COMMUNITY PROJECTS
TOGETHER WE WEAVE @ Creative Convergence 2025
A RICI Inclusive Arts Initiative, Warkworth: 3rd Dec
Venue: Baskets Plus, Warkworth
Event Coordinator: Ursula Christel
Facilitators: Desiree Alexandre, Josephine Kaggwa
Visitors from across the community participated, including members from AIM, Mahurangi College, RWL Art Social Group, and Glass Ceiling Arts Collective. Activities included collectively free-weaving the 'Christmas Tree' grid installation using recycled fabric strips (from Less.Waste), and making woven paper hearts, threaded sticks and ''God's Eye' star weavings for additional tree decorations.
Installation displayed at the Warkworth Town Hall, Dec 5th
Interactive Street Art Project @ Creative Convergence 2025
A RICI Inclusive Arts Initiative, Warkworth: 1st Dec
The Creative Team - Event coordinator, Ursula Christel (RICI Secretary)
Facilitators: Desiree Alexandre & Shelly Gray (Tinker Designs)
Photographers: Myles Ray, Sue Hill.
Two 10m x 1m strips of recycled sheeting had been sewn together and lighty spraypainted, then used as the substrate to stencil, sketch and scribble on.
The 'Waterfall' installation was based on the Mahurangi River theme.
Installed in Warkworth Town Hall, Fri 5 Dec
Installed outdoors in Baxter Street Atrium, Warkworth, Sat 13 Dec
Interactive Street Art Project @ Creative Convergence 2024
A RICI Inclusive Arts Initiative, Warkworth: 5th Dec
The Creative Team - Event coordinator, Ursula Christel (RICI Secretary); Desiree Alexandre & Shelly Gray (Tinker Designs). Fabric strips from Less.Waste recycle shop, Warkworth.
A worldwide initiative that honours the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), through local, community-led sculpture courts.
ON DISPLAY GLOBAL @Creative Convergence 2024
Warkworth wharf , 3 Dec: 12.30 - 1.30pm (IDPD)
MOSAIC COLLABORATION 2013
RECREATE NZ
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
BRIEF: to design, create and facilitate an interactive project for the opening event of Recreate NZ's Art & Photography Exhibition.
The Recreate NZ logo and design was drawn onto marine ply. An assortment of broken coloured tiles were available for folk to attach to the board with tile adhesive. The entire mosaic was completed at the event, and later grouted and framed - to be proudly displayed in the Recreate NZ office.
Exquisitely Unique, 2011
A time-based project celebrating community, creativity, and diversity. Selected for 'How Diversity Works', an exhibition curated by Diversityworks Trust at Artstation, 1 Ponsonby Rd, Auckland
17 August - 3 September, 2011
Seventy-five participants from diverse ethnicities, ages, abilities, and backgrounds took part in a series of small group gatherings in local community venues. Inspired by the 19th-century parlour game Exquisite Corpse, each participant created one of four body segments—head and shoulders, arms and waist, hips to knees, or lower legs and feet. These were combined into “exquisite beings” and suspended within a netted frame. Photography and video captured moments of connection, laughter, focus, and creative exchange, and were screened alongside the artwork and later used in a short film.
Developed over six months and across multiple creative processes, Exquisitely Unique became a shared community experience. It brought together individual contributions into a vibrant visual response to How Diversity Works, fostering authentic conversation, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of diversity.
RELATED SHORT FILMS:
Exquisitely Unique' - a short film based on this community project was produced for the MyFilm project by Diversityworks Trust. Link to the film: click here
'The Gift' - another short film produced by Diversityworks Trust is a poem set to visuals celebrating my non-verbal son who has Angelman Syndrome (a rare neuro-genetic condition).
Link to film: click here
ROCK & ROLL, 2008
A Piano-Painting Improvisation
With thanks to sculptor Terry Haines for transporting the piano.
A disused weather-worn piano was cleaned and primed to be used as a painting substrate for the Rock & Roll themed exhibition. With the accompaniment of Rock & Roll music, guests at the opening event were presented with paints, brushes and sponges.
The artwork evolved as the evening wore on, each contributor adding personal marks, images, symbols and messages. Over the month-long duration of the Rock & Roll exhibition, visiting local groups and individuals continued to add their unique marks to the 'music of the canvas'. The final result was a fun, expressive, multi-layered, musical object that encapsulated the vibrant spirit of the Rock and Roll era.
Sense-ational Art: PLEASE TOUCH!
6th – 30th Nov 2008
A sensory interactive installation;
Estuary Art Centre, Orewa
Funded by a Creative Communities Grant
Sense-ational Art provided a sensory exhibition that encouraged people of all ages and abilities to become active participants in a stimulating gallery experience. Viewers were encouraged to interact with the installation through sight, touch and sound.
The constructions were collaboratively designed and created by a selection of Rodney artists and parents from the Motuora Special-Needs Awareness group at Red Beach School, Auckland. At the conclusion of the exhibition, the wall and floor constructions were donated to the Special Needs Unit.
The project and the installations were funded by a Creative Communities Grant and supported by donations of materials from numerous local businesses.
