After 25 years’ nurturing by founder Deborah McCormick, public art programme SCAPE has a new director. Richard Aindow tells Cityscape about the weight of responsibility in his new role and the goals he wants to realise.

At its heart, SCAPE is about bringing communities together in public spaces through contemporary art – how will you put your stamp on that?

We are looking at ways we can amplify the public programming around the artworks this year and we have a few exciting ideas we would like to realise. For me, creating meaningful connections between artists, their ideas and the wider community is the essence of what SCAPE is and can be. For example, several of our artists this season are seeking to shed light on and generate debate about social, cultural, environmental or economic issues, so we would like to bring community together around their works – creating points of assembly for people to come together around and connect. Expect to see events, talks and action!

Curator Tyson Campbell has brought together an exciting lineup of artists for the season.

Yes. Many of the artists have strong messages to convey with their work and we don’t plan on being quiet about it. Their gift to the community will be multi-faceted: bringing groups and communities together, inspiring playfulness, generating conversations, even pushing comfort zones.

You have listed as priorities supporting SCAPE’s emerging and established artists and expanding SCAPE’s education programmes – what are some of your plans for achieving those goals?

There is a reason that SCAPE has reached the milestone of 25 years. The initial focus for me and the team is delivering on the strong programme proposed by Tyson, our new managing curator, our work to produce permanent artworks in Ōtautahi, and our highly regarded free education and wellbeing programmes. In the short term I am interested in exploring how we can best support our artists so they can focus on their ideas and concepts rather than the heavy lifting. Our education programmes are always immensely popular and get booked out every year. Children and teachers rave about them and I think they really are an incredible asset to give the community. I’d love to explore funding options to be able to offer them all year round.

You saw a fair bit of New Zealand before settling in Christchurch in 2021 – find the right place in the end then?

We have two young children and wanted Nana and Grandad to be able to spend more time with their grandchildren. We are also excited to be back in Te Waipounamu after a decade in Wellington. The energy around Christchurch now is exciting and infectious: Creative New Zealand CEO Stephen Wainwright was playing to the crowd when he described Ōtautahi as the creative powerhouse of Aotearoa, but I’m happy to lean into that!

What can you tell us about your home town of Preston, in Lancashire?

Preston is the industrial city in northwest England that provided inspiration for Charles Dickens when he wrote Hard Times. A dark satanic mill town turned service city. Happily for me, it wasn’t hard times growing up there. I spent a lot of time on the fells and in the mountains with friends who have been with me from pre-school: the 12 of us still message daily. Looking back, I feel very fortunate. What brought you to New Zealand? I arrived in 2004 for a ski season in Queenstown, a longer stop while I travelled the world, and then never left. After the season I travelled to Nelson on my way through Aotearoa. I fell in love with the city so gave myself 24 hours to find a job. I got one and the rest is history. Tell us about your life in Christchurch? My wife grew up
in Rakaia so we moved from Wellington to be closer to her parents and live semi-rurally south of the city. Our children are five and three so take up most of my focus outside of work, with adventures and activities. I am also an arts assessor in Selwyn District and have other arts projects to pack in.

What’s your favourite way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

We have branded Saturdays “family fundays”, where we spend the day together exploring the arts, events and outside. As a consequence, often Sunday afternoon is more gardening and life administration. Podcasts have changed my relationship with weeding and pruning for the better.

SCAPE Public Art Season 2023, Saturday 25 Nov 2023 – Sat 17 Feb 2024

scapepublicart.org.nz