The Toi Pōneke/NZSM Sonic Artist-in-Residence is a 3-month part-time position (.6FTE) for an established Wellington-based sonic artist to develop a body of work that may include performances, installations, workshops and so forth. The position is funded by Toi Pōneke, with the NZSM and Toi Pōneke as host organisations. A studio space is provided by Toi Pōneke for the duration of the residency, and the Residency will culminate in a 4-week exhibition in March/April 2026 at Toi Pōneke Gallery.

Join us on Wednesday evenings for an intimate gathering with the artists behind Azúcar/Sugar. Meet artists William Franco and Miki Seifert and engage in fascinating discussions about their inspirations, techniques, and personal connections to the sweet subject matter that shapes this unique installation.

Wellington City Council, through Toi Pōneke Arts Centre, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the internationally acclaimed theatre and film company THE CONCH, launching the city’s first dedicated Pasifika arts residency programme.

In the second of three artist’s talks about Azúcar/Sugar, the latest installation from With Lime, hear about Dr William Franco’s journey from travelling in Mexico to learn how to make Mexican sugar skulls for Dia de Muertos to exploring the connection between sugar and colonisation of the Americas to expanding the boundaries of this traditional method of sugar art.

In the third of three artist’s talks about Azúcar/Sugar, the latest installation from With Lime, join Dr Miki Seifert and Dr Arini Loader at ‘The Colonisers’ Banquet Table’. Dr Seifert will talk about how sugar was transformed from an exotic luxury item into a global ubiquity. Dr Loader will use te reo Māori as a gateway to talk about sugar’s associated health and societal issues along with alcohol and other colonial introductions. 

Marquetry is the art of ‘drawing’ with wood veneers, cutting intricate jigsaws of imagery and inlaying in, or onto timbers. In three hours have a go at exploring the different veneers, get to know the chisels and knives, and create your own ‘take home’ block (or coaster) having discovered the fundamentals to take it further.

Join artist Katy Cottrell as she chats with academic researcher Matteo Collina and director of the Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab – Alice Rogers. Alice and Matteo will talk about their work with marine reserves from a scientific perspective and how this has inspired the artworks by Katy Cottrell and Rick Allender for their exhibition Taputeranga: Above and Below.