North Canterbury News: March 14, 2024

Pottery provides an outlet
By SHELLEY TOPP
Rangiora ceramicist Amy Michaels
is holding Rangiora­based pottery
classes for neuro diverse children
and teens.
She became aware of the need to
provide acreative outlet for them
after her son Jack was diagnosed
with autism and anxiety.
‘‘There are so many kids in
North Canterbury with ASD
(Autism Spectrum Disorder),
anxiety and other neuro
diversities,’’ she says.
The classes, which are only
available to Waimakariri residents
aged from seven to 18 years­old,
began on Friday last week.
They are being held at the
Dudley Park pavilion in Rangiora
and will run for six weeks, with a
week off for Easter.
The aim is to provide
participants and their carers timeout
and achance to roll up their
sleeves and immerse their hands
in clay.
‘‘Working with clay provides
sensory stimulation, refines motor
skills and is relaxing and
calming,’’ Amy says.
‘‘Life is exhausting for kids and
their carers.
‘‘Providing acreative outlet has
many physical and mental
benefits.
‘‘I want to give the children and
their carers achance to breathe, to
relax for awhile. Pottery allows
you to escape the worries of life
and shift your focus towards what
you are creating.’’
Classes cost $20 per session, with
amaximum of three sessions per
child, to allow as many
Clay play ... James McAllister, aged eight of Cust, taking part in pottery
classes being run by Rangiora ceramicist Amy Michaels at the Dudley Park
pavilion in Rangiora last Friday.
PHOTOS: SHELLEY TOPP
participants as possible at the
price. The sessions are made
possible by aWaimakariri
Creative Communities scheme
funding grant.
Although the classes are only
running for six weeks, Amy is
hoping to secure more funding to
enable it to continue.
Each session runs for one hour
and 15 minutes, which includes
clean­up time, and is for one neuro
diverse child or teen and their
carer to both have agoatself
expression with sensory play.
Available sessions are Friday
1.30pm to 2.45pm and 3.30pm to
4.45pm, including aFriday in the
first week of the school holidays.
Booking for the classes can be
made at kudoclay.com.
Concentration ... Noah Gillespie,
aged 14 of Rangiora, concentrates on
his pottery creation.
NEWS
The North Canterbury News, March 14, 2024
15
New art exhibition
carries awarning
By SHELLEY TOPP
Anew art exhibition where
‘‘fascination and repulsion
sit uncomfortably
together’’ is being
promoted with acontent
warning.
The warning for
Springfield artist Stephen
Clarke’s Shades of Death
exhibition at the Oxford
Gallery toi oWaimakariri
says: ‘‘The artworks in this
exhibition may upset, awe,
illuminate, confound or
challenge people.
The artist explores tough
themes of refugee
imprisonment, suicide,
death, dread, and fear
alongside opposing
themes.’’
The warning is being
made to guide the public
about the exhibition’s
content so they can make
an informed decision on
whether they want to see it.
It also cautions adults
not to take their children to
the exhibition without first
seeing it themselves, and
provides information on
where people suffering
from depression or anxiety
can get help.
Gallery staff describe
Clarke’s sculptural
explorations in the
exhibition as ‘‘a nightmare,
inside of anightmare,
inside of anightmare’’
His metal fabrications
depict phantom skeletal
boats and figures made
from upcycled objects
‘‘that are both ghastly and
intimately familiar’’, they
say.
Clarke doesn’t pull any
punches through his
creative vision.
Transformed into threedimension,
these exhibits
confront the viewer with
refugee imprisonment and
detention atrocities of
Manus and Christmas
Islands.
‘‘It sounds gruesome but
is quite amazing,’’ gallery
curator Areta Wilkinson
says.
‘‘A boat is constructed
from coat hangers, figures
are made from corrugated
cardboard and wire,’’ she
says.
‘`But the ideas behind it
are seriously
contemplative, and based
on actual events.’’
The decision to hold the
exhibition was made
because at Oxford Gallery
‘‘we don't want to shy away
from tough material, we
want to both share diverse
artist perspectives and
care for our visitors’’, Areta
says. The Shades of Death
exhibition closes at the
gallery on April 7.
EXPORT QUALITYMEATS AT AFFORDABLEPRICES
303 COLOMBO STREET
SYDENHAM
NORTHWOOD SUPA
CENTRE
INSTORE &ONLINE MONDAY 11TH MARCH TO SUNDAY 17TH MARCH