Over the past month we’ve been taking some time to introduce Gizzy Local, the kaupapa, the why, the how and the what.
When we’re asked WHO is behind Gizzy Local, the real answer is - too many people to count. While there’s a small core of us that have kept and continue to keep the wheels turning day to day, the reality is that Gizzy Local is a large and ever-growing community of people who give a damn about this place we’re lucky enough to call home.
Gizzy Local was founded in 2019 by two friends, Tom Teutenberg and Sarah Cleave. Sarah had this idealistic vision, and Tom had the ‘can do or I’ll figure it out’ attitude and skills to make it happen - and keep happening.
Sarah Cleave, that’s me. Gizzy Local is the latest and ultimate progression of what has been my life’s path since first traversing State Highway 35 through to the place that called me to make it my home in 2006.
With its art focus, the community development job at the GDC that I was overjoyed to get upon moving here, was quite different from any of the community work I’d done before. Never mind that I’d been documenting my life and writing poetry since I was a kid, or that I lived for music and dancing - I didn’t see myself as a particularly creative person. This new job felt like a whole new territory, and an intimidating one at that.
But as it turned out, the local arts scene here flipped on its head everything I had ever believed or understood of ‘The Arts’.My parents are craftspeople, but growing up in Whangārei, every piece of creative output had a practical purpose whether it was the clothes we wore or the houses my parents brought to life for us to live in. As I understood it, ‘The Arts’ were something that people of a certain demographic participated in, a high brow activity for the moneyed and cultured. It was not a world I’d ever felt I belonged in.
I remember the first art exhibition I attended in Gisborne blowing my mind. There were kids running around everywhere, and posh accents were in the distinct minority. Contrary to all of my assumptions, the arts community I found in Gizzy was inclusive and diverse, fun and edgy; keen to give things a go; and mostly just in need of some extra support to keep our sometimes sleepy inhabitants informed of all the things going on - encouragement to get off their couches and into the good stuff.
So a little monthly publication called Wasab! was born with the help of some very talented collaborators, Martin D. Page and Aaron Innes. Wasab! brought all of Gizzy’s happenings into one place along with a dash of uplifting storytelling (sound familiar?) and lived on until 2013.
On a personal level, finding this open armed community and discovering the true nature of ‘The Arts’ as something that anyone can partake in, was nothing short of life changing. Much of my days since have been spent trying to get in as many of these connective, transformative, uplifting and fun experiences as I can, whilst also trying to make sure that anyone else who might benefit from such things, knows they are happening and how they can get involved!
We’re five years into Gizzy Local now, and it is time for this kaupapa to spread its wings and meet its destiny. What is the destiny of Gizzy Local? I believe it is a safe and inclusive, fun and aroha-driven space in which our community get to know each other, be connected with each other, and the good things that go on here.
When it comes to Gizzy Local’s WHO in July 2024, I’m so rapt to be able to introduce a very choice, energetic and talented team who are making sure that Gizzy Local uses the wings it has grown to fly!
Sarah Holliday Pocock has moved over from coordinating local events to take the reins on the content front. Having been a natural and enthusiastic storyteller since she first learnt to talk, I know she will do an incredible job of ensuring that the powerful and unique voices and stories of Te Tairāwhiti get told and are heard.
Louis Harris-Murphy is Gizzy Local’s most recent recruit. As our new Venue Manager he is getting to channel his love for putting on events into getting our community space cranking!
Tom Teutenberg continues to take essence-capturing photographs to accompany our stories and keep our technology evolving and running tickety-boo.
Last but definitely not least, we’re very lucky to have Thora Pocock doing a three-month internship with us as our local events coordinator.
As I said many words ago now in this long winded introduction, there are many more people behind Gizzy Local than I can mention here by name: from our contributors, collaborators, the creatives that share our community space in Lowe Street and really, all of you that support this kaupapa of connection, of uplifting, of Gizzy and of its people. Kia ora!