By drawing on the community partnerships that had been strengthened through La Fiesta celebrations, the Winter Wonderfest seemed like a perfect way to continue growing this success.
In my role at the Women’s Network, I have observed over the years how the winter months can impact people’s sense of connection within the community.
The colder and shorter days can lead to a desire to hibernate, and for women living on their own, or who feel isolated in some way, this can feel like quite a challenging season to navigate.
The reality of Seasonal Affective Disorder can also play out during this time, with fewer daylight hours resulting in a drop in serotonin levels, affecting mood and motivation in some people.
With these factors in mind, a winter programme of events and activities to entice folk out of their homes to share skills, experience something new, and meet others, seemed like a bright idea. The festival themes ‘connect, empower, inspire’ developed directly from this essence.
Sarah sees the festival as an opportunity to continue building on the strong sense of connection that Space Studio & Gallery has developed within the creative community.
It also enables her to diversify the range of events and activities on offer to complement the dynamic exhibitions programme, with a focus on delivering a variety of personalised events and family-friendly opportunities.
This festival features group and solo exhibitions, as well as opportunities that enable hands-on creative exploration via ceramics, drawing and printmaking workshops.
Book your tickets now for a truly special festival finale event with our Winter Wonderfest ‘Wonder Bar’ on Saturday, August 26. This exciting collaborative pop-up event will warmly welcome you to a festive in-and-outdoor setting at Space Studio & Gallery with fairy lights, fire pits and roasted marshmallows under the starlit winter sky.
Come and enjoy some delicious cocktails by Fox Glove, wines by Joa’s Wines, La Bella Street food and Geo entertaining with chill lounge covers. Bookings can be made via: https://spacestudiogallery.co.nz/events/
The official festival programme is available for direct download at our host website: https://lafiestanz.com/winter-wonderfest. Printed festival guides are also available from: the Whanganui I-Site Visitor Centre, Paige’s Book Gallery, Space Studio & Gallery, Community Education, and the Women’s Network.
For regular updates, follow the Winter Wonderfest Whanganui page on Facebook, or the Women’s Network Whanganui pages on Facebook and Instagram. For further information, drop me an email: womnet.whanganui@gmail.com.
