The free Fuel Your Stoke concert held at Tūtira on Sunday had live performances from local artists, food, bouncy castles and mental health professionals available for people affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Michael Farr
The free Fuel Your Stoke concert held at Tūtira on Sunday had live performances from local artists, food, bouncy castles and mental health professionals available for people affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Michael Farr
A group of community advocates have begun a series of six free concerts to raise spirits across some of the rural communities hit the hardest by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Fuel Your Stoke tour is a series of all ages events that offer live performances from local artists, food, activities andmental health resources and professionals present to engage with attendees.
Jack Jensen, co-founder of video production company MSFT Productions and cyclone support website Hawke’s Bay Helping, is leading the initiative.
He said that after the work that he and others had done trying to help cyclone-affected people during the aftermath, he began to think about how to help in the coming months as some returned to their lives while many remained struggling.
“I started asking questions to the people I was working with, to the people who had lost everything, to the managers within the industries that got affected hugely or even industry leaders,” Jensen said.
“I asked ‘what do you guys need the most’ and they answered spaces to be able to disconnect, but also reconnect with people so they can have something positive to focus on.”
He said the MSFT team decided to apply their resources to bring shows into Hawke’s Bay for the people.
“People need help now, we’ve lost people to suicide over the past five months directly due to the effect of the cyclone and its aftermath so we need to get in there.”
The first of six planned shows across Hawke’s Bay was held in Tutira, at Hallmark Angus on Sunday, with local artists including MC Mouse, Nick Herbison, Kenya Boerman, Campbell Burns and Scarlett Eden Band.
Local artists including MC Mouse, Nick Herbison, Kenya Boerman, Campbell Burns and Scarlett Eden Band performed at the event in Tūtira. The next venue is Crab Farm Winery in Bayview on July 16. Photo / Michael Farr
“We had bouncy castles and recreational activities with the play trailer from Hastings District Council where the kids could just have fun and be kids,” Jensen said.
“My partner [Micki Michau] was doing face painting and she painted pretty much every little girl in the premise and some adults as well which was really cool.”
He said there were support teams from Red Cross, Mates4life, Salvation Army and the Rural Support Trust present at the event.
“From what I heard, locals had such a great time connecting with individuals they hadn’t connected with since the cyclone.”
“Seeing the attendees having a good time when they’ve gone through hell is just super cool.”
The next show is scheduled for July 16 at Crab Farm Winery in Bayview, with others in different locations to be announced for August and September.
Jensen said each destination would be publicised about two weeks before each show as they wanted to reach locals rather than people travelling in.
“We want to help everyone, but we really need to get into these communities that need it the most.”
Sponsors of the project so far are Red Cross, charitable trust Staros, Hawke’s Bay Sport and Hawke’s Bay Foundation.
