Council is calling on Marlborough’s creative community and property owners to work together to support a new project to reinvigorate the Blenheim and Picton town centres.

Council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Manager Nicola Neilson is working with the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Council’s Play Advocate and other interested parties to deliver Space Create, a new concept which aims to revitalise the region’s two main CBDs within the existing arts strategy budget.

The first of what she hopes will be many more activations for the town centres – Summer Sounds in the CBD – begins next month in the rotunda in Market Place, Blenheim.

“Space Create is going to kick off with a summer vibe over six Saturday afternoons from 20 December with an incredible line-up of local and visiting musicians performing at the rotunda in Market Place. We want people to relax, listen, linger and enjoy summer in the CBD,” Mrs Neilson said.

She is initiating conversations with property owners, with a particular emphasis on Blenheim, to work together with the creative community to activate underused and vacant spaces with creative and energetic projects like this.

The Council-led concept was launched recently at Café Create, the bi-monthly breakfast gathering designed to celebrate Marlborough’s unique blend of creativity and community.

Make/Shift Nelson General Manager Anne Rush spoke about the inception of Nelson’s CBD revitalisation project in late 2018. Now a not-for-profit charity, Make/Shift Spaces works with artists, creatives, community and special interest groups to fill spaces with vibrant installations and activity.

Anne was engaged to do some initial research for Nelson City Council, including looking at models internationally, to address high numbers of empty retail spaces in the city centre.

“Our central city was dying – there were lots of vacant lots sprinkled out like missing teeth,” she said.

She initiated discussions with property owners to gauge their willingness to make their spaces available temporarily, rent-free.

“The response was positive, especially because all properties would remain on the retail market available to let at any time. Within four years the creatives had transformed those spaces, doing it in their own way.”

For more information go to: www.marlborough.govt.nz/our-community/arts-culture-and-heritage/space-create

Home Page | Auckland | Previous Story | Next Story

Copyright (c) Scoop Media