11 October 2012

For immediate release

Inaugural Spring River Festival: Festival-goers invited to ‘share an idea for the east’

‘Eastern visions’ stalls will be set up at all the major event hubs of the Spring River Festival taking place over Labour Weekend.

Here festival goers will be invited to ‘share an idea for the east’.

Evan Smith, Co-Chair of Avon-Ōtakaro Network which is promoting the festival, says: “Anyone can contribute their ideas and visions for a specific suburb, the Avon River residential red zone or for the east as a whole.’

“Share an Idea was a successful council campaign that gave folk a voice in what they wanted to see in the CBD. This is a similar initiative for the severely affected east side of town, except this time it is run by the community.”

“Every contribution will be entered into a central database and the results analysed and published. This is an open database and there will be free access to the raw data and analyses,” says Smith.

The initiative is set up in partnership with the Rebuild Christchurch Foundation via the Rebuild Christchurch website - www.rebuildchristchurch.co.nz - which will host the database.

2012 is the inaugural year of the Spring River Festival to be held each Labour weekend on the lower Avon corridor, estuary and beaches.

The festival is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to celebrate spring on and along the eastern waterways of Christchurch.

The programme is packed with 40 recreational and community events and is taking place on 20 and 21 October, 2012. With event hubs at New Brighton, Ferrymead, Kerrs Reach, Avondale, Burwood, Travis, Shirley and Avonside, the festival showcases the vitality and potential of the east as “Ōtakaro: place of the game”.

Initiated, coordinated and promoted by Avon-Ōtakaro Network, the festival is supported by CCC, CERA, Sport Canterbury, CanCERN, Healthy Christchurch, Rebuild Christchurch Foundation and the Volunteer Army Foundation.

Smith says: “There is something for everyone, whatever their age, ability or interest, with a diverse range of activities embracing sport and recreation, culture and heritage, environment and gardens, and entertainment and community.”

“It will be a very special weekend that recognises the importance of the Avon-Ōtakaro River and estuary to the history, health and wellbeing of Christchurch. Reconnecting people and communities from all parts of the city, this celebration of the human spirit will particularly support and strengthen many of the communities most affected by the quakes.”

“Promoting local businesses and business opportunities along the lower Avon corridor, the festival restores confidence in the recovery of the east. By taking the opportunity to look at what could be, we take brief respite from the challenges of the here and now and imbue our visions for the future with hope and aspiration.” says Smith.

The events are autonomously run by a diverse range of local organisations, so this is a collaborative effort bringing together a broad combination of interests.

ENDS

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