 1pm

Looking for an exciting school holiday programme in Queenstown? Join our July arts holiday programme, led by experienced art educators. Designed for tamariki aged 5-7 and 8-12, this creative, multidisciplinary programme inspires creativity through fun, hands-on workshops. Monday 30 June - Friday 11 July from 9am. Extended hours available.

Led by Resident Artist Amalia Remus, the Queenstown screen actors' practice ground offers scene work, industry insights, and training in genres, accents, improv, and auditioning to sharpen your screen skills.

The Feldenkrais Method guides students of all ages and ability to move with less effort and better function through its classes of gentle movement sequences. Improves posture, flexibility and co-ordination. Thursday's 29 May - 26 June 10:30am - 11:30am.

Join Queenstown Arts Society for eight individual classes of classical figure drawing, guided by artist Kasia Hebda. Enhance your drawing skills and deepen your understanding of composition, line, mass, and texture through observational drawing with a life model. Wednesdays, 7 May - 25 June, 6pm - 7:30pm

Turn Up the Music Charitable Trust introduces Magical Music with Erica for young children aged 2 to 5. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10am

A woman walks between the worlds of the living and the dead in search of her lost children. Join us for a special screening and director talk with acclaimed filmmaker Vincent Ward. Tuesday 24 June, 6:30pm

Wriggle and Rhyme is a free weekly music and movement programme for pēpē and tamariki aged 0-2. Join our facilitator Sunny Sky of EpicKids for this 45-minute class. Two sessions are available each Monday: 10:00am – 10:45am: Toddlers / Under-2s. 11:00am – 11:45am: Babies

This 5-week beginner-to-intermediate course introduces you to Procreate, a digital art app for iPad. Explore techniques, develop confidence, and bring your ideas to life with guidance from artists Christopher Barnhart and John Lihou. Mondays, 19 May, 26 May, 9 June, 16 June, and 23 June, 10am - 11:30am

Dance QT presents its Mid-Year Winter Showcase. Sunday 22 June at the Queenstown Memorial Centre, from 11am

The foundations of starting out as a screen actor, from industry insights, acting techniques, to practical audition practice and monologues or scenes for camera. Ages 13-18. Sunday 11 May - Sunday 22 June, 5pm - 7pm.

Join Resident Artist Amalia Remus as she introduces kids aged 8 - 12 to acting for camera! Saturdays, 10 May, 24 May, 7 June and 21 June, 2pm - 4pm

Join us at Creative Sparks for an afternoon of creative learning. Led by accredited art teacher, Michelle, this termly programme aims to foster curiosity and a love of learning in the visual arts. Fridays, Term 2 | 11am - 12:30pm | Ages 5-12

While the teachers are away, let the creativity play! Join us at Te Atamira for a special one-day holiday programme. Led by our experienced art educators, this programme offers a day filled with imaginative exploration and artistic fun. Thursday 19 June, From 9:00am

Explore Te Atamira during Open Studios Day. Drop in to visit artists’ studios, enjoy creative workshops, and experience local music and community activities for all ages. Sunday 15 June, from 10am

Type Here is Aotearoa’s newest typography poster competition, celebrating expressive and contemporary design. Themed 'Aotearoa now', this exhibition features winning entries covering a broad range of typographic work. Open daily until 21 June

Te Muka Toi | Te Muka Tākata is a four-day creative and cultural hui held in Queenstown and Wanaka, featuring workshops, discussions, and events that explore creativity, connection, and collective action. Saturday 14 June, from 9am at Te Atamira

Explore the art of songwriting with award-winning duo Aro in this relaxed and inspiring hands-on workshop. This is a rare opportunity to connect, create, and be guided by Aro’s unique approach to music-making, grounded in the spirit of Aotearoa. Friday 13 June, 1pm

Join award-winning duo ARO | Charles and Emily Looker (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Mutunga) for an evening of original waiata that weave together jazz, folk, and haka-infused pop. Friday 13 June, 7pm | Bar Open 6:30pm

Join award-winning duo ARO – Charles and Emily Looker (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Mutunga) at The Headwaters Eco Lodge, Glenorchy for an intimate evening of original waiata blending jazz & folk. Thursday 12 June | Bar open from 6:00pm | Performance at 6:30pm.

Unifying Threads presented by the mothermother collective explores visual and social expressions of patterns of connection. Of particular interest is how art is a medium of experience that represents our perception of the world around us. Open daily until 8 June

Come along to our Afterschool Programme where we form a fun environment for creative learning for tamariki. Mondays - Thursdays | From 3:30pm | Ages 5 - 12

Discover the tactile beauty of clay in this hands-on workshop! Join ceramist Stu Buxton from the Wakatipu Potters Group as he guides you through the process of hand-building your very own unique vase. Thursday 5 June, 6pm - 8:30pm

Join us for a charcoal drawing workshop led by artist Tori Beeche, designed to complement the Unifying Threads exhibition at Te Atamira. Explore how working with tonal range creates artwork that is both evocative and simple. Thursday 29 May, 10am - 1pm.

This concert features multi-award-winning musician Rakuto Kurano performing on violin, viola, and piano, with repertoire by Elgar, Gluck, Grieg, Kreisler, Piazzolla, Scriabin, Schumann, and more. He is joined by Christchurch-based pianist Kyle Hsieh. Tickets are limited for this unique concert. Sunday 25 May 4pm-5pm

Learn to release physical tension and trauma stored in the body, by using 4 easy skills. 12 April, 26 April, 10 May and 24 May, 10am - 11am

Explore the dimensional world of clay-making in this two-week workshop! Guided by ceramist Martha Matthews from the Wakatipu Potters Group, you’ll learn the art of hand-building to create your own unique candlestick. Thursdays 15 and 22 May, 6pm - 8.30pm

Join us for a two-part wire weaving workshop with exhibiting artist Jasmine Clark, as part of the Unifying Threads exhibition presented by the mothermother collective. Tuesdays 13 and 20 May, 10am - 1pm

Join us for an inspiring morning of conversation and creativity with leading voices from Aotearoa’s design scene. Saturday 10 May, 11am

Calling all creatives! Whether you work in design or simply love it, join us for a relaxed and inspiring evening connecting with fellow design enthusiasts. Enjoy a light dinner with Lloyd Osborne and Shabnam Shiwan of Auckland-based creative agency Osborne Shiwan. Friday 9 May, 7pm

Creative agency Osborne Shiwan brings TDC69 Aotearoa: The World’s Best Typography to Te Atamira. Featuring 202 winning works from 77 countries, the annual Type Directors Club award showcases design excellence and typographic innovation from around the world.

Explore memory, place, and change in Alta (2016-2024), Marc Blake's immersive exhibition. Featuring eight years of photographs centered on a solitary basketball hoop in Queenstown's Kawarau Falls Park, this dreamlike installation invites reflection on memory, isolation and transformation. Artist Talk: Saturday 5 April, 10:30am

Copyright Licensing New Zealand, Creative Rights Educator / Kaiwhakahaere Whakapā, Karen Workman will be in Queenstown and Wānaka for another insightful and practical workshop designed to demystify key aspects of creative rights and resale royalties now in effect. Friday 2 May, 9am - 11am

Start a new piece of writing or bring fresh energy to an existing creative writing project at this ekphrastic writing workshop hosted by writer Bethany Rogers. Wednesday 30 April, 6pm - 8pm