Plastic fantastic as children lighten up

Plain plastic bottles were given a new lease on life as colourful lanterns which will hopefully make their debut at the Puanga - Light up the Night Concert on Saturday.

The lantern-making workshop was one of a number of creative projects put together by Mainstreet Wanganui in conjunction with The Wanganui Community Arts Centre, Te Puni Kokiri and The Whanganui Maori Regional Tourism Organisation, to ensure people of all ages can celebrate Puanga.

The lantern-making workshop, held at the Community Arts Centre from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, saw 36 children and their parents drop in to make their own brightly coloured lanterns using plastic bottles, coloured cellophane, ribbons, pipe cleaners and a little imagination.

Mainstreet Wanganui marketing manager Elise Goodge said the hope was that the children who had made lanterns would bring them to the Puanga - Light up the Night concert on July 7, where they would be given a free glowstick to bring their lantern to life.

If enough children brought their lanterns along, she hoped to get them together for a parade, she said.

The workshop, which will run again at the same time and place on July 7, was a hit with parents because it didn't require any pre-booking nor did it take a lot of time, she said.

From 2pm on Saturday there were also kahu (cloak) making workshops following the same "light up" theme.

Using fluorescent fabric dyes and e-wire, six intermediate and college age youths spent two hours working on making and decorating their cloaks, which will be shown to best effect under black lights on the night of the concert.

All workshops at the Wanganui Community Arts Centre, Awa Room. Contact Mainstreet to register or for more information.