What’s On: Night Markets, Stage Shows & More Good Things For The Weekend

Plant a free tree, enjoy artisanal and local goods, and celebrate the influential work of Witi Ihimaera.

Head to ANZAC remembrance events

This Friday afternoon in Christchurch, Tūranga in Cathedral Square will host Voices of Gallipoli, an event where verbatim testimonies from veterans will be read aloud as an act of remembrance. The event will begin at 2pm.

Auckland Museum opens its doors with free entry for all visitors on ANZAC Day, directly following the Dawn Service, which takes place at 6am. There are various events that will take place throughout the day, including a pinwheel red poppy workshop, an interactive Peace Tree within the WWI Hall of Memories, Lest We Forget Poetry Competition and guided tours throughout the relevant exhibits.

Te Papa welcomes visitors to the Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition directly after the ANZAC Dawn Service, with free entry from 7am to 9am. The New Zealand String Quartet will also perform pieces of “reflectiveness and solemnity” throughout the morning.

Plant a free tree

A temporary installation in Britomart’s Takutai Square is giving away thousands of native trees as a part of the Greening the City initiative. The trees, which include akeake, nīkau and mānuka, among others, come from The Landing. While you can take up to two trees for free, there’s also the opportunity to make a donation to the Motutapu Restoration Trust, which works to repair and maintain the ecology of the island. The installation takes place from 11am-5pm today and 11am-3pm tomorrow.

Koha Apparel, a second-hand clothing company that focuses on diverting textile waste from landfills and providing clean clothing to vulnerable people, is being joined by The Fabric Store for a unique collaboration. Over 100 one-of-a-kind handmade garments, created for The Fabric Store’s blog, are being sold to raise funds for Koha Apparel and support the brand in its work. All of the proceeds will go to Koha. The collection can be browsed at Kohaapparel.com

Stroll a night market

Some of Ōepoti’s finest food and drinks businesses will be on display at Tūhura Otago Museum on Friday night, as the Wild Night Market kicks into gear. The locally made artisanal and organic produce will also be presented by the farmers, distillers and confectioners who serve the goodies up, with some opportunity to chat about the process of creation. Entry to the market is free, with food, beverages and live music all available to enjoy.

See a documentary

The story of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-17 has been told many times over. Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed a crew south, hoping to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. The adventuring vessel, the Endurance, was quickly trapped and then crushed in piling ice. The crew of 28 was left to fend for themselves on the bare plains of ice, with only the wreckage of their ship to support their survival.

In Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival, adventurer and environmental scientist Tim Jarvis follows in the crew’s footsteps to recreate the expedition, with directors Bobbi Hansel and Caspar Mazzotti capturing the attempt with striking, high-tech cinematography. The film also finds a poignant engagement with environmentalism, exploring how Shackleton’s leadership might be a useful model for tackling the challenges of climate change now.

Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival is playing in cinemas nationwide.

Learn about food waste and climate action

Catch Broods on tour

The NZ pop duo’s latest sonic offering Space Island was released early last year, and the subsequent tour has been long in the works. The album, celebrated for its multi-dimensional exploration of heartache, will finally see stages across the country from April 22-29. The sibling musicians will play in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington, supported by Merk and Rita Mae. Tickets are available through Banishedmusic.com

Explore an exhibition

Christchurch Art Gallery has a few excellent exhibitions on display this weekend. This collection, Ripple, from Fijian-Australian artist Salote Tawale, explores cultural identity and Indigeneity through multiple forms of self-portraiture. The artist “incorporates references to masi, Fijian tapa cloth, and archival photographs” through multimedia pieces, noting the crucial centring of the sea in the name of the exhibition.

Make for the Auckland Home Show

The Auckland Home Show returns in its 40th edition today, bringing over 300 exhibitors to the Auckland Showgrounds. The best in renovations, furnishings and home decor will come together for a busy long weekend, making it a must-see for anyone eyeing up change for their space. Amanda Magnus, the general manager of the Home Show organisers, says visitors “can walk away with a list of suppliers, competitive quotations and, in many cases, significant discounts over what they’d pay in a showroom or retail store.” The Home Show will also be happening twice this year — a second spring/summer showcase is scheduled for September.

See a show

Witi’s Wāhine, a “theatrical taonga” written by Nancy Brunning (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tūhoe), is set to bring the characters from the literary canon of Witi Ihimaera DCNZM QSM (Te Aitanga-ā-Mahaki) to the stage. Ihimaera’s writing consistently depicts characters who reflect the wāhine Māori that raised the author, from Nanny Flowers in Whale Rider to Tiri Mahana in Woman Far Walking. In Witi’s Wāhine, Brunning brings together a series of vignettes that explore the worlds of the characters, imagining the lives and experiences of these beloved literary icons in a new format. The production is presented by Auckland Theatre Company and Hāpai Productions, and comes to the ASB Waterfront Theatre from May 2-21. Ihimaera’s first novel Tangi has also been revised for a 50th-anniversary edition, which will be released on June 6.

BOOK AHEAD

Stroll through a photography exhibit

Fashion photographer and artist Luke Foley-Martin approaches the concept of light uniquely in an upcoming exhibition titled Staring Into The Sun. Striking photos of the sun are combined with more abstract imaginings of celestial bodies created by processes in the darkroom, with each piece boasting a pleasing colour palette and playful approach to composition. The results are intriguing and bright, and it’s a thought-provoking way to approach the relationship between photography and its main light source. The exhibition opens on April 28 at Skar Image Lab in Kingsland.

Watch a film (or deux)

The programme for the L’or French Film Festival Aotearoa has been announced and the lineup boasts “il y’en a pour tous les goûts — a different genre for every occasion”. Twenty-three films, from comedy to drama to art, will play across the country. Highlights of the programme include Notre-Dame on Fire, which recreates the gripping events of the cathedral blaze, and Simone Veil, A Woman of the Century, a biographical drama following the influential French health minister who advanced women’s rights and the legalisation of abortion in Frane. The programme and tickets for each showing are available through Frenchfilmfestival.co.nz

Witness thrilling acrobatics

The world-class acrobatic troupe Cirque Du Soleil will travel across the country in June, landing their impressive tricks in Auckland and Christchurch. Titled Crystal, the show will showcase the expertise of the artists on ice, combining athletic glory with skating prowess. Crystal’s artistic director Robert Tannion says that the show sees “the beauty of ice-skating blend seamlessly with adrenaline-inducing acrobatic and aerial feats.” The tour starts on June 16 and tickets are available on Ticketmaster.co.nz and Ticketek.co.nz