Henderson-Massey Local Board has commissioned a series of writing to celebrate Henderson.
The series includes short written works by Paula Morris, Nina Seja and Ann Poulsen, and a theatrical play for children by Renee Liang (Glucina).
The works were funded by the local board as part of their Outside the Square initiative, which aims to support community arts in Henderson and to cultivate a creative relationship with Henderson’s people, places and past.
The written works will be distributed free at a launch event and in purpose built book boxes in the weeks following. Designed and constructed specifically for Outside the Square, the boxes will be placed near the Japanese Garden and council buildings, at the Corban Estate Arts Centre and at Metlifecare Waitākere Gardens retirement village.
“Henderson is beginning to see a revitalisation,” says local board chair Shane Henderson.
“Our board has funded a number of initiatives to enliven the town centre, including the event Busking on the Bridge and murals by Kakano Youth Arts Collective."
"These new pieces of writing continue our drive to create a vibrant town.”
Four unique works
The four works focus on different aspects of Henderson’s history.
Paula Morris’ personal essay Up the Creek considers the role of Henderson’s creeks in Maurice Gee’s work and in her own life and writing. Ann Poulsen’s Memory of a Garden is a ‘close reading’ that activates the Japanese Garden in the heart of the Henderson CBD. Notes to a Human Specimen from Your Elders, by Nina Seja, is an inventive work that tells the story of Henderson’s renowned botanist Lucy Cranwell from the point of view of her specimens. Renee Liang’s (Glucina) play, Sofya’s Garden, is inspired by Croatian settlers and the fairy tales they brought to west Auckland.
“This creative project brings people closer to Henderson’s lived history and creates a sense of belonging and community,” says Rebecca Kunin, project manager for Outside the Square.
“The unique way the works will be distributed means that people will come across them as they go about their everyday life. I hope they provide unexpected moments of joy, reflection, and connection.”
For more information please visit the Outside the Square website.
