Summer City (Wellington)

File:Letter from WCC to RHM 1979.jpgThe Summer City programme started as a citywide outdoor performing arts festival, Summer ’79, created by Rohesia Hamilton Metcalfe of the Wellington City Council Parks and Recreation Department in the course of her work forming new projects to promote the public parks of Wellington.

Taking inspiration from the Artists Co-op's employing of artists in 1978 under the government’s TEP scheme,{{Cite web |title=Vacant Lot of Cabbages {{!}} Curating Cities: A Database Of Eco Public Art |url=http://eco-publicart.org/vacant-lot-of-cabbages/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=eco-publicart.org}}{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=14 July 1978 |title=Artist displays different art |pages=6 |work=Dominion}}{{Cite journal |date=August 1978 |title=The Co-op History |journal=Sheepmeat |volume=1 |oclc=173414523}} Hamilton Metcalfe arranged full-time employment for four performing groups: Chameleon (a street theatre group headed by Aileen Davidson), Serendipity (a group of musicians headed by Michelle Scullion), Mask Theatre (a group headed by Murray Edmond) and the Gallery Dancers (a group headed by Paul Jendon and Jennifer de Leon).

Graeme Nesbitt and Len Nightingale were employed to help expand the programme and organise events. Dransfield House (355 Willis Street) was converted to office and rehearsal space for the staff and artists. Nesbitt added four People’s Park Days, several rock concerts, and a programme of Gamelan music and dance. Local restaurants and other artists, including several Artists Co-op members, also contributed to Summer '79 events.

The programme opened in the Dell at Wellington Botanic Garden on 7 January with a garden party that included a full afternoon of family entertainment (theatrical, dance, music, and readings) and a temporary outdoor restaurant. The programme continued until February 28, including themed events in the Dell every Sunday, performances at the Wellington Zoo and in the Town Belt, and People's Parks Days in suburban parks. The programme's success led to it being continued as an annual summer festival with a new name, Summer City.{{Cite journal |last=Bryant |first=Rod |date=1980 |title=City of Wellington Summer '79 |url=https://natlib-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=NLNZ&docid=NLNZ_ALMA21185327940002836&context=L&search_scope=NLNZ |journal=Action (Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand) |volume=12 |pages=15–18 |issn=0111-3720 |via=}}

The Parks Department's focus on developing family recreation and promoting more use of the parks reflected the parallel work of Barry Thomas and others to intervene and utilise otherwise vacant or under-utilised spaces in the city.{{Cite web |title=10 ExhibitionsWLGNR {{!}} Art New Zealand |url=https://art-newzealand.com/10-exhibitionswlgnr/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |language=en}}

File:SummerCity1999.jpg

Hamilton Metcalfe left the Parks Department in June 1979 and Nesbitt became the Director of the newly-named Summer City, now established in the Arts Centre at 355 Willis Street in Dransfield House.{{Cite web |last=Klein-Nixon |first=Kylie |date=2020-06-28 |title=Dransfield House closes: End of era for first mayor's home, party venue |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/houses/121955812/dransfield-house-closes-end-of-era-for-first-mayors-home-party-venue |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=Stuff |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Dransfield House - Wellington Heritage - Absolutely Positively Wellington City Council Me Heke Ki Poneke |url=https://wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/buildings/301-450/359-dransfield-house |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz}}{{Cite news |date=2 January 1980 |title=Garden Entertainment |work=Evening Post}} Artists were given relatively free rein to create tours, events, groups, art events, music, theatre, and even magic shows. Venues across the city were jointly selected and timetabled to create a rolling platter of free summer-centred events. Employment went from being housed under the Dominion Museum to the Wellington Community Arts Council.

Artists, technical staff, and management were employed under the Department of Labour's Temporary Employment Programme (TEP) and Student Community Services Programme (SCSP) which grew into the Project Employment Programme (PEP) from 1982.{{Cite journal |last=McMillan |first=Ian |date=Spring 1983 |title=Artwork: An Experiment in Artwork for the Community |url=https://www.art-newzealand.com/Issues21to30/artwork.htm |journal=Art New Zealand |volume=28}}{{Cite news |last=Dodds |first=Andrea |date=18 August 1983 |title=Sun Festival Closer to Dawning |work=Evening Post}}{{Cite web |title=Kia Ora Chief |url=https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/mo-te-puni-kokiri/our-stories-and-media/kia-ora-chief/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.tpk.govt.nz |language=en}}

Summer City was used as branding for Wellington City Council summer events through the 1980s, 1900's and early 2000s.{{Cite web |last=Rice |first=Geoffrey |date=11 Mar 2010 |title=Summer City concert |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/22913/summer-city-concert |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga |language=en-NZ}}

The Arts Centre moved to the Band Rotunda in Oriental Bay{{Cite web |title=Search the List {{!}} Oriental Parade Band Rotunda (Former) {{!}} Heritage New Zealand |url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/2894 |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.heritage.org.nz}} then to Toi Poneke.

The programme offered a very broad range of arts, entertainment and genres: concerts,{{Cite news |date=17 February 1984 |title=Cusion Concert |work=Dominion}} clowning,{{Cite news |date=26 January 1980 |title=Party in the Dell |work=Evening Post}} portraiture,{{Cite news |last=Mackley |first=Ian |date=January 1984 |title=Arty Day at Dell |pages=2 |work=Evening Post}} face painting, circus,{{Cite news |date=8 December 1981 |title=Festivities even Better |work=Evening Post}} dance, modern music, classical music, theatre, poetry,{{Cite news |date=12 December 1981 |title=1981 Emphasis on participation Summertime Entertainment |work=Evening Post}} film making, movies, story telling, festivals, comedy, magic, fine art exhibitions, flying lips,{{Cite news |last=Sawyers |first=Terry |date=13 February 1981 |title=Airborne Lips over Harbour |work=Evening Post}} travelling shows,{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=December 1982 |title=Lively Mixture of Music and Satire |work=Wairarapa Times Age}} exhibitions, Oriental Bay pavement painting,{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=6 December 1983 |title=Festival street artists |pages=6 |work=Evening Post}} harbour spectacular, tagged fishing competition, sky diving, photography and making a film [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-gfj0oZFrc].{{Cite book |url=https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1002658 |title=Ephemera of quarto size relating to cinemas, movies, films and film screenings in New Zealand. 1980-1983 |year=1981 |chapter=Yiorgos starts school}}

The Sun Festival involved 3000 school children{{Cite news |last=Sturm |first=Debra |date=12 December 1983 |title=Dazzling colour, lights, welcome summer sun |pages=3 |work=Evening Post}} and attracted 60,000 festival goers and thousands of local participants.{{Cite news |date=19 December 1983 |title=Sun Festivities draw thousands |pages=5 |work=Dominion}}{{Cite web |title=Sun Festival |url=http://joebleakley.com/sunfest.htm |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=joebleakley.com}} Composer Jenny McLeod spent three months in the lead up to the Sun Festival event (1983)

File:Sun festival from WCC Record Identifier.jpg

teaching 1000 school children to sing her compositions, with the vision for them to be singing together in Oriental Parade in a massive open-air concert.

Town and Country Players toured the whole South Island by ferry and train,{{Cite book |last=Maunder |first=Paul |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/861221640 |title=Rebellious mirrors: community-based theatre in Aotearoa / New Zealand |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-927145-45-6 |language=English |oclc=861221640}} Gestetner People's News published a daily newspaper, live farm animals madrigal singing, travelling tree house with native trees Punch and Judy, puppetry, Night Dance and lighting extravaganza, demonstrations of sky diving, dog trials, show jumping and trampolines, Peter Pan Pirate day, video games, donkey and cart, jazzercize, kitemaking,{{Cite news |date=20 December 1982 |title=Summer City Festival offers fun for all the family |pages=7 |work=Capital Times}} Birdman competition, rock barge,{{Cite news |date=13 February 1980 |title=Big Harbour show now on Wednesday |work=Evening Post}} teaching: potting, yarn spinning hangis{{Cite news |date=9 February 1980 |title=Newtown to be small world |work=Evening Post}} All Nations Day, hang gliders, Town and Country day, motorcycle road race, haggis hurling, contemporary day,{{Cite news |last=McAllister |first=Ralph |date=11 January 1982 |title=Dell Day Enthrals |work=Dominion}} National Play Day.{{Cite news |date=22 January 1980 |title=Everyone is welcome to National Play Day |work=Evening Post}}

There were many employed and involved in Summer City and many went on to have established careers. In 1980 there were between 40-50 artists employed with the Student Community Service and the Temporary Employment Programme (TEP).

Up to the mid 1980s some of the artists employed included: Stephanie Arlidge, Paul Baeyertz, John Bailey, Ian Barbie, Rose Beauchamp, Jean Betts, Joe Bleakley, Callie Blood, Peter Boyd, Allan Brunton, Debra Bustin, Clive Carter, Peter Cathro, Allan Clouston, Andrew Clouston, Russel Collins, Jonathan Crayford, Terry Crayford, Gerard Crewdson, Alastair Cuthil, Peter Daly, David Daniela,{{Cite web |last=Swinnen |first=Lucy |date=2017-01-16 |title=From the summer of 1979 to 2017: a look back at Wellington's Summer City events |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/88013105/from-the-summer-of-1979-to-2017-a-look-back-at-wellingtons-summer-city-events |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=Stuff |language=en}} Peter Dasent,{{cite archive |first= |last= |item=Memorandum to Director of Parks |item-url= |date=9 November 1979 |series= WCC, Summer City Files |file=00012-1-5 |collection=Wellington City Council Archives |repository= |institution=Wellington City Council |location=Wellington, New Zealand}} John Davies, Tim Denton,WCC archive memorandum 9 November 1979 DL4/64. D. Lee to Director of Parks re programme of events, artists, costs. Anthony Donaldson, Neil Duncan, Murray Edmond, Martin Edmond, Janet Elepans, Fane Flaws, Rodger Fox, Garth Frost, Andrea Gilkison, Shelley Graham, Pamela Gray, Mike Gubb, Peter Hambleton, Megan Hanley, Neil Hannan. Ross Harris, Anna Holmes, Geoff Hughes, Deborah Hunt, Timothy Hyde, Alison Isadora, Paul Jenden, Bruno Lawrence, Jennifer de Leon, Stephen Jessup, May Lloyd, Louise Loft, Stephen McCurdy, Jenny McLeod,{{Cite news |last=Sturm |first=Debra |date=9 December 1983 |title=Dazzling colour, lights welcome summer sun |work=Evening Post}}{{Cite news |date=8 December 1983 |title=Festival's 1000 kids light her eyes |work=Evening Post}} Kassie McCluskie, Bill McDowell, Blair McLaren, Jon McLeary, Rob Mahoney, Tina Matthews, Joanne Mildenhall, Jenny Morris,[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs] Michael Mulheron,[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs] Sarah Mulheron, Bronwen Murray,[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs] Liz Ngan, David O'Donnell, Mary Paul, Stuart Porter, Jan Preston, Shaun Preston, Ian Prior, Jorge Quevedo, Alistair Riddell, Sally Rodwell, Barrie Saunders, Michelle Scullion, Roger Sellers, Brian Sergent, Duncan Sergent, Harry Sinclair, Rima Te Wiata, Allan Thomas, Barry Thomas, Edwina Thorne, Rochelle Vincent, The Wizard{{Cite news |last= |date=14 December 1984 |title=Wizard to visit Capital |work=Evening Post}}{{Cite news |date=20 December 1984 |title=Close Encounter |work=Dominion}} Tim Woon, Sally Zwartz

The programme up to the mid 1980s showcased some of the following groups of musicians and theatre companies:

• Serendipity - Michelle Scullion, Carmel McGlone, Belinda Carey, Edwina Thorne
• The Gallery dancers
• Earthsong
• Chameleon - Aileen Davidson, Timothy Hyde, Ray Calcutt, Liz, May Lloyd
• Gamelan orchestra - Allan Thomas
• Mask Theatre - Murray Edmond{{cite archive |first= |last= |item=Festival '79, parks, summer '79 programmes |item-url=https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/847967?keywords=00068-64&type=all&highlights=WyIwMDA2OC02NCIsIjY0IiwiMDAwNjgiXQ== |date=1979 |series= |file=00068-64 |collection=Wellington City Council Archives |repository= |institution=Wellington City Council |location=Wellington, New Zealand}}
• Town and Country Players - Murray Edmond and Mary Paul toured throughout NZ. South Island tour - Aileen Davidson, Barry Thomas, Michael Mulheron, Shelley Graham
• Negative Theatre - Louise Loft, Jon McLeary
• The Buccaneers - Stuart Porter, Phil Bowering, Roger Sellers, Callie Blood, Neil Duncan
• Red Mole (Theatre Company) was employed to entertain bathers at Oriental Bay on a floating barge stage
• Rough Justice{{Cite web |title=Ben Burn Park, Karori, Wellington. Westra, Ans, 1936-2023 |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/38423137 |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=natlib.govt.nz}} - Rick Bryant, Nick Bollinger{{Cite web |title=Rick Bryant on Rough Justice - Article |url=https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/rick-bryant/articles/rick-bryant-on-rough-justice |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=AudioCulture |language=en}}
• Wide Mouth Frogs - Tina Matthews, Sally Zwartz, Jenny Morris, Andrea Gilkison, Katie Brokie, Sarah Mulheron, Bronwen Murray, Tony Backhouse, Michelle Scullion, Michael Mulheron, Callie Blood{{Cite web |title=Wide Mouthed Frogs - AudioCulture |url=https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/wide-mouthed-frogs |access-date=2022-05-30 |website=www.audioculture.co.nz |language=en}}
• The Warratahs - Barry Saunders, Wayne Mason, Nik Brown, John Donahue, Marty Jorgensen, Clinton Brown, Rob Clarkson
• Jasmin - Jonathan Crayford, Bruno Lawrence, Dave Ades, Geoff Hughes, Jorge Quevedo, Patrick Bleakley
• The Maori Sidesteps
• Rodger Fox Big Band
• Topp Twins
• Valley Stompers
• Free Radicals - Jonathan Besser, Ross Harris
• Blue Ladder Theatre/Soluble Fish Ensemble - Shadow puppets, music and stage performance at The Dell, Oriental Parade and Brooklyn Park: Bill Direen, Carol Woodward and various including children participants.Rip It Up (1 April 1986)
• Splints
• Sydney Street West Quartet
• Footnote Dancers
• Captain Frootkakes Punch and Judy ShowLetter from WCC to Garth Frost 20 March 1979
• Sun Chasers
• Hot City Cats
• Family Mallet {{Cite news |date=22 January 1985 |title=Band's Beach Beat |work=Evening Post}}
• Buccaneers
• Classic Comments

The first three managers worked from The Arts Centre at 355 Willis street

• Rohesia Hamilton Metcalfe - Promotions of Parks and creator of Summer '79
• Graeme Nesbitt - Summer City 1979-1980
• Stephen Nelson - Summer City 1981-1982
• Darcy Nicholas - Summer City{{Cite web |date=2011-08-26 |title=Maori artist uses colour to communicate |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/visual-arts/5503982/Maori-artist-uses-colour-to-communicate |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=Stuff |language=en}}[https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/visual-arts/5503982/Maori-artist-uses-colour-to-communicate]
• Fiona Gunter-Firth - Summer City Toi Poneke{{Cite web |date=2011-03-17 |title=Toi Poneke arts centre |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/artsonsunday/audio/1471755/toi-poneke-arts-centre |access-date=2022-05-22 |website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}

• Peter Frater - Technical Manager{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Tom |date=2019-05-05 |title=A 59-year career with the arts in Wellington ends with an email |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/112472332/a-59-year-career-with-the-arts-in-wellington-ends-with-an-email |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=Stuff |language=en}}
• Tom Wilton - Electrician
• Malcom McSporran - Journalist
• Rod Bryant - Journalist
• Ray Calcutt - Staging
• Jane Armstrong - Secretary
• Len Nightingale - Outdoor stage manager
• Delia Shanly - Events Coordinator

• Ian Galloway - Director of Parks and Reserves
• Colin Knox - Deputy Town Clark
• Dave Lee - Recreation Officer
• John Dawson - Manager summer city for Parks 1980 - Parks{{Cite news |last=Sturm |first=Debra |date=11 Feb 1982 |title=Making Fun for the City |work=Evening Post}}{{Cite web |title=WCC, Summer City files 00012 |url=https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/1528 |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Archives Online}}
• Di Jordan - Assistant to John Dawson - Parks

Ken Sparks and Deborah Nation were employed under the Art Centre to deliver regular radio information about Summer city for Radio New Zealand's National Programme.

• Ans Westra
• Peter Black{{Cite web |last=Black |first=Peter |date=1980 |title=Summer City, The Dell, Wellington, 1980 |url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/37449}}{{Cite web |title=Photographs relating to Town and Country Players 1980 |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/35765820?search%5Bi%5D%5Bname_authority_id%5D=-89347&search%5Bpath%5D=items |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=natlib.govt.nz}}
• Mark Hantler

Venues were found throughout the city:

• Botanic Garden's Dell
• Ben Burn Park[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/rick-bryant-on-rough-justice]
• Anderson Park
• Wellington East Girls College, Onslow College, Town Belt, Berhampore Golf Course, Plimmer Park, Hataitai Park, Central Park
• Sound Shell
• Oriental Bay
• Cuba Mall
• Seatoun Park
• Scorching Bay
• Strathmore park{{Cite news |date=8 January 1980 |title=Plucking up Courage |work=Evening Post}}
• Island Bay Playground
• Wellington Zoo
• Frank Kitts Park
• Prince of Wales Park
• Lyall Bay
• Queen Elizabeth Park

{{reflist|group=WCC Archives}}

Category:Festivals in Wellington

Category:Wellington City