A Council initiative to reinvigorate the Blenheim and Picton town centres by getting creative with vacant and underused spaces is set for launch at the end of October.
Space Create will be officially revealed at Café Create on 30 October, Council’s bi-monthly breakfast gathering designed to celebrate Marlborough’s unique blend of creativity and community. Guest speaker Anne Rush, who chairs the Make/Shift Nelson CBD revitalisation project, now in its eighth year, will share her insights about other activation models in New Zealand and internationally.
Arts, Culture and Heritage Manager Nicola Neilson said Space Create aimed to revitalise the region’s two main CBDs, with a particular emphasis on Blenheim, by activating underused and vacant spaces with creative and energetic projects.
“We have drawn inspiration from Make/Shift Nelson, Gap Filler Christchurch and Dunedin Dream Brokerage as well as other initiatives.
“The activations could include temporary public art, installations, community-led projects and movement- or recreation-based activities that bring energy, visibility and fresh ideas into the CBD,” she said.
“The programme is part of a broader movement across Aotearoa and internationally where creative interventions are used as a catalyst for urban regeneration. It also aligns with Council’s Te Atatū Arts, Culture and Creativity Strategy 2024–2034.
“By encouraging property owners to participate, we hope to support the creative sector to occupy vacant commercial spaces, public spaces, shopfronts, laneways and other overlooked spaces. This will turn these ‘gaps’ into a place local creators can test ideas and grow their audience. It also has the added benefit of creating vibrancy and enhancing the space or property itself giving potential tenants, customers and the community a reason to take notice,” Mrs Neilson said.
She is working with the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Council’s Play Advocate and other interested parties to deliver the project within the existing arts strategy budget.
“Once we have launched Space Create, we will be reaching out to property owners and potential creators with the goal of having the first activations from January next year,” Mrs Neilson said.
Go to more information on Café Create and the pending launch of Space Create on the Destination Marlborough website
