University of Auckland panel discusses water issues at LATE at the Museum

Academics from The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI) and the Faculty of Science will team up for the forthcoming LATE at the Museum event.

From a Ripple to a Swell looks at the importance of New Zealand’s waterways and how we can raise awareness of the value of this vital natural resource. A panel of academic experts will discuss issues around water sustainability and the different approaches being used to celebrate water and inspire change. The panel will be moderated by respected director and actor Oliver Driver.

Dr Alys Longley, a lecturer in Dance Studies, is leading a research project entitled Water in the Sustainable City: An Art-Science Collaboration for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. The research will aim to answer the question: How might an arts-science performance collaboration play a role in fostering awareness and understanding of water issues in Auckland City, thus motivating ecological stewardship and creating experiences that enhance the quality of life in our urban landscapes?

Dr Longley will be joined on the panel by Dr Marjorie van Roon, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Planning, whose planning research focuses on a holistic understanding of the interplay between land and water, and between human activities and water body responses. In both her research and her teaching Marjorie emphasises avoidance of effects on aquatic systems through design and management.

Professor John Montgomery is the Chair of Marine Science at the University and Director of the Leigh Marine Laboratory. Leigh Marine Laboratory has a new Interpretative Centre based at Goat Island, 90kms north of Auckland. Unlike other education centres around the world, Leigh is the only one attached to a marine reserve. Professor Montgomery is also working with Environment Waikato, the Department of Conservation and Auckland City to reverse deterioration of the Hauraki Gulf marine environment.

Following the panel discussion NICAI artists who work in sound, music, electroacoustics, art and installation will explore liquid visions through a range of performances and presentations spread throughout the museum’s spaces. Participants include DJ Gavin Hipkins, interdisciplinary artists Joyce Campbell, Ivan Mršić and Sean Kerr, and special guest Greg Malcolm, internationally renowned creator of customised multi-guitar performances.

This LATE at the Museum event has been created to complement the AQUA experience at Auckland Museum – a journey into the world of water, created by ONE DROP in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, Thursday 4 August, 6.30pm. Tickets $20 – 2-for-1 for University of Auckland staff and students and Museum Member. Bookings: phone 09 306 7048 or visit bookings@aucklandmuseum.com