21 November 2013 
News release: strictly embargoed till 6pm Thursday 21 November 2013

Kinetika returns to Taranaki in 2014 KINETIKA™" RETURNS TO TARANAKI IN 2014

Today The Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) announced that it is picking up the reins from The Taranaki Arts Community Trust (TACT) and breathing life into kinetika™. The competition and showcase which fuses kinetic art, design, and engineering was first presented by TACT in 2010 and at the time was New Zealand's first and only festival of kinetic art.  After a very successful inaugural event, TACT approached TAFT with a view of TAFT presenting kinetika™ in the future and after wide consultation TAFT agreed to take on the event.

The competition and showcase provides impetus for artists, budding artists, designers, and engineers to combine their skills to bring kinetic sculptures and inventions to life and is aimed at highlighting the creativity that ensues when artists, designers, and engineers from all over New Zealand work collaboratively on projects together.

The event was announced today at a launch function, at the Real TART Gallery (New Plymouth, Taranaki), which was attended by event founders and sponsors, as well as representatives from the engineering, arts, design, and innovation industries. 

TAFT chief executive Suzanne Porter said kinetika™ is an important part of the unique cultural mix that promotes Taranaki as a great place to live, work and visit.

“The economic, social and cultural benefits engineering and art bring to Taranaki are significant to Taranaki, and kinetika™ is a fine example of how these communities can blend their skills to showcase the best of both to the world.”

Massey University is supporting the event as the Education Innovation Partner and is also offering scholarships to the value of $10,000 and an award for design innovation.

Associate professor and co-head of Massey’s School of Design Andre Ktori said kinetika™ is a natural fit with the University’s role in fostering innovation. “Our programmes set up our students to create their own futures, to experiment and to innovate. Our staff and students work alongside industry on emerging technologies and innovations, so we are delighted to support this event.

kinetika™ event manager  Lisa Haskell said Taranaki’s engineering community is enthusiastic about the revival of the event and it will play a crucial role in the creation of the designs that are selected to be manufactured.

“When considering whether or not kinetika™ would be re-launched by TAFT it was important to determine if there would be support to manufacture the selected designs. The Engineering Taranaki Consortium provided an enthusiastic and effective interface with local companies and the consortium is eager to collaborate with entrants to enable innovative works to be realised,” Mrs Haskell said.

“The event couldn’t happen without funding from the TSB Community Trust and having sponsor’s on-board such as Independent Technology Limited (ITL) means that TACT’s original vision of fusing art and technology in the region that Len Lye regarded as his spiritual home is realised.”

Selected works and designs will be exhibited at Puke Ariki (New Plymouth, Taranaki) during October and November 2014.

ENDS

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