Compassion Fest '23 - Celebrating Wellington Hero Kae Miller

The local hero of our Festival is Kae Miller.

Kae wore many hats:
The Tip Lady of Porirua". . .Smuggler of Jews out of Nazi Germany. . .Eccentric. . .Visionary. . .Hero of compassion
"Terrible cook"!. . .Eco-warrior. . .Wellingtonian . . .Anglican mystic
A woman who noticed the brokenness around her and sought to do something about it. Always seeking "the transfiguration of all things...

Here is the Festival Programme:

"Fri 27 Oct
Interspecies Fungus Sound Experience! [concert] 7.30pm
Island Bay Bowling Club, 276 The Parade.
Composed and performed by Island Bay's own Interspecies Fungus Trio.

Sat 28 Oct
Seaweed in the Kitchen & Garden 9.30 - 10.30am
Celebrate seaweed! By Wendy Nelson. Learn about their amazing uses in kitchen and garden. 88 The Parade, Island Bay Presbyterian Centre.

Sat 28 Oct
Sustainable colouration methods 2 - 3.30pm
Natural dyeing techniques with plants endemic to Aotearoa. By Angela Kilford. 88 The Parade, Island Bay Presbyterian Centre.

Sat 28 Oct
Zero-waste Gift making 10am - 4pm drop in
Upcycle waste into great gifts. All materials provided or byo item.
88 The Parade, Island Bay Presbyterian Centre.

Sat 28 Oct
Kae for kids! 2pm
“The Tip and the Tent”. Build mini shelters together and hear how Kae lived.
88 The Parade, Island Bay Presbyterian Centre.

Sat 28 Oct
“Jazz for Kae’s Compassion” 7.30pm
Ian logan and Alistair McLeod - original composition & tribute in jazz to musicians and artists persecuted in 1930’s Europe.
88 The Parade, Island Bay Presbyterian Centre.

Sunday 29 Oct
Retreat at Te Raekaihau Reserve, 10-12 or 1-3pm.
At Alice Krebs Lodge, 113 View Rd. Bring your journal, enjoy reflection, silence or wandering the nature reserve. Contact office@ibpc.org.nz

Sunday 29 Oct
Symposium: Compassion 7-8.30pm
Home of Compassion chapel, Island Bay. Kae Miller’s story: Panel + Q &A, lead by Max Rashbrooke.

Kae Miller's activism was both compassionate and bold, in many cases decades ahead of its time, most notably when she lived on the Porirua Tip in the 1970s to draw attention to the lack of recycling in New Zealand. She helped Jewish refugees escape Nazi Germany and sought to create spaces and housing for people with mental struggles. What can we learn from this extraordinary life, and what action might we take now on the great challenges of our day ?