Sounds of Otari School

As soon as I finished the students soundscape and worked out how to include a sound file in blogger, you can the listen to the sounds they recorded. We might have a go later in the year with a more detailed sound map and try out making a composition from the recorded sounds.

Vertical Pallet Gardens

There's loads of information on the web showing different styles of vertical gardens using old wooden pallets as the base for growing plants. I have included some images but just search and you can find numerous ways to grow your plants vertically.

Image Via Snapguide

Image Via Upcycle That

Living Fence

The Living Fence students have been working out their ideas for the fence and the plan is to build some test vertical gardens to try out various options and see what works best for the fence. This will help them plan how to grow the plants but also look at watering, weeding and other maintenance issues needed to keep the plants thriving and panels looking good. The test gardens will be made using old wood pallets and weed mat material, there are lots of variations people have tried using old pallets and I will post some details soon.
Being in Wellington and growing plants on a fence will be a challenge but it will be fun trying and we will keep you updated on progress so you can see how we get on.
The images below show different recycled material that we plan to try when growing the plants, we also plan to try out a gutter garden, by using old gutters attached to the fence.

Tile Project

The tile project will involve the whole school and local community in designing a series of images to be used to make clay tiles, which will be placed on the 60 or so posts along the fence. (Each tile will be 10cm wide and 15 cm high.)
I visited Aimee McLeod, a potter who has worked with staff at Otari School, she is going to support the project and help with turning designs into tiles and handily she has her own kiln at home, which is not to far from the school.
The intention is to get the students in the art group to run the project and help chose the designs to be made in to the tiles. They will also be working on involving the wider community in the project by letting everyone know what is going on and how to get involved. More information about the tile project will be out soon.
Ideas for the designs will be based on anything that has a connection with the School, local community, local history, Maori settlement in the area and  flora and fauna found in the area. As we are lucky enough to have the Otari Native Reserve next door. which on it's own would provide a wealth of material to use, we shouldn't be short of ideas.
The next few posts will be on tiles and different ways of decorating them, Aimee said that there are many different ways to make and decorate the tiles, so most ideas should be able to be turned into a tile.

Living Fence

Next week the students working on the garden and living fence ideas will be looking at some other ideas to incorporate on the fence such as growing kanuka, which is used for many different purposes from fences to firewood. Our plan will be to look at whether we can grow kanuka on the fence and if we can what is the best way, then we can start growing them and when mature enough give the young trees to people in the community. 

Other ideas we will be looking include developing an insect fence, just like a insect hotel but on a fence, images to come soon.

Kanuka fence around Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae

Wind Fence

Another idea the art group has been working on is to use part of the fence as a resource for the school and community to use to study the wind, as part of this years school theme of physical phenomena. We have looked at how various artists have visualised wind as a starting point for developing ideas for the fence, I have included some of the work we looked at and some early ideas the students have come up with.

Tim Knowles

Jeff Wall

Living Fence

Huia, Tania, Luna and Natasha are working on a living fence. Over the next few weeks they are developing plans for the things they want to plant, best places for the plants to grow, where to collect water and all the other aspects they need for their vertical garden.

iCart

This a Prezi presentation showing development ideas for the iCart. The iCart project is looking at providing the tools for artists and communities in Wellington to produce creative projects.

Mobile Arts Lab on Prezi

Welcome - Tēnā koutou

This blog is about the development of creative ideas for Otari - Wilton's Bush Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand. The project is at an early stage and I am just putting together ideas and information about the possibilities of developing creative ideas, how they maybe implemented and funded.
I will add information and ideas as they develop, along with other creative projects and work which can provide inspiration and show the many different approaches that could be taken. Please feel free to contact me if you want more information, have any ideas or want to be involved.
The title of the blog is a translation of the Maori work Otari, meaning place of snares, which refers to the past use of the area as a rich and abundant source for catching birds.