Lights On Bikes art workshops open
Published on 05 September 2019
Sarjeant Gallery Educator Sietske Jansma helps workshop participant Ethan with his jellyfish lantern
Community art workshops for the Lights On Bikes parade are underway, with the first workshop held last weekend and several more workshops open for bookings.
At the first workshop held at Sarjeant on the Quay on Saturday, 31 August, participants used card, bubble wrap, and ribbon to create illuminated jellyfish with seed lights spiralling down through the tentacles.
Sarjeant Gallery Educator Officer, Sietske Jansma, says, “After last weekend’s workshop we now have a shoal of jellyfish lanterns tucked away in a storeroom, ready to be strung under a tree in the upcoming parade”.
Two further community workshops will be held to create artworks for display along the parade route. In the first workshop participants will construct hanging paper flowers, lit with seed lights, and in the second, a large display of glowing leaves, vines, flowers and imaginative plants.
Workshop participants will be able to pick up these artworks from the gallery on a date after the parade.
Ms Jansma says, “We’re also running workshops geared towards helping people create stunning costumes to wear in the parade.
“There’s the opportunity to make cardboard body armour zig zagged with illuminated wire, an electrical storm cloud that hovers around your bike helmet, or a fantastical hat that lights up and shows a silhouetted scene”.
Billed as the ‘brightest parade in town’, Lights On Bikes is a free family extravaganza to be held on Friday, 27 September.
Lights On Bikes Event Manager Shanti Sibbing says this year’s Lights On Bikes parade is promising to be an unmissable event.
“We expect to see bicycles, scooters, buggies, unicycles, skateboards, wheelchairs and more – everyone is welcome to light up their wheels and themselves and join in.”
This time around there will be food trucks and large floats at the start point at the Whanganui River Markets area on Taupō Quay, then the parade will travel along the awa to Cornmarket Reserve near the Dublin Street roundabout. Families will have the option of stopping there and turning around or continuing over the bridge to Kowhai Park.
“Along the way we’ll have glowing art installations and mesmerising performances from local and national performers,” Ms Sibbing says.
Participants can gather at the Whanganui River Markets area from 5.00pm with the parade to roll out at 6.30pm.
To book in for a community art workshop, phone (06) 349 0506. Details are listed below.
Lights On Bikes community art workshops 2019
Hanging flowers!
Come and have fun making your own large flower using wire, glue, tissue and pantyhose. These will have seed lights in their centres and be hung from trees along the route.
Cost: $10 per person
Age: Adults and children welcome (children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult).
When: Saturday, 14 September from 10.45am-12.45pm
Where: Sarjeant on the Quay
Collection of your artwork: If you would like to keep your large flower, you can pick it up from the gallery between Monday, 30 September and Sunday, 6 October.
Arm or leg armour
Using cardboard and paint you will create some awesome arm or leg armour that will be lit using cool lighting wire. Each item of armour will use fabric ties to attach onto the body. You will look stunning for the parade.
Cost: $5 per person
Age: Adults and children welcome (children under seven years old must be accompanied by an adult).
When: Thursday, 19 September 3.30pm-4.30pm
Where: Sarjeant on the Quay
Body armour
Using cardboard and paint you will create some awesome lit up armour for your torso. Fabric ties will be used to keep the armour in place so you look amazing for the parade.
Cost: $5 per person
Age: Adults and children welcome (children under seven years old must be accompanied by an adult).
When: Friday, 20 September 3.30pm-4.30pm
Where: Sarjeant on the Quay
A storm cloud as your helmet
Drop in and use a range of materials to create a magical stormy cloud that envelops your helmet. The cloud will contain lights to show the electrical storm that’s happening above your head. If you want your cloud to attach to your bike helmet please bring your helmet with you.
Cost: Free
Age: Adults and children welcome (children under eight years old must be accompanied by an adult).
When: Monday, 23 September 3.30pm-5.00pm
Where: Community Arts Centre
Fantastical hat
Come and make a fantastical hat that lights up and shows a silhouetted scene to wear during the parade. We will be using card, paper, glue and cellophane to create your hat. If you want your hat to attach to your bike helmet please bring your bike helmet with you.
Cost: Free
Age: Children and adults welcome (children under eight years old must be accompanied by an adult).
When: Tuesday, 24 September 3.30pm-5.00pm
Where: Community Arts Centre
Community plants
Be part of making a large community artwork that will be installed along the route! Drop in and help us make lots of leaves, vines, flowers and imaginative plants. You will be using glue, tissue, wire, paper, dye and paint. This artwork will be lit with a variety of lights.
Cost: Free
Age: Adults and children welcome (children under eight years old must be accompanied by an adult)
When: Wednesday, 25 September 10.00am-5.00pm
Where: Community Arts Centre