Neighbourhoods / Te Hāpori Te Hāpori

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Central City
Rāwhiti 
Tonga
Raki
Hauauru
Beyond Ōtautahi
Within the Four Avenues
“There’s so much happening in the city. It’s a place that makes you feel creative. The street art is world class.”

Central City

Central Christchurch is beginning to emerge like the proverbial phoenix from the earthquake sequence in 2011. The city, while still retaining some amazing heritage spaces, has a contemporary feel – with new venues, majestic heritage spaces, a range of contemporary and traditional galleries, amazing public art installations and a enviable street art culture. There’s so much going on here, and inspiration to be found around every corner.

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From Linwood to Sumner – the East is where it's at…
“So much has come out of the East. Music like Flying Nun, Pacific Underground, Scribe. And then there’s the artists and poets – Rita Angus, Denis Glover… the list is too long”

East
Otautahi

The East of Christchurch is a diverse place. From the inner city suburbs like Linwood and Aranui, out to the beach side communities of New Brighton and Sumner, there’s a rich heritage of creativity that flows through the neighbourhoods. Aranui has been home to some of our most beloved musicians and singers including Ladi6, Scribe, Pacific Underground and Roger Shepherd of Flying Nun. The beach suburbs have also nurtured some of Aotearoa’s most creative souls – Rita Angus, Ramai Haywood, Denis Glover, all lived in, and were inspired by the coastal community. The East is also the birthplace of some of our best known broadcasters including Miriama Kamo, Stacey Morrison, and Mike Hosking. And where would New Zealand literature be without the likes of the late Keri Hulme who was a student at Aranui High.

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Show all
Central City
East
North
South
West
Wider Ōtautahi
From Sydenham to Lyttelton..
“It’s fast becoming the most creative area. The street art in Sydenham, the music scene in Lyttelton, all the artists living and working in the area -it just has a real vibe.”

Spotlight on Sydenham
Neighbourhood

Gently nudging the central city is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Ōtautahi – Sydenham.

Originally named for a china and crockery shop in the area, Sydenham has had many incarnations over the decades. In 1902, its bustling streets made it the largest borough in New Zealand and in the ensuring decades it was a thriving residential and commercial area. It was in this suburb that the best-selling novel Oracles and Miracles by Steven Eldred-Grigg was set.

In the 80’s and 90’s Sydenham lost a bit of its allure, but it’s now reclaiming its dynamism– as more and more creatives, retail businesses and eateries move into the ‘hood.

Art lovers are well served a range of galleries – Fiksate Gallery’s new home is a light-filled, expansive space. At Chambers Art Gallery, the space is big enough to display several shows at once, and as an added bonus there are working studios for artists on the premises as well. Form Gallery has a range of works from local and national artists including some stunning jewellery. Nearby is digital creative agency, Publica.

Artisan jewellers, Filigree and The National (just across Moorhouse Ave) are also residents in the area and well worth checking out.

The performing arts are also well represented in Sydenham. Southern Ballet is headquartered just across the tracks in Carlyle Street and Movement Art Practice has studios in Hawdon Street. if you want to catch an arthouse movie then The Colombo is home to the Academy Gold Cinema.

If you’re a fan of street art then you will love discovering the many murals in the side streets – some are hidden – but most are in plain sight. You can find works by Jacob Yikes, The DTR Crew with Ikarus and the late sculptor Llew Summers has a bronze in the council park on Colombo Street.

Discipline
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Inner city to the outskirts of town…
“There’s has a lot going on. From pavement poetry to art installations there is a lot to discover, if you keep your eyes open, you’ll be surprised at what you find.”

North

Take a stroll down Victoria Street to see some iconic murals that have become synonymous with Ōtautahi. As well as street art, you’ll find poetry installations and public art to lift the soul. The north has been home to many of Christchurch’s famous sons and daughters – including Denis Glover who began his publishing house, The Caxton Press here.  Colin McCahon painted in a rented flat in Merivale and a host of other artists, writers and performers have lived and worked here.

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West Ōtautahi
Not so much the Wild West, but the Wonderful West – You’ll find some amazing public art installations and creatives from Riccarton to the Airport. There’s so much to discover.

Out West
Neighbourhood

Every compass point in Christchurch has an artistic heritage – and the west is no exception. From the historic Arts Centre, and the magnificent Art Gallery, right out to the Ilam Fine Arts School and the Airport – you will find artists and artworks of all disciplines.

 

Discipline
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Outside the city limits…
“Go in any direction – Oxford to Amberley to Akaroa – and you’ll find amazing artists and galleries just doing their thing. Art has no boundaries.”
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image Carvings Kaikoura Coast
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image Dilana Commission – Rolleston
image Rolleston
image Hannah Beehre – The Milky Way
image Kaikoura Mural – BM Pettit

The environment we live in has shaped so many of our experiences, and the experiences of our forebears, Māori and Pākehā.

The Canterbury region stretches north of Kaikōura and south of Tihi-o-Maru or Timaru, and inland taking in the great maunga to the south, Aoraki Mt Cook, and to the north, Tapuae-o-Uenuku. Traversed by braided rivers dissecting a great plain, grasslands, beech forests and wetlands, and framed by Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the Southern Alps.

The significant earthquakes experienced by the region in 2010, 2011 and 2016 have given rise to an increasing collection of public artworks and opportunities to showcase regional and Ngāi Tahu stories and creativity.

The Christchurch earthquakes resulted in rapidly growing towns to the south and north of the city. Rolleston, ‘the city of the future’, has significantly expanded with new housing, new schools and new civic spaces, including Te Ara Ātea which opened in December 2021. Described as the manawa of Rolleston, the building is home to the library, café and also includes spaces for art, a studio and a performing space.

Artwork in Te Ara Ātea comprises a range of temporary installations, projections and work hosed in display cases, curated by a parttime public programmes coordinator. The current suite of work includes artists Cath Brown, Nathan Pōhio, Areta Wilkinson, and Hannah Beehre, and new public artworks are being installed and commissioned adjacent the building.

It is equally impossible to ignore the new artwork which spans several kilometres to the north and south of Kaikōura. Artists from Ariki Creative, carvers Fayne Robinson and Riki Manuel and master fabricators Art Fetiche contributed to bringing Ngāti Kuri stories to life.

Within the township itself new murals celebrate the connection with the ocean and a new exhibition space at The Mayfair Arts and Cultural Centre.

Views

Penny Ashton – Performer and Poet

Actress and Comedian Penny Ashton on Creativity
Events & ExhibitionsFeatured
What Might We Find When We Stop Looking?
‘What Might we find When We Stop looking’ – A multisensory exhibition from Jo Burzynska
Funding, Workshops
Toi Ōtautahi First Wednesday Workshop – Council Funding
2025 Council Arts Funding – Creative Communities, Place Partnership Fund, Discretionary Response Fund. Hear from Arts Advisors about Council funding…
Miriama Kamo – Writer and Broadcaster
Writer and broadcaster Miriama Kamo
Featured
Lynn Waldegrave – Actress
Actress and comedian Lynn Waldegrave
Mike Beer A.K.A Ghostcat – Sculptor
Sculptor Mike Beer on Creativity
Marc Royal – Musician
Musician Marc Royal on Creativity
Events
08.05 – 02.08 2025

Speak of Homeland

11:00 AM
Speak of Homeland at The Central Art Gallery – 8 May until August.
31.05 – 05.10 2025

Fred Graham: Toi Whakaata / Reflections. 

11:00 AM
Celebrating the long and highly respected practice of senior Aotearoa New Zealand artist Fred Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Tainui), this…
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū
18.06 – 12.07 2025

Charrette van Eekelen – Olivia Isabel Smith – Padraic Ryan – Micaela Irvine at Chambers Art Gallery

11:00 AM
Charrette van Eekelen’s ‘Rotten Row’ houses at Taylor’s Mistake feature in this group show at Chambers Art Gallery
Chambers Art Gallery, 80 Durham St South, Sydenham
26.06 – 28.06 2025

Hagley Theatre School and Isaac Theatre Royal Present ‘Winter Season’

7:00 PM
New work from Hagley Theatre School in conjunction with Isaac Theatre Royal – don’t miss out on seeing these new…
Isaac Theatre Royal
28.06 2025

Manifesta

3:00 PM – 9:00 pm
Inspired by the carnival traditions in South America, in dialogue with the vibrant energy of Ōtautahi’s rave scene, MANIFESTA is…
Climate Action Campus, Avonside Drive
People

Lynette
Shingleton

Editor and Producer Lynette Shingleton on creativity

Aimee Belton

Cameron Mattox

Cinna Smith

Lynette Shingleton

Aimee Belton

Cameron Mattox

Cinna Smith

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