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Next Auckland speaker

Brigitte Sistig

Ellen Melville Centre

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In September 2014 the lovely Courteney Peters, founder of Map to Auckland’s Magic Gather & Hunt, stepped into the CreativeMornings spotlight to talk to the Global Theme of Colour.

Did you miss the talk? Catch up above or watch the talk at creativemornings.com

Taking a chance is at the heart of every CreativeMornings chapter. It’s a chance the organizers take to start their own chapter, the chance a speaker takes to share their story and, of course, the chance the attendees take to get up early in the morning and listen. This November, we’re celebrating those uncertainties and risks with the theme of Chance.

The theme was chosen by our Sydney team and we were excited to have Sydney-based illustrator Jeremy Lord make this month’s theme illustration.

This month is all about taking risks and the opportunity or challenges that they yield. Speakers this month will look at what ‘Chance’ means at the intersection of creativity, as well as the role it plays in our daily lives.

Click here for more information on November’s Theme

For October’s CreativeMornings in Auckland we heard from Shane Bosher and Sophie Roberts, respectively the past and present Creative Directors of Silo Theatre.

Hosted by The Basement Theatre, and supported by Curative, Coffee Supreme, Antipodes Water Company, Little Lot and AUT.

Check out the full set here…

Hat tip to Courtney Peters and Kaan Hiini for capturing the day.

Morning People: Elise, Sam & Sophie

We have an amazing team of volunteers and partners who help us make CreativeMornings happen every month. We think they’re super cool and you should totally meet them.

This week: Meet Elise, Sam & Sophie, the hardworking team behind independent theatre venure, The Basement, our host for the October CreativeMornings

Who are you?
Elise Sterback, Sam Snedden and Sophie Henderson - the three-headed management beast of The Basement. 

What gets you up in the morning?
Getting to work with a whole heap of artists and help their mad and wonderful ideas find a stage.

Explain what you do in five words or less…
Herding artistic cats around a theatre.

What’s a surprising fact about you?
We are scone addicts, between us we eat about 8 every day!

What is your favourite thing about Auckland?
There’s the freedom to try out all kinds of ideas and careers. (And you can reach two amazing coasts in 20mins). 

Best breakfast you’ve ever had?
We are big fans of L’Oeuf in Mt Albert - their sweet black sticky rice with salted coconut cream and lychee is insane!

Best piece of advice you’ve received?
This the worst question. We debated it in the office for two hours and then, after much hopeful googling, gave up.

Who would you love to hear speak?
Dame Anne Salmond - she’s rad.

Secret Superpower?
Captain Planet - our powers combined!

Why did the chicken Crossover the road?
Because the other side contained more fruitful opportunities to combine art with commerce. 

The Basement is hosting us on Friday 31 October for CreativeMornings with Shane Bosher and Sophie Roberts. They’ll be talking about the handover process, crossing over from one persons creative vision to anothers. Tickets are sold out but jump on the waitlist and we’ll see if we can’t squeeze you in. Full details here.

Morning Person: Meet Courteney!

In September CreativeMornings/Auckland had absolutely lovely human, Courteney Peters speak about her venture, Gather & Hunt, and the colourful community that has sprung up around it. Since she is one of our favourite people in Auckland, and we think it’s time you all got to meet Courteney!

Who are you?
An Aucklander. 

What gets you up in the morning?
Most days, exercise. Other days, guilt. On Saturdays, my tummy rumbling.

Explain what you do in five words or less
Mapping the magic around us.  

What’s a surprising fact about you?
I have a degree in Aviation and a commercial pilot license. I actually got my pilot license before my drivers license. My mum used to have to drive me to the airport. 

What’s your favourite thing about Auckland? 
Its potential. Over the past 3 years I’ve been documenting the evolution of this city, and meeting the multitude of creative, gutsy people in it. It’s an exciting place to live, you never know what you might discover just around the corner.

Best breakfast you’ve ever had?
We held a Tasting Club at Welcome Eatery in August. Three courses with Supreme coffee and cold pressed juice. I don’t usually get to eat at our events but two guests didn’t make it so I pounced. It was so so delicious. That place rules. 

On a more nostalgic note I’d say a slice of hot buttered toast at my family bach on Lake Rotoiti. A good view and lots of happy memories make everything taste better.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Gosh my mum was full of them as I was growing up, she used to run into my bedroom every morning, sweep open the curtains and yell, “seize the day!” Her other favourite was “feel the fear and do it anyway.” I think the one that sticks with me the most though is the idea that the world is how you see it - you might not choose what happens to you but you can choose how you respond. 

Who would you love to hear speak? 
I would love to hear Steven Johnson who wrote the incredible book Future Perfect talk about liquid democracies. 

What’s your secret super power?
I have a weird affinity for faces and names and connections. In my head Auckland is a giant web of people and what they do and how they relate to each other. I often get introduced to someone and already know exactly who they are and what they do, and I have to pretend ignorance so as not to seem like a complete creep. 

If I were a colour, I would be…
Duck egg blue, because it’s quite gentle and calming and fits unobtrusively into most situations. I think it’s quite an idealistic colour though, a colour with with lofty dreams….

If you missed her talk, keep an eye on our pages, we’ll be sharing her video very soon. And if you need some tips on how to access Auckland’s magic you should definitely check out Gather & Hunt. 

Creative Mornings/Auckland with Shane Bosher & Sophie Roberts
Friday 31 October, 8:00am-9:30am
The Basement Theatre

Crossover occurs in our personal and professional lives perhaps more often than we care to think. It can be exciting, invigorating, messy and unsettling or downright nerve wracking, and we’re tackling the theme head on this month with our two speakers.

Delving into the world of Auckland theatre, we’re focusing on the crossover in Artistic Directorship that occurred at Silo Theatre in April this year. Having been steered into its current position through the tireless effort of Shane Bosher over a thirteen-year period, Silo is now under the guiding hands of Sophie Roberts.

Shane was initially employed by Silo back in 2001 and charged with rebuilding and re-branding the company, which was struggling or what people in the industry termed “the dark ages”. Over the next decade or so, he transformed Silo into one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed theatre companies. Stepping down in December 2013, Sophie officially took over the creative force of the company in 2014. The few months in-between saw the two working to make the crossover as seamless as possible. Firmly grabbing the theatre reins, Sophie is now leading company on a new journey as she implements a new focus and a new direction.

Sharing some similarities in training and focus, Shane and Sophie have both been through Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, and are highly regarded actors, producers, directors and playwrights. They’ve also been said to share similar concerns about the state of New Zealand theatre and the need for theatre companies, like Silo, to pour energy and resources into the development of Auckland theatre-makers. That said, Shane and Sophie offer different energies, priorities, passions and skills, which will form part of our conversation this month.

Join us for a conversation that will be crossing over to the audience too, so be ready to share your own questions, ideas and insights. Tickets go live at 11am on Tuesday 28th October.

In August 2014 Sarah Longbottom, Founder of the Creative Arts Initiative Nga Rangatahi Toa spoke at the Auckland CreativeMornings about the need for us to reframe the way we view failure, especially when it comes to our young people.

Did you miss the talk? Catch up above or watch the talk at creativemornings.com

Thanks to all of y’all who joined us at CreativeMornings with Gather & Hunt last month! It was so great to have Courteney Peters, founder of Gather & Hunt (and a CreativeMorning Auckland team member) sharing her fantastic colourful creative journey with us!

Special thanks to our sponsors AUT, Curative, Coffee Supreme, Antipodes & LittleLot! 

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