Earth, Food and Fire

Waiohiki Earth, Food and Fire

Earth, Food and Fire is a free community fire festival being held at the Waiohiki Creative Arts Village near Taradale on Friday October 21, 5pm to 10pm.
A wonderland of flickering flames will light up the Arts Village. Wander among small and large fire sculptures by artists including Ricks Terstappen, Lance Greaves, John Woodham, Asaki Kajima, Katie Metcalfe and Glen Colechin. Enjoy live music, food stalls, the ancient Japanese art of Raku pottery firing, African drumming, fire performers and luxuriate in the warmest welcome in Hawke's Bay.
A feature of the festival will be Te Ahi Kaaroa fire sculpture tributes to the village's much loved master carver Hugh Tareha, who died in May. The two sculptures are being designed and built by Hawke's Bay artists Ricks Terstappen and Lance Greaves and supported with funds from the Hastings District Council's Creative Communities fund and the Port of Napier.
Support for the festival has also been provided by the Waiohiki Community Charitable Trust, Napier City Council Creative Communities, Pan Pac, Tumu Timbers and the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival.
The Waiohiki Creative Arts Village is a community of more than 100 potters, painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists. The village nurtures the flame of a long-established creative tradition on the site. Over the 4-day Labour Weekend come out to see artists at work or sign up for pottery and stone-carving workshops.
Key events include:
Labour Weekend – Friday to Monday, 10am to 4pm
Taradale Pottery Club open studio - Talk to the potters at work and play with clay yourself.
Stone carving - Carve a small piece of Oamaru stone in an hour or two with sculptor Chris Elliott. Tools and stone supplied, adults and children welcome. Bookings advised but not essential.
Sunday, October 23, 10am to 4pm
Award-winning potter Scott Brough will help people create small pottery pieces which will be open-fired the following Sunday, October 30. Bookings essential.
Children's Treasure Hunt – Unravel the clues that will lead you through artists' studios towards art prize treasures.