Stories

The former Chief Post Office in Cathedral Square has a 140-year history, and it’s about to be thrust into the 2020s in style. It’s going to be a 24-hour hub of food, drink, entertainment and commerce, right smack in the centre of the city. The Grand, as the restored brick heritage building will now be known, is one of the most ambitious private developments inside the four avenues since Riverside Market opened in 2019. The cornerstone will be 1879 Restaurant and Bar, giving Cathedral Square a new eating and drinking venue. But perhaps the most interesting aspect is the 24-hour deli, something sorely missing from central Christchurch’s scene. The Grand chief executive Darin Rainbird says it will be a hybrid of a New York Deli, a made-to order sandwich shop, and a smoothie bar, with coffee and food available at all hours for night-owls and weary travellers venturing out from the...

Art sanctuary Ravenscar House has taken the top gong at the 10th New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, with Te Pae and other Canterbury projects also picking up awards. Ravenscar House, constructed by HRS Construction, also took out the Tourism and Leisure Project Award, along with the award for projects valued between $10 million and $25 million. The project brought Ravenscar House, a grand architectural wonder, back to life in a new and more central location following irreparable damage during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The 2022 awards mark the 10-year anniversary of the prestigious New Zealand Commercial Project Awards, owned and run by Registered Master Builders. For the first time, the awards were held in Christchurch at Te Pae Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre, which also picked up the Civic Project Award. Toka Hāpai Selwyn Health Hub won the Health Project Award, and Ashburton's Muyrney Main won the $1 million to $3...

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is bringing a new Cinderella story to Christchurch this August, told by some of the best in the business. Coreographer Loughlan Prior and composer Claire Cowan, the creative minds behind 2019's hit ballet Hansel & Gretel, have reunited for RNZB's first national tour in over a year. Feisty, funny, and fabulous, Cinderella is the brainchild of award-winning master storyteller Loughlan, with a magical new score by Claire, and fashion-forward designs by the San Francisco-based Australian designer Emma Kingsbury. Read more: Grit in your pointes - Choreographer Loughlan Prior on RNZB's The Firebird with Paquita "Our Cinderella story centres around a quest for identity, true love and the courage to be yourself," says Loughlan. "The characters exist in a society of excess, titles and possessions, in which more is more; a direct parallel to the oversaturation of 21st Century living. Cinderella and Prince Charming must push against...

Rock up to Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū this winter to catch innovative moving image works by leading Māori artists. The gallery's newest exhibition, Māori Moving Image ki Te Puna o Waiwhetū, will be showing from Saturday 4 June to Sunday 16 October, featuring recent moving image artworks ranging from slick animation to 16mm film, and even a spot of karaoke. The exhibition is a rich collection of works that showcase differing creative perspectives on issues that are important to Māori, putting history, lived experience and radical hope at the centre. Visitors can expect a huge variety of look and feel, with subject matter including such diverse topics as World War II, tīwakawaka, and Christian Louboutin. Co-curator Melanie Oliver describes the exhibition as "a unique alignment of forms and concepts of toi ataata – visual art – with those of ngā mahi a rēhia – performance art.” The karaoke...

That's right – we missed out last year, but the visual spectacular stage production is bringing the magic back, and tickets are on sale now. If you're up for a trip to Wellington this September, you'll be well rewarded. All the Aotearoa and international finalists who didn't get to take the stage last year now have a chance to show off their stuff at a mind-blowing two-week event. The capital city will host an audience of over 60,000 from across the country, with designers coming from around the world. The show is legendary. With a new cutting-edge creative vision this year by executive creative director Brian Burke. Brian is a Las Vegas show-maker, creative producer of America’s Got Talent, and co-executive producer of American Ido. Each night the stage will come alive with incredible works of wearable art, dancers, aerialists, and foot-tapping beats. A digital effects team will add to the...

Canterbury gin lovers have another reason to sip and celebrate – there’s a new boutique distillery on the scene. Akaroa Craft Distillery’s first gin varietal is a stunning dry style that tells tales of its home – Akaroa Harbour – through local botanicals and a subtle seaside saltiness. The distillery is proudly local. It's named its first release, Hector’s Long Harbour Ocean Wash Gin, after Akaroa Harbour’s famous Hector’s dolphins, and the ingredients are all lovingly foraged from around Banks Peninsula. A portion of sales from each bottle of Hector’s Gin goes to the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust, to support the preservation and protection of these lovable ocean locals. The Akaroa Craft Distillery Tasting House recently opened in Rue Lavaud, and the Hector’s Gin is the star of the show. Pop in to sample the magnificent citrusy hit with beautiful herbaceous notes of mānuka, thyme and lavender, and a...

Christchurch resin artist Ann Ciciani takes a moment to tell Cityscape about her artistic process and walking her dog, as she prepares for the Christchurch Art Show. Tell us a bit about you – who is Ann Ciciani? That's an interesting question. I will let you know when I find out... What kind of art do you create? I create conceptual art. That means that rather than aiming to create a visual representation of an object, I create visual conceptual ideas. These concepts are designed to provoke the audience into a higher state of awareness of themselves and the world we live in thereby raising the consciousness of the collective – which I believe is the main purpose of us being on this planet: to contribute to our collective psychic evolution. Your works often have tonnes of incredible detail – what kind of process goes into making something like that? I...

Caitlin Crisp is an up-and-coming star of New Zealand fashion. Her timeless, easy-to-wear pieces are in trendy boutique windows around the country, and she’s dedicated to supporting local fabric and trimming suppliers. Caitlin fits Cityscape out with the deets on growing up in Christchurch, Project Runway and the evils of low-rise. We’re keen to get to know a bit about the woman behind the designs. How would your friends describe you? Motivated, loyal and lots of fun! Outside of fashion, what are your passions? I enjoy being outdoors and on the weekends you'll often find me sailing or on a hike with my partner. I also love a night out with the gals. What’s your favourite story about one of your Kiwi fabric suppliers? Ooh I have a good one. I always leave my fabric scissors around the studio in silly places so they end up being used to cut paper and...

From his studio in Wellington, Bruce Mortimer produces excellent artworks in many different styles, from fine art photography to expressionistic paintings. He paints us a picture of his life as he prepares for the 2022 Christchurch Art Show. Tell us a bit about yourself. Third Culture kid, creative from a young age, and a fine art photographer for much of my adult life before rediscovering traditional mediums. Ambidextrous, multilingual and difficult to categorize, I am no more an artist than I am the other pursuits that I have. I am an explorer and adventurer by nature, I renovate my own property, I play and listen to music, I have some enthusiasm for vehicles and mechanics, I am innovative, an athlete and I am interested in psychology. I trained as an earth scientist. I've left some stuff out because I get overwhelmed, let alone anyone else reading this. What kind of art...

You might call Duncan Nash an industrial artist, or you might just call him a guy who likes to get his hands dirty working with tin. He tells us about his bruises, interesting movie preferences, and upcoming display at The Christchurch Art Show. Tell us a bit about yourself. Well I'm an import, as I was born and grew up in the UK. I've always had a passion for art and building things. My dad's motto used to be "why would I buy one when I can make it myself," so that definitely inspired me to get creative. I've studied product design and illustration and worked as a graphic designer, screen printer, signwriter and technical illustrator. I love anything which engages my art brain and lets me learn new skills. I came to New Zealand in 2000 and made the move to Christchurch in 2012 to be part of the re-build....

The annual Christchurch Art Show Top 10 artists are some of the best Aotearoa has to offer. Each of these spectacular specimens of painting, sculpture and photography was one of the best sellers at least year’s Art Show, chosen by the art lovers who visit the show. The Top 10 always encompass a broad range of styles and media, proving Christchurch art lovers’ great and varied taste. Here are this year’s ten not to miss, in no particular order: Contemporary landscape painter Jane Riley from Kaikōura. Sculptor and figurative painter Odelle Morshuis from Central Otago. Graffiti and resin artist Rachel Rush from Auckland. Contemporary still life artist Janine Whitelaw from Northland. Floral contemporary painter Angela Maritz from the Bay of Plenty. Wood and resin sculptor Samwell Warren from Wellington. Traditional Aotearoa landscape painter Wayne Edgerton, Southland. Contemporary painter Yana Meech from the Bay of Plenty. Contemporary landscape painter Liz Turnbull from...

SCAPE Public Art will once again be gracing the streets of Ōtautahi with a themed series of sculpture and art, starting in early November and running through January next year. The season will feature eight recognised local and international artists, each of whom will design and install a piece of art to fit the season's theme: Sweat Equity. The term 'sweat equity' refers to the share a founder earns in their own company by increasing its value through hard work. Here's the explanation of the theme in SCAPE's own words: "'Sweat Equity' is a neoliberal fantasy, a pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps fairytale about how we can all make it if we work hard enough." Sweat Equity is the third and final theme in an overarching Fictions series set by managing curator Jamie Hanton. The first Fictions season was in 2020, themed Secrets and Lies, and the 2021 Fictions season was themed Shadows Cast. "Fictions...

All the entertainment you'll need for the month of May, on the small and big screens, books to lose yourself in and new albums to rock out to. Bingewatching on the small screen Stranger Things Season 4 If we had Eggos here in Aotearoa, we’d definitely be stocking up on them for a serious bingewatch of Stranger Things’ fourth season. It picks up six months after the end of the third season, and we’ll get to see how the characters are dealing with the aftermath. Whether Eleven will get her full powers back, what exactly the Soviets are planning, and what really happened to Hopper are questions we can expect no doubt thrilling and terrifying answers to over the course of the season. Anatomy of a Scandal A courtroom drama miniseries based on the bestselling novel by Sarah Vaughan. The life of Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller) spins out of control when...

What started out as a way to get more homegrown tunes on the radio all the way back in the year 2000 is now a fully-fledged, 31-day celebration of the talent produced right here on our shores. It is an anticipated event on our cultural calendar, and one that artists from up and down the country, established and fledgling alike, get whole-heartedly behind. This year’s theme is Level Up, all about shining a light on the up-and-comers set to be our next big stars. It is supported by a range of events designed to help artists upskill and advance to the next level of their careers, such as Synthonics Electronic Music Production workshops run by RDU 98.5. There will also be gigs, new releases, music documentaries and other special events throughout the month, so ways to get your groove on are basically endless. If you need an extra helping hand, check...

Rickie Dee and James Rigden started contemporary fashion boutique Superette when they were 21. Cityscape catches up with them two decades later to bask in some business wisdom. Congratulations on 20 years in business! Did you ever think Superette would go this far? Rickie: Thank you! To be honest, I don’t think we really thought about it. We were always taking it day by day. Not forecasting for the future in any way. We did have a lot of odds against us, being young, doing something that was so new and fresh, being in the back streets. But we were so motivated to do what we could to make it work. James: There were a lot of lessons learnt before we learnt how to forecast. That first decade was really about figuring it all out. I remember there was someone that was overheard saying “These guys won’t make it past six...

Here's an idea for your next office party or social get-together. Supa Karts has the meanest, fastest group activity in Christchurch: endurance kart racing. What's it all about? Well, you get a crew up to 48 people together, divide yourselves into teams, and take to the race track to test your tactics and driving skills in a relay event that’ll have you speeding up to 35 kilometres an hour, overtaking, and strategically pit stopping while your team frantically wave coloured flags at you. The Supa Karts team promise three things: it will get fast; you will have fun; and the unique experience will bring your team together in ways you never expected. Comes highly recommended for anyone with a competitive streak and a need for speed. supakarts.co.nz

Cityscape checks out the new health and wellbeing hub in Mandeville Street. This building has been well-known for hot yoga for over a decade, and the new-look studio is operated by long-time instructor Sarah O'Connell. Sarah describes the retrofitted studio as “cavernous” – it’s got a special feel. Unlike the light filled studios you maybe use to, Soul Studio’s colouring and dimmable lights give the ample space an intimate feel. The new fitout also features a modern sound system and the quality is clear as soon as the soundscape comes on. Soul Studio instructors teach a range of modalities including yin, vinyasa, restore, power and 26/2 (bikram). Inclusivity is fundamental nomatter your schedule, so first classes start at 6am and the last finish at 9pm.  soulstudio.co.nz

Koko, Sāmoan cacao, is pumped with antioxidants, magnesium and other life-enriching nutrients, and it tastes great. Two Christchurch sisters are making magic with this super ingredient. Sisters Lizzie Fa’avae-Vili and Faga Fa’avae are bringing a special flavour to Christchurch: quality baked goods made from traceable and sustainable koko (cacao) grown on their family farms in Sāmoa. Their bakery, named Sisterkoko, bakes delectable brownies using unrefined dark Sāmoan koko with its unique smoky taste.  The brownies have a distinctive smoky koko taste to them, and they're stunningly delicious without being overly sweet (a common brownie pitfall). Sisterkoko bakes limited batches, so if you're wanting to give this fad a spin while it's still in the 'pre-cool' stage, send the good sisters a message and pre-order some brownies well in advance of when you need them. sisterkoko.nz