An Ocean of Books is a small organisation, run by Jeff Evans, starting to collect new and pre-loved books for distribution to school libraries in the Pacific. Their aim is to have a continual stream of quality books and to enable every child an opportunity to engage with reading in the home. To accomplish this they are collecting new and pre-loved books and cash donations to help buy new books from wholesalers or good used books from book fairs.
If you can help, there are 3 things you can do:

1.    Send any books which would be suitable for a young student learning English. The books should be: appropriate for school aged children (5 – 17 year olds). Clean and tidy (no missing pages or badly ripped covers please) in English or a Pacific Island language.  

This can be sent to An Ocean of Books, 14 Karamu Street, Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland.

2.    Pass the information on to friends or family who may have books their own children have outgrown.

3.    Stick some cash in an envelope to An Ocean of Books, PO BOX 41-311 St Lukes, Auckland.

They also need a couple of collection points in Auckland so if you can help Contact Jeff Evans via the address above. 

Art is more than framed pictures arranged prettily on a wall. Get in the know about art genres of the future – come and check out the exciting world of experimental moving image and performance art at Tautai’s OFFSTAGE  2 at Galatos, Friday March 26 from 7pm.

Artists are given the opportunity at Offstage to showcase new and experimental work. Moving images are given a maximum of five minutes and performance limited to ten minutes, so the audience will be treated to a veritable feast of cutting edge art with no danger of boredom creeping in.

Offstage is in its second year, having been a great success last year with more than 30 works shown including performance pieces, poetry, song and video.

Arrive curious, become engrossed, and walk out feeling energised. Offstage is going to be off the wall.

The BANANA BOAT PRODUCERS WORKSHOP are looking for emerging, hungry and motivated Maori, Pasifika and Asian theatre practitioners who want the low down on producing for theatre. The workshop will be run over two Saturdays – 10 and 17 April – in Auckland.

Spaces are limited so get in quick.

Go to  http://www.bananaboatnz.blogspot.com/ for more info

OPENING: 6-8pm, Thursday 18 March
FEATURING: DJ ALGOODIE
EXHIBITION DATES: 19 March – 10 April 2010
 
Fresh Gallery Otara is proud to present the highly anticipated first solo exhibition of Czarina Wilson, an award winning young designer with over ten years of experience creating boundary pushing garments for Westfield Style Pasifika, Villa Maria Cult-Couture and the Montana World of Wearable Arts competitions. 

Exhibition enquiries: Nicole.Lim@manukau.govt.nz / 09 271 6019