Petone Settlers Museum: Te Whare Whakaaro o Pito- one
The Esplanade, Petone (end of Buick Street)
Free Admission, Donations Welcomed
- 12.00 noon - 4.00pm Tuesday to Friday
- 1.00pm - 5.00pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays
- Closed Mondays and Christmas Day
Telephone: (04) 568-8373
E-mail: settlers@huttcity.govt.nz
EXHIBITION ON NOW:
A Certain Grace : Cambodia beyond first glance
Photographs by Anthony Maturin
Petone Settlers Museum, 16 August 2008 – 31 March 2009, Free Entry
A Certain Grace is a photographic exhibition by local photographer Anthony Maturin. Through his images, he seeks to challenge the way we see and understand people in developing countries, such as Cambodia, and to celebrate the strength of the human spirit in extreme poverty. We invite visitors to leave their preconceptions at the door, and simply ‘take a second look’.
Decades of internal conflict have devastated Cambodia’s economy and scarred its people, and these images touch on issues such as the notorious Khmer Rouge regime, de-mining, polio, poverty and HIV/Aids.
From 2004 to 2006 Anthony and his partner Sandra Jones spent two years in Cambodia. While Sandra, a Volunteer Service Abroad volunteer and research adviser, worked with The Buddhist Institute, Anthony accompanied local people into the neighbouring communities. Wading through rice paddies, riding over rough roads on the back of a motorcycle and walking the streets at night, he talked with the people he met, recorded their stories and took their photographs.
Events:
VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) Information Evening
Thursday, 21 August, 7pm, Petone Settlers Museum, Free Entry
This is your opportunity to see the photographic exhibition ‘A Certain Grace’, AND find out how you can get involved with VSA’s volunteering for development programme.
Petone Settlers Museum, The Esplanade, Petone
RSVP: bookings@huttcity.govt.nz / ph: 5601470
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Creative Writing & Arts Competition
To reflect the 2008 theme for World Refugee Day, ‘A place to call home’, students are encouraged to listen to, or share their own stories, challenges and triumphs of young refugees who have settled in New Zealand.
Secondary School Students from around the country are invited to submit a piece of creative writing, artwork or photography to help share refugee stories. Students can win $750 for themselves and $1000 for their school.
This annual competition is run by the Petone Settlers
Museum, in association with the Department of Labour.
Despite the quality and breadth of settlement services in New Zealand, refugee youth face a myriad of challenges. Learning a new language; navigating their way through a school system; and discovering their way through a new, bewildering and sometimes confusing culture are just some of the challenges they face.
Last year’s overall winner, Nosia Fogogo, is a refugee from Burundi, Africa. She came to New Zealand in 2005 aged 16.
Her compelling story is entitled ‘Happiness is Ubiquitous’;
“Running, stepping in the dark on the dead bodies of people I knew - my relatives, my friends and my neighbors. At the border, I washed the blood off my hands and said goodbye to my birth country. I made a promise:
I will speak
I will stand to make speeches
I will sing what I saw
I will cry out my anger
I will scurry to carry the flag of all refugees
I will swallow the soup to get the source of the sound of the past and I will keep my promise for tomorrow
Excerpt from Nosia Fogogo’s Winning Entry (abridged)
Talk with Me! Sharing the Voices of Young Refugees is open to all secondary school students (school years 9-13). Students’ entries can take a variety of forms.
Listed below are the two categories -
1. A Creative Story
An article or story based on an interview with a former refugee or your own personal story as a former refugee.
2. Creative Art
A digital/graphic design, drawing, painting, photograph or print-based artwork around the theme for World Refugee Day 2008 : ‘A place to call home.’
Competition entry forms can be downloaded here >> Entry Form
The deadline for the competition is 14 August, 2008.
Winners will be announced in September.
Cash Prizes: Category winner: $250 each Overall winner: $500 (total prize $750, this includes $250 for the category prize) School of each category winner: $1000
Read the 2007 winning entries
For more information please contact:
Leanne Wickham
Concept Developer
Petone Settlers Museum
ph : 560 1486
email : leanne.wickham@huttcity.govt.nz