Māpura Music & Friends Event Announced w/ Julia Deans, Pumice, Chris O’Connor + More

Offering "inclusive, multi-modal art classes and art therapy programmes for people of all ages, diversity and need," the Māpura Studios team are presenting a free musical celebration of disability and diversity at Tāmaki Makaurau's The Tuning Fork on 15th June. Participants in the Māpura Music weekly spontaneous music making program will perform in collaboration with percussionist, composer and music therapist Chris O’Connor (The Phoenix Foundation), plus there'll be sets by friends Julia Deans (Fur Patrol), jazz folk song-poet Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band, Māpura tutor Stefan Neville and Jade Farley's "volcanic rock band" Pumice, a live drawing / dancing improvisation by Māpura dance tutor Emilia Rubio and artist Yung Sung Chen, and video projections of Māpura art as a backdrop all evening. A much-needed night out for Auckland's disability community to enjoy themselves, following a significantly restricted two years, seating will be limited so be sure to register for a ticket to this supremely excellent event...

Māpura Studios presents a night of eclectic entertainment – a celebration of disability and diversity with Māpura Music and Friends.
Feat. Māpura Music w/ Chris O'Connor, Julia Deans, Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band, Pumice, Emilia Rubio & Yung Sung Chen

Wednesday 15th June - The Tuning Fork, Auckland (7pm start, free)

Register for a ticket at www.moshtix.co.nz
We ask people planning to attend to wear a face mask if they can.

Listen to the latest collection of recordings from the Māpura Music program, from term two 2022 — spontaneously created for Māpura Studios' Wishing Upon A Star - A Celebration for Matariki exhibition...

Press release:

Māpura Studios presents a night of eclectic entertainment at The Tuning Fork – a celebration of disability and diversity with Māpura Music and Friends.

This is a free and fun evening out for Auckland’s disability community on Wednesday 15th June, 7pm start.

Māpura Studios is a creative space located in Fowlds Park, St Lukes, with satellite groups in other areas. Mapura offers inclusive, multi-modal art classes and art therapy programmes for people of all ages, diversity and need, as well as the wider community. These include visual art, music, cartooning, dance, performance, therapy programmes and online classes - MOA (Māpura Online Artists).

With Covid-19 in its various iterations, and the lockdowns, many disabled people, who are among the most vulnerable in the country, found themselves more isolated than ever. This is their opportunity to have an evening out and enjoy themselves. Māpura’s friends for the evening include Julia Deans, the acclaimed singer and popular solo artist who fronted Fur Patrol and gave Aotearoa hits such as “Lydia”. Deans has released solo albums and collaborated in many musical projects with acts like The Adults, SJD and Neil Finn.

Also performing is Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band. Caitlin is a celebrated Jazz Folk song-poet and story singer, as well as a tireless advocate for accessibility issues and the healing transformative power of creativity.

Māpura Music is the result of the weekly spontaneous music making program at Mapura. The group has fluid membership and has released numerous collections of improvised soundscapes on cassette, CD and Bandcamp. Māpura Music contributed to a double LP compilation of international disability music called “We Are The World” and have received radio play in New Zealand and abroad. They have performed at Māpura Studios’ events and exhibitions, and in bars, libraries and halls around Auckland.

For this performance acclaimed percussionist, composer and music therapist, Chris O’Connor, will collaborate with Māpura Music. Māpura tutor Stefan Neville joins Jade Farley in the long running volcanic rock band Pumice. The duo make accidental pop songs and miniature folk drones made up of textures and sore thumbs.

Māpura’s dance tutor Emilia Rubio and artist Yung Sung Chen will perform a live drawing / dancing improvisation together. Video projections of Māpura art will provide a backdrop for the evening.

The event is free as Māpura’s artists, and many disabled people, would not be able to attend otherwise, but seats are limited so be sure to register for a ticket at www.moshtix.co.nz

We ask people planning to attend to wear a face mask if they can.

Māpura Music and Friends at The Tuning Fork is supported by the Local Activation Fund Programme and/or Discount Programme, administered by Auckland Unlimited on behalf of the New Zealand Government.