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Event Series: Saturday Arts Social

Saturday Arts Social

Drop-in Sessions

Oct 3, 2026

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

VENUE: Puāwai

Free

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 3 October, 10:30am.

3 October: Bird Song of the Whakatipu (with ecologist Dawn Palmer)

Join ecologist and conservation volunteer Dawn Palmer for a fascinating session on identifying bird calls. Dawn will share her expertise, along with captivating stories from her conservation work as she expands your repertoire of bird song knowledge, explores the seasonality and diurnal variability of birds, and even the meaning in their songs and calls. Birding requires mindful patience, and a willingness to expect the unexpected. We’ll learn about some of the Apps that can accelerate our ability to recognise and learn bird calls. You’ll gain new insights into the world as you HEAR it and you may gain inspiration for your next creative endeavour!

  • About your facilitator: Dawn Palmer is a local ecologist with an ever-growing passion for birding.  Dawn has worked with birds in Australia, the Sierra Nevada mountains and here in the Whakatipu where she has lived and worked as an ecologist for most of her life.  Sharing her passion and improving Nature Literacy is one of her greatest joys.  Nature is the palette that Dawn works with primarily through restoration projects of varying sizes and birds provide an amazing soundtrack for her life… although, she has partaken in a few of Margaret’s Beginner Singing workshops!

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10 October: Collaborative Creation – Floral Painting workshop (with Meg Cloete)

In this session, participants will work together to create a collaborative piece of Art. Using mixed media—pencils, pastels and paints—participants will be guided and supported while drawing inspiration from flowers and nature. This workshop is a fun, relaxing way to connect with others and appreciate the beauty and simplicity of nature.

  • About your facilitator: Meg is an illustrator and Primary School teacher based in rural Southland. Meg specializes in bringing joy to communities with giant, fun, doodle-style interactive murals where participants are invited to collaborate and leave their mark. She has spent the last two years hosting these murals at various events in Southland and Central Otago, as well as painting murals for Schools. Meg is a passionate teacher who loves to encourage others to be brave and confident in their creativity.

 

17 October: Encounter the Wonder of Brass Instruments – from trumpet to tuba!

Encounter the wonder of brass instruments, from trumpet to tuba! Session led by Turn up the Music School Director Emma Wilson. After a performance and demonstration to explain the mechanics of these fascinating instruments (accompanied by the always-wonderful Mark Wilson), you will get the chance to have a hands-on experience of your own. Making a sound from a hoseaphone is a unique and physically involving exercise! Come ready to try something new, and have a laugh making some randomly fun sounds.

 

24 October: Dance and More (with Nina Hermanns from ProDance NZ)

The dance session is suitable for mature women and men who love to move, laugh and socialise. The class is held in a welcoming and safe environment suitable for everyone. The choreographies are tailored to be inclusive and accommodating to varying mobility levels, promoting physical activity, mental challenges and social engagement. The atmosphere is festive and supportive, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among participants.

  • About your facilitator: My name is Nina Hermanns and I am a professional dance teacher, choreographer and dancer based in Wanaka, New Zealand. I possess a rich background of formal dance education studies (Bachelor Degree in Dance in Education, ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem, Netherlands). I have qualifications in Contemporary, Jazz and Ballet and over 20 years of experience in the art of dance. I have choreographed and performed as a dancer on stages in Europe, North and Central America, Asia and Australasia and taught dance in Europe, the USA and the Caribbean. I pride myself on delivering the highest quality dance education to my students. My commitment to excellence is reflected in my teaching approach where each student learns under my personal guidance.

 

31 October: Everything But the Medicine, a one woman show by Lucy O’Hagan

GP Lucy O’Hagan’s one woman show takes you inside a morning of general practice. Lucy plays 32 different characters in 55 minutes in a performance that is both funny and poignant. Author of Everything But the Medicine: A Doctor’s tale (longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards), all about what it is like to be the GP sitting alongside human stories. Lucy has been a GP for over 30 years, including 20 years at Aspiring Medical Centre in Wānaka. She has most recently worked for a needle exchange clinic and for Ngati Toa Rangatira at Oratoa Cannons Creek, Porirua.

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Drop-in sessions, registrations are not required. Free for ages 60+.

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For further information, please call 027 180 02868 or email hello@teatamira.nz.

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Thank you to Central Lakes Trust for their support in bringing creativity to our community.

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Details

Organiser

  • Te Atamira

Venue

  • Puāwai
  • Dart House, 12 Hawthorne Drive
    Frankton, 9300 New Zealand     + Google Map
  • Phone 027 1800 2868