Into The Incubator

This creative hub has built a colourful reputation over nine amazing years.

WORDS SUE HOFFART / PHOTOS JESS LOWCHER

Pilots love the rainbow-hued roadway that loudly, proudly adorns the entrance to The Incubator’s headquarters inside Tauranga’s Historic Village.

From the air, the artwork has become a well-known and cheery navigation beacon for passing planes. On the ground, it is yet another practical example of the “edgy, alternative, multi-genre art space” that Incubator director Simone Anderson envisaged a decade ago.

When the Tauranga artist set out to establish a creative hub for budding fellow practitioners, she and her small team inhabited a converted barn divided into six studios. These days, the barn – dubbed the mother ship – is headquarters to an arts organisation that boasts 24 resident artists who now inhabit 15 buildings within The Village. Countless initiatives, events and artists have flourished along the way.

Every year, thousands of people visit to celebrate eccentricity at the Fringe Festival or attend Incubatorled workshops, to hear live music or buy the ceramics and clothing, jewellery and other items created by artists working on site.

“We’re expanding and growing beyond our wildest expectations and we’re changing the perception of what our city is,” Simone says. “Tauranga has had a reputation as a cultural wasteland. We knew that wasn’t the case but now all these alternative, quirky high-functioning artists are really visible, in one place, in The Village.

“And we have this whole ecosystem of working artists who now have community support, sharing resources and marketing and retail space.”

The Incubator is living up to its name in a multitude of ways. As well as incubating talent and ideas, it is inspiring visitors to appreciate new or different art forms.

“We want people to say yay, I went to that exhibition or event and I didn’t even don’t know I was interested till I saw it. Far out, that was cool.

“And we want everyone to realise art is a real, professional trade, like an electrician or a plumber.”

The organisation is also propagating creativity beyond The Village gates.

Tauranga Art Gallery has featured work by many artists who found their feet through the Incubator, while the city centre and local area are more vibrant thanks to murals by Incubator graduate Sam Allen. The young painter found confidence and connections in The Village. City women are wearing clothing by fashion designer Kerry Funnell, who launched her Nape label and boutique after sharing a satellite studio in The Village.

“Kerry’s work is stunning, and people can walk in and see her with her sewing machine and bolts of fabric, on the main street here.

“The Village has always been an open, inclusive asset for the city and that’s exactly what we aim to be. Everything we do is really grassroots, accessible, the cost barrier is low. It’s not elite or pretentious.”

The art deco Village Cinema has recently joined The Incubator stable, with its Hollywood-themed designs and "for the people, by the people" mantra. The cinema aims to cater to everyone from independent filmmakers to people living with dementia or a disability while embracing guests who are neurodiverse, new immigrants, on a low income, or from the LGBTQIA+ community. Audiences can expect to find vintage, arthouse or Pasifika film events as well as children’s holiday or private screenings and Bollywood film nights.

At the eastern end of The Village, a creative community campus is the newest addition. This development, in a repurposed Montessori school, encompasses a textile and sewing hub, a ceramic and pottery hub, large outdoor teaching spaces and a roomy classroom ideal for workshops and seminars.

“It’s one of our most exciting projects. It’s second in size to the city’s art gallery and it’s a game-changer for the city in terms of arts infrastructure.”

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From left: Kalena Egan, Ruth O’Connell, Simone Anderson, Marama Mateparae and Tanya Truss.

A VILLAGE WITH HEART

You'll find old-world appeal in this vintage-inspired shopping and community complex, with its unique cobblestone streets and charming historic buildings.

WORDS SUE HOFFART / PHOTOS JESS LOWCHER + SALINA GALVAN

Extraordinary moments happen remarkably often beyond the steel gates that separate The Historic Village from ordinary Tauranga life.

Children with disabilities discover their voices on stage at Detour Theatre, while men wielding hand tools address mental health issues inside the Men’s Shed workshop. At the resident chapel, marriages are conducted beneath carved tukutuku panels that previously stood in an old Matapihi church. After dark, artistic careers are launched at gallery openings and new musical talent is discovered at lively gigs. And every day, people in need receive practical help, counselling, mentoring or even a new job thanks to the myriad of social service organisations that operate from the Village.

Village manager Blair Graham is in charge of the 5.5ha Tauranga City Council-run property, with its sweeping lawns and tracts of native bush, boutique shops and character buildings.

JEWEL IN THE CROWN

Eight years into the job, Blair’s main focus is looking after the resident community groups and retailers who help to attract more than 200,000 visitors each year. “This village has heart. It’s a jewel in the crown of the Te Papa peninsula,” he says, describing the way vibrant cultural festivals and corporate events unfold alongside everyday kindnesses. At the recently revitalised Village Cinema, (activated by The Incubator), for example, Sonic Cinema run a relaxed cinema experience for all ages where the cinema is adapted to the audience's sensory requirements and comfort.

The cinema, which can be transformed into a cocktail venue or lecture theatre for corporate groups, is one of five indoor function offerings on site. The Village Hall, which was renovated late last year, is a cathedral-like space with purpose-built lighting and sound systems.

Fran, co-owner of The Whipped Baker, shows off her scrumptious creations. Blair Graham keeps The Village running smoothly.

“The thing about hiring a Village venue is that it ticks the corporate social responsibility box because it helps fund all the innovation and collaboration and good things that happen here.

“We host a lot of weddings here, too, partly because our 60-seat chapel has all the charm of a small country church. In fact, my brother was married there 22 years ago and I was best man.”

Sometimes, bridal parties choose to wed in the adjacent amphitheatre, amid tranquil native bush, perhaps with a Whipped Baker cake made onsite and old-fashioned lawn games afterwards.

FESTIVE SPIRIT

Other visitors come seeking entertainment and international cuisine at the city’s annual multicultural festival or the Diwali festival, with its lanterns and incense, swirling saris and spicy food.

During the day, people attend appointments or hui, conduct business or browse the boutique shops that sell everything from vinyl records to vintage or designer-made clothing, gemstones, lead lighting and art. In the evenings, dance lessons and upholstery classes kick off. The weekend crowd is different again as families, cyclists and joggers step off the neighbouring Kopurererua Valley walkway for coffee and treats. “Early on, we discovered Pokémon geocache players were coming here at night to play the online game.”

Blair’s domain is also part of the city’s wellbeing precinct, with Tauranga Hospital, St John and the TECT Rescue Helicopter service all housed a few minutes’ walk away. Time and again, the centre manager has seen families of people dealing with serious health issues find their way from the hospital to the Village for scones and tea and solace.

“There’s a slower pace of life here. The sun streams into the cobbled streets and it’s a little bit like stepping back in time. It calms people.”

BAKED WITH LOVE

Baby Albert Cooper was six months old when his mother Fran almost died of meningitis.

The mother of five and Whipped Baker proprietor – Fran co-owns The Historic Village bakery with husband and fellow baker Aaron – has never forgotten the people who saved her life. That’s why any café leftovers go straight to nearby hospital emergency department staff or ambulance officers across the road.

However, leftovers can be tough to find at the incredibly popular eatery, which specialises in “really luscious, sumptuous food that people can’t help but dive into.” On the day the café launched in 2015, the husband and wife team employed a single barista. That first morning, the customer queue stretched out the door and down the street. Now, the seven-day-a-week business employs 18 extra staff, offers catering services and still struggles to meet demand. Aaron and Fran still frequently start work between 2.30am and 3.30am and all their children help in the business.

“We’ve always been known for our doughnuts and custard slice. We’re very old-school bakers, not people who like fancy food and stuff you can’t pronounce. It’s just good, wholesome, fresh-baked food. Everything is made 100 percent from scratch.”

Fran and most of her family are lactoseintolerant, which means they cannot consume much of the food they produce.

“I can’t eat it myself, but I just like feeding other people. I bake to make people happy.

“And being part of the Village is like being part of one big family. I feel like we’re the village kitchen. I love the atmosphere, love the people. It’s like going home every day.”

Showcase

GOING TO PLAN

Little Red House brings you New Zealand created and designed weekly planners and stationery to suit a busy lifestyle. Intentionally made to help you enjoy life, manage your time, avoid doubling up on appointments, and get back some time for you. Incorporating New Zealand artists and designed to suit your home, office or both, you can set goals, see the weeks ahead and plan.

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ON THE CATWALK

Textiles are a major global polluter. Aiming to educate, the Sustainable Art Challenge was born to offer local participants young and old (there’s an under-16 category too!) a chance to compete for prizes, show their skills and creativity, and help spread the message to make wiser choices and inspire future generations. Catwalk runway show to be held at Bloom in the Bay at Tauranga Racecourse on November 19.

ENVIROHUB.CO.NZ

FRENCH TWIST

Say au revoir to an average Christmas dinner and bonjour to a festive French feast. Kitchen Takeover is back with their latest pop-up restaurant experience, Joyeux Noël. From November 10 to December 16, award-winning chefs will create a five-course degustation dinner every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 7-11pm, at a Tauranga location as secret as Papa Noël’s grotto. Ooh la la! Tickets $89-$159 per person.

KITCHENTAKEOVER.CO.NZ/JOY