Pushing on with arts-related activity makes sense

Large inflated rabbits radiate light at Sydney's Vivid Light Festival.

The Wanganui District Council by-election is up and running with a collection of hopefuls eyeing the vacant seat at the table.

Whanganui is at an important crossroad in terms of identity and the current momentum in arts-related activity is a direction worth taking.

Many years ago, when I was on the local arts council, there was a push to get the then mayor and council to adopt the marketing angle of being a creative community. Nothing came of it as they were totally obsessed with sport at the time and so Nelson nicked the label and the opportunity was lost.

Since then, the Whanganui arts community has steadily continued to grow in influence. A workshop/studio can be set up for a fraction of the cost of something comparable in the big cities. The expanding potential to market via the internet has added to the gravitational pull and the evolving critical mass of artists has made Whanganui a successful creative hub.

The evidence is there. We have world-class glass artists; the Open Studio programme sees increasing numbers participating and buying local artists' work; the move of the Sarjeant collection to the riverside while the glorious gallery building is rejuvenated has added value to the local cultural currency; the Opera Master Class remains a Whanganui event; and the Whanganui Musicians Club and Space Monster are famed for their unique venues and enthusiastic audiences and are an asset that should not be underestimated.

These two venues attract bands and solo performers from across the country and around the world and you have to get in the queue to get a gig there these days. The recently opened Riverside Bar has added another venue to the rich mix, and the musical flow also goes out as I can testify, having done a series of gigs in Germany last year with plans for tour dates to Europe again this year.

Whanganui is awash with talent and we can, with real confidence, mark our place on the map as a cultural, creative hub.

Cities all around the world work hard to try and attract the creative industries because they provide economic benefits. The adapting of historic buildings to new purposes, the intellectual energy (largely powered by coffee) brings cafes, bars and eateries which, in turn, grow an environment that draws more talent. Whanganui already has the core ingredients but needs to turn the heat up to make it really cook.

Whanganui people tend to think of the place as a quiet provincial centre but, in fact, we do many things as well as, if not better, than big cities. Having now spent time in Sydney, I can say Whanganui has better coffee, our shops stock much the same things, the river is a daily blessing and you can see two mountains and the ocean at the same time if you stand in the right place.

In terms of scale, Sydney does have an edge. We went into the city and spent an evening wandering around the Vivid Light Festival that is laid out across Sydney harbour. The opera house, bridge and buildings were all used as screens to project a dazzling array of effects and images.

There were startling light installations along the waterfront. A favourite was a family of large inflated rabbits radiating bright white light. Maybe it was a subversive dig at the colonial importation of rabbits to Australia which then became a hugely destructive pest or reference to the current Prime Minister's name when spoken with a true Oz accent - MR Abbott.
Terry Sarten is a Wanganui writer, musician and social worker currently living and working in Sydney. Feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz or www.telsarten.com