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Some of New Zealand’s top stone and wood carvers will display their skills in the grounds of Leigh’s Sawmill Café this week, creating new works as part of the Labratta Netana Art & Music Festival, which runs until Saturday, December 9.
The 11-day festival also features live music from Cornerstone Roots on Saturday, December 2; Whitechapel Jak on Sunday, December 3; and Trinity Roots on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9. There is also a local art exhibition in the DOITS Gallery upstairs at the Sawmill Café, and the Little Labratta Lens photography competition for children and teenagers.
The festival is the brainchild of Warkworth-born Deon Nathan, who wants to promote the importance of protecting New Zealand’s natural resources by engaging people via art and music in a region that’s coming under increasing pressure from development.
“I was deployed overseas with the NZ military and the job was protecting natural resources, because if you do that, the quality of life and people’s wellbeing is more effective,” he says. “But we’re not doing that here in NZ. I worked with DOC when I came back and we do have a lot going on here, but it’s not always driven well. So it’s about protecting our resources for today and for future generations.
“The Aotearoa ecosystem in which we live is essential to our health, but also to our quality of life and survival.”
He says the sculpture symposium will connect people with the importance of protecting native trees (via wood) and rivers and water quality, using stone. Some 15 artists will take part, including ex-Hollywood actor and carver Lawrence Makoare, whose film roles have included the chief orc in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. There are prizes totalling $6000 to be won. Workshops are also being planned on the importance of natural resources and dangers facing it, including kauri dieback disease.
Info: facebook.com/LabrattaNetanaFest or sawmillcafe.co.nz/gigguide for live music details
Natasha Smyser with her Toi Paikea.
Actor Lawrence Makoare may have been a movie star but he is happiest when he’s carving.
