Performance OCT 9, 2026 AWE+ Emerging Artist Showcase VENUE: Whakaari An AWE+ Free Performance showcasing our 2026 Emerging Artists and composer, this programme traces lines of friendship, place and musical inheritance. This free showcase runs from 4:45 - 5:30pm.
Talks OCT 9, 2026 Winterstellar: At the Edge of the Universe VENUE: Whakaari An AWE+ Free Talk from Emeritus Professor Brian J Boyle exploring why Otago is such a special place on the planet for astronomy. Experience the majesty of our night skies, with a little bit of astrophysics and cosmology thrown in. This talk runs from 6:30 - 7pm and is free to attend.
Performance OCT 9, 2026 Radiance $70 adult, $25 student VENUE: Whakaari Radiance explores music drawn along the threshold between presence and distance, memory and vastness. From the incomprehensible scale of deep space to the intimacy of nocturnal reflection, musical lines drift, suspend, and hover between what is present and what is remembered, what is near and what lies beyond the reach of human scale. Part of the At the World's Edge Festival of Chamber music, this performance runs from 7:30 - 9pm.
Workshops OCT 10, 2026 The Art of Words – a writing workshop $49 VENUE: Whakaari From Keats’ ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’ to Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansson, art has long inspired screenwriters, poets and writers. Join poet, songwriter and editor Laura Williamson for a session set among, and inspired by, the finalists for The Adam Portraiture Award 2026. Workshop runs 1-4pm.
Talks OCT 11, 2026 In Conversation: Composer in Residence, Michael Norris VENUE: Te Atamira An AWE+ Free Talk with this year’s Composer in Residence, Michael Norris who will talk about his life and music. Part of the At the World's Edhe Festival of chamber music, this event runs from 3:45 - 4:30pm. Free to attend, no bookings required.
Performance OCT 11, 2026 The Line $70 adult, $25 student VENUE: Whakaari Te Atamira brings the festival to a close with The Line, a programme that traces music's most essential journey: from a single footprint in an empty landscape, through voices shaped by love, loss, and encounter, to a musical line forcibly rewritten by history, revealing music's enduring ability to connect us across time. Running for 90minutes, there are two performances of The Line: 2pm or 5pm.
Rangatahi (Teens) OCT 12, 2026 Art Space for Teens $22 Per week VENUE: Mahi Tahi Looking for somewhere to get creative after school? Art Space for Teens is a relaxed, supportive visual arts space for young people aged 14–18 to experiment, develop ideas and create on their own terms. Mondays during Term 4, from 3:30pm. Stay any time you like up until 5:30pm. Registrations are essential. Book individual classes, or the full term.
Tamariki (kids) OCT 13 - OCT 15, 2026 Afterschool Programme – Term 4, 2026 $20 taster, $180 full term VENUE: Mahi Tahi Looking for something creative for your tamariki after school? Our Afterschool Programme is a fun, hands-on space for tamariki aged 5–13 to get creative, try new things and build their skills alongside our talented Education Team. From 3:30 - 5pm, registration is essential.
Drop-in Sessions OCT 13, 2026 Community Draw VENUE: Puāwai 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 13 October, 6:30-8pm.
Exhibition OCT 17 - OCT 18, 2026 Whenu ki te Whenua | The Strands that Connect Us to the Land VENUE: Manaaki Mai 'Whenu Ki Te Whenua' invites you into Te Whare Pora (the house of weaving), where raranga becomes a living conversation between people, place, and the natural world. Guided by the kaupapa “the strands that connect us to the land,” this exhibition honours the relationship between weaver, whenua, and te taiao. Free to visit over the weekend 17-18 October, 2026.
Drop-in Sessions OCT 20, 2026 Community Craft VENUE: Puāwai 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 20 October, 7pm - 8pm
Drop-in Sessions OCT 27, 2026 Wānaka Community Nights VENUE: Wānaka Community Hub We are bringing our popular Free Community Nights to Wānaka! Join us each month for a free, drop-in night to explore diverse creative forms like singing, drawing, dancing, writing, sewing, and more. All levels and ages welcome - no experience needed. Come along and have fun with us! Next event: Tuesday 29 September, 6:30pm - 8pm
