Summer City (Wellington) Explained

Summer City was a summer entertainment programme staged throughout Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It was run from January 1979 to 1987 by the Wellington City Council’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Wellington Community Arts Council, utilising the Department of Labour’s Temporary Employment Programme (TEP), the Project Employment Programme, and the Student Community Services Programme. After the Government's funding ceased the programme was continued by the city council directly.

Two of the guiding philosophies of the programme were the encouragement of more diverse public use of Wellington’s many parks, reserves, and beaches, and to be a positive inducement for families to conserve energy by remaining in the Capital for their summer holidays. It was typified by the “Dell Season”, the anchor point of the programme, which attracted annual totals in excess of 100,000 attendees. Artists and technical staff were employed with the purpose of gaining experience and hence future employment.

Origins: Summer '79.

The Summer City programme started as a citywide outdoor performing arts festival, Summer ’79, created by Rohesia Hamilton Metcalfe of the Wellington City Council Parks and Recreation Department in the course of her work forming new projects to promote the public parks of Wellington.

Taking inspiration from the Artists Co-op's employing of artists in 1978 under the government’s TEP scheme,[1] [2] [3] Hamilton Metcalfe arranged full-time employment for four performing groups: Chameleon (a street theatre group headed by Aileen Davidson), Serendipity (a group of musicians headed by Michelle Scullion), Mask Theatre (a group headed by Murray Edmond) and the Gallery Dancers (a group headed by Paul Jendon and Jennifer de Leon).

Graeme Nesbitt and Len Nightingale were employed to help expand the programme and organise events. Dransfield House (355 Willis Street) was converted to office and rehearsal space for the staff and artists. Nesbitt added four People’s Park Days, several rock concerts, and a programme of Gamelan music and dance. Local restaurants and other artists, including several Artists Co-op members, also contributed to Summer '79 events.

The programme opened in the Dell at Wellington Botanic Garden on 7 January with a garden party that included a full afternoon of family entertainment (theatrical, dance, music, and readings) and a temporary outdoor restaurant. The programme continued until February 28, including themed events in the Dell every Sunday, performances at the Wellington Zoo and in the Town Belt, and People's Parks Days in suburban parks. The programme's success led to it being continued as an annual summer festival with a new name, Summer City.[4]

The Parks Department's focus on developing family recreation and promoting more use of the parks reflected the parallel work of Barry Thomas and others to intervene and utilise otherwise vacant or under-utilised spaces in the city.[5]

Summer City

Hamilton Metcalfe left the Parks Department in June 1979 and Nesbitt became the Director of the newly-named Summer City, now established in the Arts Centre at 355 Willis Street in Dransfield House.[6] [7] [8] Artists were given relatively free rein to create tours, events, groups, art events, music, theatre, and even magic shows. Venues across the city were jointly selected and timetabled to create a rolling platter of free summer-centred events. Employment went from being housed under the Dominion Museum to the Wellington Community Arts Council.

Artists, technical staff, and management were employed under the Department of Labour's Temporary Employment Programme (TEP) and Student Community Services Programme (SCSP) which grew into the Project Employment Programme (PEP) from 1982.[9] [10] [11]

Summer City was used as branding for Wellington City Council summer events through the 1980s, 1900's and early 2000s.[12]

The Arts Centre moved to the Band Rotunda in Oriental Bay[13] then to Toi Poneke.

Events and activities

The programme offered a very broad range of arts, entertainment and genres: concerts,[14] clowning,[15] portraiture,[16] face painting, circus,[17] dance, modern music, classical music, theatre, poetry,[18] film making, movies, story telling, festivals, comedy, magic, fine art exhibitions, flying lips,[19] travelling shows,[20] exhibitions, Oriental Bay pavement painting,[21] harbour spectacular, tagged fishing competition, sky diving, photography and making a film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-gfj0oZFrc.[22]

The Sun Festival involved 3000 school children[23] and attracted 60,000 festival goers and thousands of local participants.[24] [25] Composer Jenny McLeod spent three months in the lead up to the Sun Festival event (1983) teaching 1000 school children to sing her compositions, with the vision for them to be singing together in Oriental Parade in a massive open-air concert.

Town and Country Players toured the whole South Island by ferry and train,[26] Gestetner People's News published a daily newspaper, live farm animals madrigal singing, travelling tree house with native trees Punch and Judy, puppetry, Night Dance and lighting extravaganza, demonstrations of sky diving, dog trials, show jumping and trampolines, Peter Pan Pirate day, video games, donkey and cart, jazzercize, kitemaking,[27] Birdman competition, rock barge,[28] teaching: potting, yarn spinning hangis[29] All Nations Day, hang gliders, Town and Country day, motorcycle road race, haggis hurling, contemporary day,[30] National Play Day.[31]

Artists and groups

There were many employed and involved in Summer City and many went on to have established careers. In 1980 there were between 40-50 artists employed with the Student Community Service and the Temporary Employment Programme (TEP).

Artists (employed on temporary, project or one off contracts)

Up to the mid 1980s some of the artists employed included: Stephanie Arlidge, Paul Baeyertz, John Bailey, Ian Barbie, Rose Beauchamp, Jean Betts, Joe Bleakley, Callie Blood, Peter Boyd, Allan Brunton, Debra Bustin, Clive Carter, Peter Cathro, Allan Clouston, Andrew Clouston, Russel Collins, Jonathan Crayford, Terry Crayford, Gerard Crewdson, Alastair Cuthil, Peter Daly, David Daniela,[32] Peter Dasent,[33] John Davies, Tim Denton,[34] Anthony Donaldson, Neil Duncan, Murray Edmond, Martin Edmond, Janet Elepans, Fane Flaws, Rodger Fox, Garth Frost, Andrea Gilkison, Shelley Graham, Pamela Gray, Mike Gubb, Peter Hambleton, Megan Hanley, Neil Hannan. Ross Harris, Anna Holmes, Geoff Hughes, Deborah Hunt, Timothy Hyde, Alison Isadora, Paul Jenden, Bruno Lawrence, Jennifer de Leon, Stephen Jessup, May Lloyd, Louise Loft, Stephen McCurdy, Jenny McLeod,[35] [36] Kassie McCluskie, Bill McDowell, Blair McLaren, Jon McLeary, Rob Mahoney, Tina Matthews, Joanne Mildenhall, Jenny Morris,https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs Michael Mulheron,https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs Sarah Mulheron, Bronwen Murray,https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs Liz Ngan, David O'Donnell, Mary Paul, Stuart Porter, Jan Preston, Shaun Preston, Ian Prior, Jorge Quevedo, Alistair Riddell, Sally Rodwell, Barrie Saunders, Michelle Scullion, Roger Sellers, Brian Sergent, Duncan Sergent, Harry Sinclair, Rima Te Wiata, Allan Thomas, Barry Thomas, Edwina Thorne, Rochelle Vincent, The Wizard[37] [38] Tim Woon, Sally Zwartz

Groups

The programme up to the mid 1980s showcased some of the following groups of musicians and theatre companies:

Programme Directors

The first three managers worked from The Arts Centre at 355 Willis street

Staff and Technicians

Summer City staff

Wellington City Council staff

Radio

Ken Sparks and Deborah Nation were employed under the Art Centre to deliver regular radio information about Summer city for Radio New Zealand's National Programme.

Photographers

Venues

Venues were found throughout the city:

References

  1. Web site: Vacant Lot of Cabbages Curating Cities: A Database Of Eco Public Art . 2022-05-20 . eco-publicart.org.
  2. News: 14 July 1978 . Artist displays different art . 6 . Dominion.
  3. August 1978 . The Co-op History . Sheepmeat . 1 . 173414523.
  4. Bryant . Rod . 1980 . City of Wellington Summer '79 . Action (Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand) . 12 . 15–18 . 0111-3720 .
  5. Web site: 10 ExhibitionsWLGNR Art New Zealand . 2022-12-20 . en.
  6. Web site: Klein-Nixon . Kylie . 2020-06-28 . Dransfield House closes: End of era for first mayor's home, party venue . 2022-05-20 . Stuff . en.
  7. Web site: Dransfield House - Wellington Heritage - Absolutely Positively Wellington City Council Me Heke Ki Poneke . 2022-05-22 . wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz.
  8. News: 2 January 1980 . Garden Entertainment . Evening Post.
  9. McMillan . Ian . Spring 1983 . Artwork: An Experiment in Artwork for the Community . Art New Zealand . 28.
  10. News: Dodds . Andrea . 18 August 1983 . Sun Festival Closer to Dawning . Evening Post.
  11. Web site: Kia Ora Chief . 2022-05-20 . www.tpk.govt.nz . en.
  12. Web site: Rice . Geoffrey . 11 Mar 2010 . Summer City concert . 2022-11-04 . Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga . en-NZ.
  13. Web site: Search the List Oriental Parade Band Rotunda (Former) Heritage New Zealand . 2022-05-20 . www.heritage.org.nz.
  14. News: 17 February 1984 . Cusion Concert . Dominion.
  15. News: 26 January 1980 . Party in the Dell . Evening Post.
  16. News: Mackley . Ian . January 1984 . Arty Day at Dell . 2 . Evening Post.
  17. News: 8 December 1981 . Festivities even Better . Evening Post.
  18. News: 12 December 1981 . 1981 Emphasis on participation Summertime Entertainment . Evening Post.
  19. News: Sawyers . Terry . 13 February 1981 . Airborne Lips over Harbour . Evening Post.
  20. News: December 1982 . Lively Mixture of Music and Satire . Wairarapa Times Age.
  21. News: 6 December 1983 . Festival street artists . 6 . Evening Post.
  22. Book: Ephemera of quarto size relating to cinemas, movies, films and film screenings in New Zealand. 1980-1983 . 1981 . Yiorgos starts school.
  23. News: Sturm . Debra . 12 December 1983 . Dazzling colour, lights, welcome summer sun . 3 . Evening Post.
  24. News: 19 December 1983 . Sun Festivities draw thousands . 5 . Dominion.
  25. Web site: Sun Festival . 2022-05-24 . joebleakley.com.
  26. Book: Maunder, Paul . Rebellious mirrors: community-based theatre in Aotearoa / New Zealand . 2013 . 978-1-927145-45-6 . English . 861221640.
  27. News: 20 December 1982 . Summer City Festival offers fun for all the family . 7 . Capital Times.
  28. News: 13 February 1980 . Big Harbour show now on Wednesday . Evening Post.
  29. News: 9 February 1980 . Newtown to be small world . Evening Post.
  30. News: McAllister . Ralph . 11 January 1982 . Dell Day Enthrals . Dominion.
  31. News: 22 January 1980 . Everyone is welcome to National Play Day . Evening Post.
  32. Web site: Swinnen . Lucy . 2017-01-16 . From the summer of 1979 to 2017: a look back at Wellington's Summer City events . 2022-05-03 . Stuff . en.
  33. Memorandum to Director of Parks . 9 November 1979 . WCC, Summer City Files . 00012-1-5 . Wellington City Council Archives . Wellington City Council . Wellington, New Zealand.
  34. WCC archive memorandum 9 November 1979 DL4/64. D. Lee to Director of Parks re programme of events, artists, costs.
  35. News: Sturm . Debra . 9 December 1983 . Dazzling colour, lights welcome summer sun . Evening Post.
  36. News: 8 December 1983 . Festival's 1000 kids light her eyes . Evening Post.
  37. News: 14 December 1984 . Wizard to visit Capital . Evening Post.
  38. News: 20 December 1984 . Close Encounter . Dominion.
  39. Festival '79, parks, summer '79 programmes . https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/847967?keywords=00068-64&type=all&highlights=WyIwMDA2OC02NCIsIjY0IiwiMDAwNjgiXQ. 1979 . 00068-64 . Wellington City Council Archives . Wellington City Council . Wellington, New Zealand.
  40. Web site: Ben Burn Park, Karori, Wellington. Westra, Ans, 1936-2023 . 2023-02-27 . natlib.govt.nz.
  41. Web site: Rick Bryant on Rough Justice - Article . 2022-11-05 . AudioCulture . en.
  42. Web site: Wide Mouthed Frogs - AudioCulture . 2022-05-30 . www.audioculture.co.nz . en.
  43. Rip It Up (1 April 1986)
  44. Letter from WCC to Garth Frost 20 March 1979
  45. News: 22 January 1985 . Band's Beach Beat . Evening Post.
  46. Web site: 2011-08-26 . Maori artist uses colour to communicate . 2022-10-27 . Stuff . en.
  47. Web site: 2011-03-17 . Toi Poneke arts centre . 2022-05-22 . RNZ . en-nz.
  48. Web site: Hunt . Tom . 2019-05-05 . A 59-year career with the arts in Wellington ends with an email . 2022-10-29 . Stuff . en.
  49. News: Sturm . Debra . 11 Feb 1982 . Making Fun for the City . Evening Post.
  50. Web site: WCC, Summer City files 00012 . 2022-10-28 . Archives Online.
  51. Web site: Black . Peter . 1980 . Summer City, The Dell, Wellington, 1980 .
  52. Web site: Photographs relating to Town and Country Players 1980 . 2023-02-28 . natlib.govt.nz.
  53. News: 8 January 1980 . Plucking up Courage . Evening Post.

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