Rotorua Arts and Community Expo to help people get involved in the arts

Jane Solly will be at the Rotorua Arts and Community Expo letting people know about her ukulele classes. Photo/Supplied

Rotorua people will not be short of creative ideas and communities to join when they head along to an arts expo this weekend.

The Rotorua Arts and Community Expo will take place at the Arts Village today from 10am to 12pm.

There will be more than 30 stalls of local arts and community groups and organisations, representing a wide range of hobbies, interests and community purposes.

Those attending are not all based at the Arts Village and represent a wide range of groups from across Rotorua.

Ukulele teacher Jane Solly said the group she taught would be coming together at the expo at 10am to perform some of the songs they had learned.

She will then go to her stand and will have pamphlets and information available about her ukulele course for adults and different types of ukuleles for people to browse.

She has six classes for adults that run from 4.30pm to 7.30pm over two nights at the Arts Village.

"It's a really good thing for mental health. People that come along are buzzing and say it's their high point."

Solly said the expo was a way for people in the community to see what was going on, including those who were already attending classes.

"Now that the Arts Village has got the cafe it's become a real hub for the community."

Arts Village general manager Mary-Beth Acres said it felt amazing to have the day of the event here.

"There's been lots of hard work in this one and there are four expos in town so it's a good day to be out and about in the community."

She was looking forward to seeing all the stallholders hanging out together, since they would usually meet in isolation.

"Also, seeing people come through. We've got some cool family things and an amazing face painter."

List of Stallholders:
Afterschool Art with Lani Eyles
Arts and Culture - Rotorua Lakes Council
Arts Village Shop
Astronomical Society
Citizen's Advice Bureau
Creative Communities Rotorua - Rotorua Lakes Council
Creative Fibre Rotorua
English Language Partners Rotorua
Floral Art Group
Friends of the Museum
Geyser Toastmasters
Geyserland Art Group
Karen Hansen - Face painting
Lakes Performing Arts
Life Drawing Group
Lunchtime Toastmasters
Mad Poets
Marilyn's Mozaics
Pleasure Painters
Rotorua Arts Village Trust
Rotorua Multicultural Council
Rotorua Museum
Rotorua Little Theatre
Rotorua Musical Theatre
Rotorua Potters Group
Rotorua Woodturners (Pending)
Taiko Drumming Group
The Arts Village
The Arts Village Shop Stall
Toi Ohomai
Ukelele with Jane Solly
Vault Artists
Wacky Warmups
Writers Group