April 12th and 13th 2025
Workshops and Presenters
NORTH WAIKATO SUTAINABLE ARTS FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS ARE FACILITATED BY EXPERIENCED ARTISTS
Sessions include workshops on Mixed Media, Collage, Painting, Maori Art (Nga Toi), Raranga, Contemporary Korowai, journal making workshops, crafts from recycled materials, exhibitions, yoga classes. talks on organic gardening and bee-keeping, Rongoa - plus more. We aim to create an atmosphere that is inclusive and inspiring, a space to learn new skills, and collaborate to create a more sustainable world. Our workshops and presenters are listed below.
ALL ARE WELCOME
JANE CROSBIE mixed media art workshops
Jane Crosbie is the festivals painting tutor this year. Jane is a contemporary Waikato artist who has exhibited internationally. Her major exhibitions have been in Dubai and the Middle East, as well as New Zealand. Her bold multi-layered originals painted with palette knives in oils, acrylics and mixed media have sold all over the world. Jane’s portraits, landscapes, seascapes, animal paintings, and equine art can be viewed in her Pokeno studio where she teaches art.
Jane's passions are sustainability and Kaitiakitanga. She uses art to turn waste into worth, to make people aware that nothing disappears, everything is transformed in our world. This weekend using mixed media and the paper arts Jane will take you on a journey transforming beautiful paper and fabric offcuts into art, unlocking your artist within. Paper is a wonderful material to work with. It's versatile, strong, light, and can be opaque, transparent, colourful, and very beautiful. Its light qualities mean anyone can work with it anywhere and transport it easily. When we recycle and reuse paper our creations become a metaphor of the kindness we need to have towards our planet.
Join Jane for a fun mixed media weekend and find your artistic voice. No art experience necessary. Beginners are welcomed and materials are supplied. There are no mistakes in Janes workshops, only opportunities to grow. All of Janes mixed media workshops are listed below.
ARTIST JANE CROSBIE Beautiful Books Workshop
Become a book artist. In this 5 hour workshop we will be recycling and altering ex-library books to create beautiful personal artistic journals - gratitude journals, travel journals, gardening journals, art journals, comfort journals, you choose how you want to use your journals. You will create your own fabric book covers from beautiful repurposed textile offcuts. Then you will collage, draw, paint, or glue your own art, or favourite papers and fabrics into your book to embellish your own pages. You will take home your journals at the end of the workshop. Books plus all the materials to create your journals are provided. However, feel free to bring along any other special things you would like to incorporate into your personal journals..
At the heart of the festivals mission is the promotion of upcycling, Our mission is to use art as a tool for transformation to inspire people to contribute to sustainable practices. Creating these handcrafted journals using repurposed books and textile off-cuts reflects our mission to turn waste into worth. Creating with reclaimed materials is a fun, creative, sustainable way of protecting our planet. Cost $20.00 for the day. Limited spaces so book NOW. Email janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for this workshop. This workshop is designed to cater to all skill levels. Please wear old clothes as you could get messy. All children under 14 must be accompanied by a care-giver or parent.
Kaiako AMBER FONUA Mahi Raranga Workshop
AMBER FONUA is currently a weaving kaiako at the Te Wananga o Aotearoa Māngere campus. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is an indigenous tertiary education provider with over 80 campuses in New Zealand. As well as the important work of handing down ancestral teachings to a new generation of weavers, Amber is adamant that the practice of indigenous weaving can bring about healing and ongoing well-being for all those that participate.
Join us Saturday and Sunday for all day workshops and come away with a deepened understanding of the customs and skills of traditional Māori weaving, Mahi Raranga with harakeke, and take home your own craft creations. Cost $20.00 each for Saturday and $20.00 each for Sunday. All materials provided. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out! Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for Amber's workshop.
Sculpture Walk - an Exhibition by PHILIP CROSBIE
PHIL CROSBIE is an international award winning stainless steel fabricator and contemporary sculptor. In a must-see exhibition Phil is showing seven of his beautifully designed and crafted contemporary stainless steel sculptures at the festival.
North Waikato Sustainable Art Festivals mission is to inspire people to engage with art, nature, and sustainability. Phil has designed a small sculpture walk around the festival gardens. Stainless Steel lasts for ever - its difficult to get a more sustainable material. The festival is privileged to have an exhibition of seven stunning stainless steel sculptures created by an international award winning artist.
Join Phil as he takes you for a sculpture walk on Sunday at 2pm. Cost $5.00 each. Places are limited so pre-booking your place will guarantee entry on your chosen day. Don't miss out! It is an unusual opportunity to meet and talk to the international award winning artist who designs and creates the sculpture. Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register.
FAITH CROSBIE The Art of Yoga
Yoga is a portable art form as well as a physical activity used for fitness and wellbeing, It is also a pastime free from expensive equipment and supplies. All it requires is a willingness to explore your inner self and a sense of adventure. People use yoga not only to get fit they also use it to find inner peace, relaxation, and liberation, to find their true values so that they can live a meaningful life.
FAITH CROSBIE, Powerlifter and Yoga tutor started her own business Revive Wellness at 16 years old. As Covid forced the world into lockdown, schools shut and peoples lives ground to a halt, Faith was affected deeply by watching people suffer. She decided she wanted to help people. Faith is living proof you can do anything no matter how young or inexperienced you are, At 16 years old, prevented by Covid from working or going to school, Faith chose autonomy - to open her own business to be financially, personally, and professionally prepared in life. At 19 Faith is the Manager of her own private gym and business Revive Wellness where she empowers others, and teaches people the art of yoga and meditation to transform their lives naturally, and wellness techniques and tools to awaken their true potential. She hopes to work with youth in the future, to be a role model for young people and a motivational speaker for kids.
Join Faith in her outdoor yoga workshops in our gardens on Saturday, and Sunday. Cost per each workshop $10.00. All adult ages are welcome. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out! Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for details and to register for Faith's workshop.
JANE CROSBIE The Art of Beautiful Bookmarks
Did you know bookmarks are collectibles? World Bookmark Day (WOBODA) is celebrated on February 25th each year. It's an event organized by the International Friends of Bookmarks (IFOB) to recognize bookmarks as a faithful companion to books for over 2,000 years. Members from IFOB all over the world collect bookmarks and buy them not for their function, but primarily for their designs, To collectors bookmarks are a love affair and many bookmark fans have huge collections. As long as there are bookmarks there will be bookmark lovers. In this workshop you will design your own personal bookmarks and create your own bookmark collection. All materials will be provided. We will be using repurposed cardboard and textile and paper off-cuts turning waste into worth, Because you can never have enough bookmarks. There's something romantic about the way bookmarks combine literature and art in unique ways. Bookmarks are companions for life, they become a part of you.
So join Jane on Saturday morning or afternoon, or Sunday morning or afternoon, to start your very own personal bookmark collection. Cost per morning or afternoon workshop $10.00 each. All ages are welcome but children under 14 must be accompanied by participating parents or caregivers. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out! Email janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for this workshop. This workshop is designed to cater to all skill levels. Please wear old clothes for collage and painting and gluing as things will get messy.
RACHAEL KAVANAGH - Contemporary Korowai Weaving
This two day workshop is an introduction to the traditional art of Korowai. In this workshop you will learn how to create your own miniature contemporary Korowai which you can take home and display attractively in a box-frame. Your personally made miniature korowai can be a wonderful gift or “Taonga” for a precious person. All materials will be provided to create your korowai. Class is limited to students aged 15 and over. You must be present the full two days as on day 1 you will learn Tikanga and weaving techniques, and on day two you will learn how to put your miniature Korowai together.
Join us Saturday and Sunday for all day workshops and come away with a deepened understanding of traditional Korowai weaving, and take home your own craft creations. Cost $20.00 each for Saturday and $20.00 each for Sunday. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out! Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for Rachael's workshop.
THE ART OF STEAMPUNK Fashionista Lady Ursula the Pilferer - aka Woofed and Warped.
Louize Beniston, professionally known as Lady Ursula the Pilferer in Steampunk circles, will grace our festival with her divine presence. Louize is an original thinker making her own indelible mark in the New Zealand Steampunk fashion scene.
The world of fashion is comprised of historians and futurists. As a Steampunk fashionista Louize analyses Victoriana that has gone before, while focusing on the inventions of 21st century technology. The result is a unique design signature that is eclectic, elegant, eccentric, and outrageously beautiful. Louize, also officially known as 'Woofed and Warped', takes op-shop finds, and radically reworks them into upcycled Steampunk fashion statements. She is an artist who happens to use upcycled clothes as her creative medium, telling stories with fabric, colour and shape. Louize will be displaying a few of her costumes plus a work in progress showing us how she turns a duvet cover into a bustle skirt over the day. She will also bring earrings made from leftover fabric to show us her creative process with fabrics. In addition Louize will facilitate a Steampunk Tea Duel.
Come meet Louise - and learn more about Steampunk.
LOUIZE BENISTON - Textile Art Workshop
Learn to use repurposed fabrics to create unique and interesting pieces of textile art and personal textile stories. This 2 day workshop is designed to ignite your creativity and curiosity to create textile collage art pieces that are personal to you. Louize is an experienced seamstress and textile artist who enjoys passing on knowledge to others. Using recycled and repurposed fabrics Louize will guide you, fostering experimentation and exciting growth in your art-making journey. This workshop is suitable for everyone from experienced textile artists to beginners..
Join Louise Saturday and Sunday for all day workshops and take home your own craft creations. Cost $20.00 each for Saturday and $20.00 each for Sunday. All materials provided. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out! Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for Amber's workshop.
DESIREE CROSBIE - The Healing Arts - A Talk on Rongoā and Making balms
Desiree Crosbie is an artist, beekeeper, gardener, and Rongoā student who in 2024 studied Rongoā full-time at Te Wananga O Aotearoa. She is a great believer in using the power of plants and natural unprocessed products and empowering ourselves to aid our own healing. She has been making balms for many years, promoting healthy natural ingredients. using her own beeswax and honey from her own beehives, but it was at Te Wananga O Aotearoa that she learned how to create healing balms from New Zealand's native plants. At Te Wananga she was taught how many elements of Rongoā are viewed as taonga (treasures), and how the role of Tikanga is important in engaging with Mātauranga.
In her talk Desiree will discuss the medicinal properties of a few of New Zealands native plants, then show you how to make an oil infusion from our native Kawakawa tree leaves, and how this oil is used to make balms. She will also show you how to make beautiful kawakawa tea, and how to use the leaves of Kawakawa and other New Zealand native plants to make healing infusions you can use to bathe your skin. Kawakawa leaves are a sustainable resource. Kawakawa is not under threat, and grows naturally in bush and domestic settings. It is also grown as a pot plant. It's medicinal properties are well researched.
Join Desiree Sunday at 1 pm. Entry by $2.00 gold coin koha. If you wish to find out about Rongoā courses here are the links to Te Wananga O Aotearoas Rongoa Courses, where you can learn about Rongoā and the Tikanga that is associated with it from recognised Rongoā teachers and experts.
https://www.twoa.ac.nz/nga-akoranga-our-programmes/health/diploma-in-rongoa and https://www.twoa.ac.nz/nga-akoranga-our-programmes/health/certificate-in-rongoa-maori. .
ERIN CROFSKEY - The Art and Science of Beekeeping
Are you interested in bees or thinking of becoming a hobby or professional beekeeper, or want to learn more about keeping bees in your own backyard. Whether you keep bees or not there are lots of ways you can help them thrive in and be beneficial in your community. Beekeeping is both an art and a science and we are privileged to have Apiculture teacher Erin Crofskey come to talk to us at the festival. Erin teaches a full time Level 3 Apiculture programme at Land Based Training, The programme she teaches covers topics like hive management, honey production, bee biology, disease and pest management, queen rearing, and pollination services. She also teaches practical aspects of industry work, including swarm control, handling beehives, and honey extraction. Land Based Trainings level 3 Beekeeping course is a fees free full time 40 week course that teaches students real-world beekeeping skills.. Erin will be happy to chat and answer any questions you may have.about the art and the science of beekeeping.
Come meet Erin - and learn about the Art of Beekeeping.. Entry by $2.00 gold coin koha.
JANE CROSBIE - Decorate your own Paper Mache Bowls workshop
Get creative and paint your own paper mache bowls in this fun easy workshop. No experience necessary. All you need is a willingness to unleash your creativity. Paper mache bowls pre-made by Jane will be supplied for you to paint. Paper mache is a wonderful way to upcycle scrap paper. The paper mache for these bowls has been made from discarded paperback books. With the festivals ethos of turning waste into worth Jane has recycled paperback books that would otherwise end up in landfill. Instead they were used to create beautiful one of a kind decorative bowls painted or collaged by you that you will take home for your knick-knacks.
Bowls are beautiful. In all cultures bowls have been used to commemorate special occasions, weddings, anniversaries, and other significant events. Ancient Greeks depicted battle scenes on bowls. Throughout history indigenous cultures painted their mythology and magic symbols on bowls. Poets like Keats wrote poetry on bowls. All over the world artists create works of art on bowls.
Join Jane on Saturday morning or afternoon, or Sunday morning or afternoon, to decorate your own paper mache bowls. Cost per morning or afternoon workshop $10.00 each. All ages are welcome but children under 14 must be accompanied by participating parents or caregivers. Places are limited so book your place NOW. Don't miss out. out! Email janecrosbieartist@gmail.com for workshop details and to register for this workshop. This workshop is designed to cater to all skill levels. Please wear old clothes for collage and painting and gluing as things will get messy.
JANE CROSBIE - Atea Garden
For the first time ever the festival property will be open to the public and garden tours will be offered. Jane Crosbie's garden is called Atea. (Atea - pronounced ar as in car, and tea as in pear - Atea is the Maori word for Heaven). Atea is an artists garden dedicated to sustainability, and committed to holistic and regenerative practices that improve the health of the land. Jane incorporates regenerative farming practices like sheet composting to give back to the land what it gives to us. She believes in honouring the land and treating it respectfully. Atea has no-dig gardens - meaning she doesn't dig to turn over the soil and destroy the microbiome of the soil. No-dig helps to reduce soil erosion and decreases the amount of water needed to irrigate plants.
Jane will talk about how she created the garden out of common waste products like weeds as free fertiliser, and sheet composting, and the fertility potential within both. She will talk about the importance of biodiversity and how she encourages biodiversity to use it to Atea's benefit. Biodiversity includes microbial and fungal life as well so Jane will talk about how she uses all these natural elements to work for her to increase pest and disease resistance. She'll show you the edible “weeds” she eats, many of which are great sources of vitamins and minerals. She'll show you how she saves seeds, saves water, and more. Don't miss out.
Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com to register for the garden tours. Numbers are limited. .
Garden tours will be available on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm. Garden Tours will cost $5.00 per person
To learn more about the garden see the website blog section. Several blog articles will feature gardening.
KATRINA WOLFF: The Art of Compost.
Should I use a worm farm or compost bin or both? Katrina Wolff is a firm believer in the transformative potential of composting, and she's eager to share her insights. There are many ways to do your bit for the environment and composting is an easy sustainable one. When we throw away green waste, such as food scraps or lawn clippings, it ends up in our landfill. Composting is an inexpensive, natural way to deal with this waste which saves you money, while improving your soil.
Compost consultant Katrina Wolff sees compost not just as waste management, but as a creative act akin to alchemy. She is of the opinion that composting can also be an art form - and compost making a performance art. As part of the sustainable arts festival, she brings her expertise and her art to the forefront, Her mission? To inspire more people to grow top-quality food and stunning flowers by harnessing the power of exquisite compost. Let's celebrate the art of composting together with Katrina Wolff as your guide.
Whether it's optimizing your worm farm or starting one with materials readily available in your home, she's here to guide you. Curious about biodynamic gardening? Katrina welcomes all questions on this approach to holistic gardening and is also in her third year of Hua Parakore verification if anyone is curious what that process is like for a home gardener. Join Katrina at her workshop, where the magic of composting meets the creativity of the sustainable arts festival. Katrina will also talk about her garden coaching, online courses, and engaging community collaborations in Tuakau and beyond.
A simple gold coin donation grants you access to a wealth of knowledge and the opportunity to cultivate a greener, more sustainable future.
NZ CARVINGS AND WOODTURNINGS - Teresa Hopkins Studio Pokeno
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time ..... ”Thomas Merton.."
Pokeno artist Teresa Hopkins has kindly offered her studio for our festival visitors to view. Teresa has a small art studio in Pokeno, NZ, ,featuring wood turning and her carvings. plus a gallery of one off original (sometimes mixed media) paintings of all genres. - Abstract, realism, impressionism, portrait and figurative. Coming from a family of artists, as a child Teresa drew everything, progressing through the years to hold exhibitions, give demonstrations, and enter shows to win awards. Albeit not her comfort zone, preferring to concentrate on pushing boundaries to lose herself in creativity instead, without constraint or restraint. A natural curiosity to experiment and embrace her mixed heritage exploring different media led her away from painting to a dabble in sculptures and carving then on to become a semi professional woodturner for a few years with native wood, before she returned to painting again. Her beautiful art works have found homes all over the world.
Come meet Teresa - Visits welcome by appointment. Ph 021 188 5847. Free event.
ARTISTRY IN CONCRETE EXHIBITION - by Karina Sneddon - Founder of Crafty Cows Market
The wonderful thing about garden art is that it can be appreciated all year round. Concrete is all around us. So much so we take it for granted. But concrete is a beautiful, very accessible, and simple medium with which to explore creativity. North Waikato concrete artist Karina Sneddon treats concrete as the canvas for her art. With a love of concrete, a spirit of adventure, and a touch of whimsy Karina creates concrete art that can be appreciated all year round outdoors in our gardens.
Typically associated with construction, a building block for our cities and roads, concrete is so common we don't recognise it as an art medium. But over the last fifty years concrete has emerged as a free form material offering innovative opportunities for creativity. The world of concrete art is becoming so sophisticated and refined there is an annual Artistry in Concrete event held at The World of Concrete where the greatest concrete artists in the world give demos of their art. We are privileged to have Karina stage an exhibition of her work for our Festival. Karina is the founder of the Crafty Cows Market that takes place every second Sunday of the month in Pokeno Hall. She supports artists and crafts people from all over the Waikato with Crafty Cows giving them a venue to sell their work. The left photo is one example of her concrete art - an intricately marked turtle with beautiful designs all over its shell. More of her wonnderful and whimsical concrete art works will be on display at the festival
Crafty Cows Market phone Karina 021 042 2586 www.craftycows.co.nz
Come see Karina's concrete garden art as part of the Atea Artists Garden Tour. Email Jane Crosbie at janecrosbieartist@gmail.com to book a space in the tour.
