Current projects
Explore projects from Jul 2025 - Jun 2026 supported by Arts Out East.
NFACT: Turning old into gold
Turning old into gold in Ormiston
This project aims to establish a safe, welcoming space where women from refugee and migrant backgrounds can come together to connect, share their stories, and engage in creative activities that honour their cultural identity, foster a sense of belonging, and build community.
The programme will be led by talented women who bring a wealth of knowledge and skills in art, embroidery, and textile work. These creative sessions will not only preserve cultural traditions but also offer opportunities for participants to develop new skills, build confidence, and explore their creativity in a supportive environment.
NFACT is working towards establishing a dedicated group in Ormiston, offering regular sessions where women can learn new techniques, share ideas, and eventually create a community-led mending and upcycling shop. As their skills grow, the women will have the opportunity to take on small projects, offering their talents back to the wider community.
This initiative will provide a vital opportunity for refugee and migrant women in East Auckland to connect, create, and thrive, ensuring they are empowered, supported, and celebrated as part of our community.
Visit Thursday 10th July 2025, from 11am - 1pm and fortnightly into 2026.
This was an Arts Out East project supported by Te Tuhi and Howick Local Board
W: NFACT
Howick Frames - Through our Lens
Howick Frames - A Platform for Local Creatives
📍6 Wellington Street, Howick, Auckland
Howick Frames is a community-driven exhibition initiative that brings art into the heart of Howick. Created in collaboration with Phantom Billstickers, the Howick Village Association, and a supportive local business owner, this innovative project transforms everyday spaces into opportunities for creativity.
Each month, a new set of works is featured, showcasing a range of mediums from painting and photography to textiles and design. The rotating exhibitions not only provide local artists with greater visibility but also invite the public to engage with art as part of their daily lives.
By turning the village into an open gallery, Howick Frames celebrates creativity, supports our artistic community, and enriches the cultural fabric of East Auckland.
Current Exhibition: Through our Lens
Through Our Lens is a curated collection of photographs by the Howick Photographic Society (HPS), a long-standing creative cornerstone of East Auckland. For over seven decades, the society has nurtured a shared passion for photography, fostering connection, creativity, and storytelling within the local community.
HPS brings together photographers of all experience levels - from those picking up a camera for the first time to seasoned professionals. Through a culture of peer-to-peer mentorship, members learn from one another, refining their technical skills while developing a deeper understanding of visual narrative.
The works presented in this exhibition reflect the society’s ongoing engagement with the community. Each image captures moments of connection, celebration, and everyday life, revealing the people, places, and experiences that shape East Auckland. Together, these photographs form a collective portrait - one that honours the richness, diversity, and spirit of the community, as seen through the eyes of those who know it best.
HPS website
Past Exhibitions:
Brendan Kitto: Howick Ward 2024
Howick Frames is a partnership between Arts Out East Howick Village Association and a local Business owner. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Ina Arraoui: Community Printmaking Workshop inspired by home
Community Printmaking Workshop inspired by home
Ina Arraoui is delivering two printmaking workshops in East Auckland this March, each exploring connection, culture, and community in creative and accessible ways.
The first workshop takes place as part of the Howick Cultural Food Festival, where Ina will host a drop-in printing activity with a food-inspired twist. Participants will create prints celebrating favourite dishes, cultural traditions, and the tastes of home.
The second workshop, on Saturday 21 March, offers a more in-depth, hands-on printmaking experience centred on ideas of home, belonging, and community. Participants will create a printed paper house using imagery and patterns inspired by what home means to them, from favourite objects and pets to gardens and shared spaces. Using upcycled Tetra Pak cartons, they will etch, ink, and print their designs before cutting, folding, and assembling their printed house. Creative prompts will help spark ideas, and participants can add their first name, age, suburb, and a short response to a home-themed question, contributing to a collective snapshot of our East Auckland community.
The workshop is suitable for all ages and abilities, with no experience needed. All materials are provided.
Ina Arraoui is a contemporary print artist, educator, and curator based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She is passionate about using printmaking as a tool for community connection and creative expression, often working with alternative and upcycled materials to make printmaking accessible and environmentally conscious.
Session Dates
Session 1 – Festival drop-in
Saturday 7 March
10am – 2pm
Top of Picton Street, Howick
Part of the Howick Cultural Food Festival.
Drop in anytime during the session.
Session 2 – Booking required
Saturday 21 March 2026
10am – 12:30pm
Nixon Park Community Hall, 70 Sales Street, Howick
Limited places. Bookings essential. (youth under 16 need to be accompanied by a guardian)
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Cindy Yunha Jang: Dancing in the Parks
Dancing in the parks
Dancing in Parks 2026 builds on a successful and well-loved series of free community events celebrating movement, creativity, and connection. The project brings people together through dance, transforming public spaces into vibrant, inclusive hubs of participation and joy.
We’re excited to announce that Dancing in Parks is heading east, right in the heart of Howick. The event will take place at Howick Green, 110 Picton Street, turning the town centre into a lively, welcoming space filled with music, movement, and community connection.
The day will feature community dance workshops, guest performances, and performances by local community and cultural dance groups. The programme will also include interactive dance games for all ages and abilities, alongside a DJ and MC to guide the day and keep the energy high.
Dancing in Parks 2026 is the creative vision and project of Cindy Yunha Jang, whose practice centres on inclusive, community-led experiences that welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and movement abilities. We’re excited to work alongside Cindy to bring this joyful, participatory project to East Auckland.
Confirmed programme so far:
Brittany Kohler: Dance Plant Collective - Choreographic Games
Ashley Kirkness: Project Legacy - Kpop
John Vaifale: Projekt Team - Hiphop/ House
Saturday 21 March
10am – 1pm
Bring the whole family along for a fun, feel-good day of dancing in the park.
Co-producers supporting this year Dancing in the park is Hannah Tang and Minami Otaki, University of Auckland Dance Studies graduates.
Instagram: Dancinginparks
Instagram: Cindy Yunha Jang
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Dizzie Pixie: Dream Weavers
Dream Weavers
Join us for a hands-on community weaving project where everyone is welcome, no art experience needed! Together, we’ll create a series of community dreamcatchers, inviting people of all ages and backgrounds to weave colour, fabric, and hopes into shared circles. Each piece will become a vibrant marker of belonging, showing how creativity can bind us together.
The workshops will be led by Dizzie Pixie, an award-winning mixed media artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. Known for her eclectic works made from reclaimed and up-cycled materials, Dizzie Pixie’s practice blends art and community, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds through playful, hands-on creativity.
Grab recycled fabric strips, write a dream, wish, hope, or story on your strip, and weave it onto a circular frame. Plait, chat, relax, and watch a vibrant, textured artwork grow. Every strip is unique, yet together they form a strong, colourful, and lively design, showing how each of us brings something special to our community.
Weaving is an age-old craft that tells stories and builds connection. This project celebrates creativity, wellbeing, and sustainability, turning unwanted fabrics into joyful, meaningful creations. Bring your own special fabric if you like, sip a warm drink, and enjoy a mindful, playful space that welcomes everyone.
Pick a strip, write your story, and weave or plait it onto a circle at your own pace. The artist will bring all the dreamcatchers together into one large, layered community artwork. Participants are then invited to return with friends and whānau to see the installation, a celebration of creativity, connection, and community spirit.
Workshop Dates
Saturday 28 March 10am - 2pm in the Cultural Hub in Ormiston Town Centre Book a time slot
Sunday 29 March 10am - 2pm in the Cultural Hub in Ormiston Town Centre Book a time slot
Choose a session and book your time to be part of the community map.
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Talia Pua: The Girl Whose Twin Was a Bird
The Girl Whose Twin Was a Bird
The Girl Whose Twin Was a Bird (or ‘Bird Bird’ for short) is coming out East this April School Holidays, with two FREE performances on the same day at Zabr'one Restaurant in Bucklands Beach, giving local tamariki and whānau the chance to experience high-quality arts in their own neighbourhood.
The show celebrates the grand opening of Petra Quek’s noodle stall, Flying Mee Hoon Kueh, inviting audiences to join Petra as she cooks her signature noodles live on stage. This heartfelt coming-of-age story about twinhood is told through puppetry and cooking, including puppets who cook!, blending storytelling, food, and imagination into a joyful, multi-sensory theatre experience for children and their grown-ups.
Bird Bird marks Talia Pua’s first foray into puppetry and her first solo performance, developed under the guidance of puppet mentor Jon, dramaturg Rachel, and the team at Papermoon Puppet Theatre, whose mentorship shaped the show’s distinctive visual and emotional language. Inspired by Talia’s own experience growing up as a twin and her Ah Kong’s noodle factory on Malay Street in Klang, Malaysia, the story explores the tenderness and uncertainty of growing into individuality, the enduring bond of twinhood, and celebrates the storytelling power of food, how recipes hold memory, bring people together, and pay homage to the vibrant hawker stall culture of Malaysia. After the performance, audiences are invited to stay for “Meet, Greet and Eat” to meet the puppets up close and enjoy a small bowl of freshly cooked noodles.
Come before or after the performance and enjoy some lunch or simply grab a coffee and some cake while you enjoy the show!
Perfect for: whānau and children
Zabr’one Resturant: 47 The Parade, Bucklands Beach
Cost: FREE
Date: Wednesday 15th April
Two performances on the same day, times coming soon
Tickets: Coming soon
Instagram: Hand Pulled Collective / Instagram: Talia Pua / Instagram: Zabr’one Resturant
Website: Talia Pau / Website: Zabr'one Restaurant
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Maraky Vowells: Clay and Coffee
Clay and Coffee
Join Maraky Vowells for a unique hands-on ceramics workshop inspired by her Ethiopian heritage and the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a rich cultural practice centred on gathering, sharing knowledge, and celebrating community.
Participants will learn both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to create a complete set of 4–6 Ethiopian coffee cups. More advanced makers will have the opportunity to craft a Jebena, the traditional Ethiopian coffee pot. Participants are encouraged to draw inspiration from their own heritage if they wish.
The workshops focus on the building stage of ceramics, with Meskerem handling the bisque firing and glazing. Participants can choose the colours for their sets.
The project culminates in a special Ethiopian coffee ceremony, where participants will drink buna from the cups they’ve made. All participants are invited to bring a friend or family member to this celebration. The ceremony will include incense, long grass leaves, music, small snacks, and live-roasted coffee, providing a full sensory experience of Ethiopian coffee culture. Participants can also collect their finished ceramic works at this gathering.
Dates and times:
Workshop 1
2 May, 9–12pm
Botpots East Studio
Shop 17, 2 Bishop Dunn Place, Botany
Workshop 2
9 May, 9–12pm
Botpots East Studio
Shop 17, 2 Bishop Dunn Place, Botany
Ceremony Day - This final session brings participants from Workshops 1 and 2 together to experience a traditional ceremony and receive their cups. they have created.
23 May, 11:30am–1pm
Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Memorial Hall
48 The Parade, Bucklands Beach.
Suitable for: All skill levels (age restriction 16+)
Follow Maraky: Instagram
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Sarah Cowie: Craft a Puppet Creature
Craft a Puppet Creature
Get creative in this fun, hands-on puppet-making workshop where fabric comes to life! Participants will transform soft materials into playful puppet creatures using simple, easy-to-learn techniques. With fabric, string, beads, ribbon, and decorative elements, you’ll design and shape a unique character inspired by the artist’s own puppet creations. Add a rod controller and watch your creature become a fully performable puppet!
Along the way, you’ll learn how to create shape and form from fabric, develop personality and character, and pick up basic hand-sewing skills, no experience needed. A selection of the artist’s puppets will be on display to spark ideas and imagination.
Once your puppet is complete, step behind a theatre-style backdrop to bring it to life! Perform, play, and snap photos of your creation in action.
This workshop is perfect for ages 8+ and offers an exciting opportunity to experiment with new materials, try something different, and build confidence in your creativity. You’ll leave with a one-of-a-kind puppet and a big sense of achievement.
Workshop Dates
Sunday 03 May 2pm - 4pm Botany Library Book now - small booking fee applies
Sunday 24 May 1pm - 3pm Highland Park Library Book now - small booking fee applies
Sunday 31 May 1pm - 3pm Pakuranga Library Book now - small booking fee applies
Choose a session and book your time to create a puppet creatures.
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Serena Stevenson: The Connection Project
The Connection Project
The Connection Project invited local mothers and motherly figures, alongside their daughters or sons, to take part in a free professional portrait experience. This photography project celebrates whānau, intergenerational connection, and the many forms of care that shape our communities. Through intimate portraiture and personal storytelling, the project creates space for motherly figures to be seen, valued, and represented.
Across two days, photographer Serena hosted a relaxed portrait sessions at Uxbridge Arts and Culture Centre, Howick. Participants received digital copies of their portraits at no cost, which they are free to print, share, or keep as a personal record of their connection.
The project extends into the public realm through a large-scale street poster exhibition, with A0 portraits installed in underground carparks at Ormiston Town Centre, Botany Town Centre. Each portrait linked to the participant’s online story, inviting the wider community to pause, reflect, and connect.
Exhibition dates:
This project is Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Sarah Walker-Holt: Handmade Organic Basket weaving
Learn how to weave a small basket using foraged foliage and a terracotta base.
Transform excess leaves and vines into a beautiful, natural vessel through mindful handcrafting. Enjoy this meditative process of coiling and weaving plant materials to create an organic, sustainable object — perfect for your home or as a heartfelt handmade gift.
This workshop is led by Sarah Walker-Holt, a local New Zealand visual artist and contemporary jeweller. Represented by Fingers Gallery in Auckland’s CBD and Art Industry in Clevedon, Sarah exhibits both nationally and internationally. Her current research explores the sourcing, growing, foraging, and processing of natural materials — with organic basket-making forming an integral part of her artistic practice.
Saturday 29 November 10am - 2pm in the Cultural Hub in Ormiston Town Centre Books essential.
This project is a Funded by Arts Out East. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Summer Groove Series in The Square
Summer Groove Series in The Square
This summer, Ormiston Town Centre will be buzzing with the sounds of East Auckland’s talented musicians. Over five weeks, the Summer Groove Series in the Square brings live performances right to the heart of the centre, creating the perfect soundtrack to your summer days.
Audiences can expect a great atmosphere filled with music, community spirit, and the joy of discovering local talent. The lineup includes exciting performances from Amylia, Jenni Smith, Niklas Meads, Matt Parkinson and Jack Robertson, each bringing their unique sound and style to the stage.
Whether you’re stopping by for some shopping, grabbing a bite to eat, or simply soaking up the sunshine, the Summer Musical Series offers the perfect chance to relax, enjoy, and support incredible homegrown talent. Come along for great music, great atmosphere, and a true celebration of local creativity.
Ormiston Town Centre
Saturday: 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec, 3 Jan, 10 Jan, 17 Jan | 12PM – 2PM | Free | All welcome
29-Nov Jack Robertson
6-Dec Jenni smith
13-Dec Jack Robertson
20-Dec Niklas Meads
27-Dec Jenni Smith
3-Jan Jack Robertson
10-Jan Matt Parkinson
17- Jan Amylia
This project is a partnership between Arts Out East and Ormiston Town Centre. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Bonnie Wong: Ormiston Community Map
Ormiston Community Map
Join us at Ormiston Town Centre to be part of a unique community art project, the creation of a giant, collaborative map of Ormiston.
Bonnie the artist will prepare the base map by laying out the Ormiston street grid on a large, floor-sized sheet. Community members will then be encouraged to contribute drawings of landmarks, houses, shops, and personal touches that capture the spirit of our neighbourhood.
The final outcome will be a community-built street map of Ormiston, reflecting both the place and the people who live here, this will be displayed in Ormiston Town Centre. Led by local illustrator Bonnie, this project is open to all ages, completely free to join, and doesn’t require any prior art experience.
Come along, grab a pen, and help us celebrate Ormiston’s story – one sketch at a time.
Follow Bonnie: Instagram
Workshop Dates
Saturday 08 November 10am - 2pm in the Cultural Hub in Ormiston Town Centre Book a time slot
Sunday 09 November 10am - 2pm in the Cultural Hub in Ormiston Town Centre Book a time slot
Choose a session and book your time to be part of the community map.
This project is a partnership between Arts Out East and Ormiston Town Centre. Arts Out East is a Te Tuhi programme supported by the Howick Local Board.
Jessie Kanji: Ink, Print, Play
Ink, Print, Play - with artist Jessie Kanji
These screen printing workshops are a series of hands-on workshop led by artist, researcher, and educator Jessie Kanji. The artist is offering a playful introduction to colour theory, pattern making, and the ancient craft of silkscreen printing. Taking place across the Howick Local Board area, the series includes three creative sessions using eco-friendly, water-based inks and a curated set of pre-exposed screens. Participants will have the chance to transform t-shirts, tote bags, or smooth fabric into wearable works of art. The first two workshops are tailored for adults (18+), focusing on screen-printing techniques, layering, and individual expression. The third session invites youth (12+) and families to join in, encouraging intergenerational creativity and shared making. Rooted in Kanji’s interdisciplinary printmaking practice, these free workshops are designed to foster community connection, creative exploration, and access to high-quality arts experiences. All skill levels are welcome, and materials will be provided, participants are also welcome to bring their own garments or fabric to print on.
Spots are limited – registration and booking fee is essential.
Workshop one: Sunday 20 July (18+)
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Venue: Ormiston Town Centre - Cultural Hub next to New World
Workshops two: Sunday 27 July (18+)
Time: 1pm – 4pm
Venue: Ormiston Town Centre - Cultural Hub next to New World
Workshops three: Saturday 9 August (12 +)
Time: 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Venue: Captain Musick Air Scout Hall, 64 Pigeon Mountain Road, Halfmoon Bay, Auckland
Book by emailing Jessie, booking fee applies $15, workshops are free
This is an Arts Out East Project in collaboration with the Howick Village Association. Arts Out East is supported by Te Tuhi and Howick Local Board
Siva Afi Aotearoa: Village Siva Afi
Learn Siva Afi - For Free in Pakuranga
Join us for Village Siva Afi, a free beginner workshop series introducing the exciting art of Siva Ailao Afi (fire knife dance). Open to ages 5 and up, these fun and engaging sessions are perfect for those who have never tried Siva Afi before.
Running across nine Saturdays from June to August at Pakuranga Leisure Centre, each workshop will teach the five basic Siva Afi moves, building towards a short performance routine by the end of the program. With support from Arts Out East, all registered participants will also receive a free practice stick to take home.
Workshops are led by award-winning tutors from Polynesian Entertainers, passionate about sharing this powerful cultural artform with the East Auckland community.
Spots are limited to 30 participants – registration is essential.
Workshops: Saturdays, June 7–August 30
Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Venue: Pakuranga Leisure Centre
Register here before Thursday 28 May at 5pm.
Amo: Email / contact 021 023 00599
This is an Arts Out East Project in collaboration with the Howick Village Association. Arts Out East is supported by Te Tuhi and Howick Local Board
Speak Out East (community cultural poetry at Botany Town Centre) showing now!
Speak Out East (Community Poetry)
Speak out East is a community-driven project aimed at utilising unused wall spaces throughout Botany Town Centre to showcase poetry from various community groups. East Auckland is a culturally vibrant community reflected in groups of locals who are eager to express their background and get involved in the areas they live. The project invites our community cultural groups to represent their experiences of living out East in their native tongue, providing moments of reflection, fostering connections and inspiration for visitors to the centre.
Featured poems throughout Botany Town Centre:
Speak Out East is a project delivered by Arts Out East generously supported by Botany Town Centre, Arts Out East, Te Tuhi and the Howick Local Board.