​Fifth Play exhibition opening at He Waka Tuia soon

Get ready – Play is almost here.

The exhibition – now in its fifth year – was scheduled to open at public art facility He Waka Tuia, in Invercargill, on Friday 3 July.

He Waka Tuia manager Sarah Brown said the festivities were set to kick off in typical Play fashion, with the public invited to celebrate the exhibition’s opening at a pyjama party-themed event.

The family fun night to ring in the annual exhibition’s arrival would be free to attend, and would also include a host of fun activities for children and their whānau – from balloon animals, to face-painting and more.

“He Waka Tuia is really proud of its continual efforts to engage with a wide, diverse range of people in our community. Traditionally, many people have a preconception that galleries or arts spaces are not welcoming, or not reflective of them. We always strive to challenge that belief – and the incredible response we get, year-after-year, from visitors to Play demonstrates how deeply the exhibition resonates with our community,” Brown said.

Each year, Play attracted the highest volume of visitors through the facility’s doors. The total number of visitors to He Waka Tuia during the 2025 exhibition’s run was 6033, compared to 4428 visitors in 2024 and 4613 in 2023, she said.

“Public arts spaces play a critical role in enhancing the vibrancy of our community – they’re important social and cultural connectors. We love seeing familiar faces come through the doors of He Waka Tuia, and it is also really rewarding to attract an audience of people who perhaps haven’t visited before. Play is key in helping us do that.

“Getting people through the doors for the first time is the hard part: if we can pique people’s interest to visit us once, our hope is that increases their awareness of the countless other exhibitions – featuring a broad range of artists, mediums, and themes – that might attract them here again,” Brown said.

While Play had the community’s youngest residents at its heart, it was designed for people of all ages to connect with.

“Art is created so that it can be enjoyed by, and reflected on, by everybody. Play gives us an opportunity to welcome everybody to He Waka Tuia, and celebrate art in all of its glory alongside our whole community – no matter their age,” she said.

This year’s featured contemporary artist would be Auckland-based Sara Hughes, whose installation pieces had previously been shown in both Dunedin and Auckland.

Meanwhile, the exhibition would be separated into zones featuring other works and opportunities for visitors to interact with these – including one, entitled ‘Weave Your Wish’, aligned with Matariki and the star of remembrance, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, that would encourage visitors to weave their wishes for the future using a large loom.

The Play opening event will be held from 5pm to 7pm on Friday 3 July at He Waka Tuia.

The exhibition would run until 16 August.