Bring Your Shed Treasures To Aspiring Conversations

From dusty gumboots to long forgotten jars, the humble Kiwi shed is about to step into the spotlight.

As the closing session of Aspiring Conversations, Kiwi Country invites audiences into a world of rural memory, ingenuity and storytelling. On stage, beloved New Zealand comedian Te Radar joins writer and photographer Ruth Spencer to unpack the objects behind their book Kiwi Country: Rural New Zealand in 100 Objects.

Across ten chapters, the book roams through paddocks, orchards, livestock yards, backblocks and, of course, sheds, revealing how everyday items carry the weight of history, identity and invention. Think meat safes, Hi Lux utes, No 8 wire, Swanndri bush shirts, Country Women’s Institute badges. “It’s not an official history, but the stories tucked inside the things we often overlook,” says Te Radar

As part of the session, festival organisers are inviting audiences to bring along their own rural relics to be included in a display in the Armstrong Room at the Lake Wānaka Centre across the festival weekend.

Acting Executive Director Laura Williamson says it’s an opportunity to take a fresh look at the objects we hold onto. “Have a dig around. What have you been holding onto all these years? That thing you thought might come in handy one day, this could be its moment. Whether it’s a Hayes wire strainer, a stack of Agee jars or something fashioned from corrugated iron, we’d love to see it and share it.”

Audience members are encouraged to drop their object in ahead of the session on Sunday 29 March, with selected items potentially featured on stage during Kiwi Country.

A celebration of ingenuity, nostalgia and the stories that shape rural Aotearoa, Kiwi Country brings the festival to a close with warmth, humour and audience participation.

Tickets are on sale now.

Aspiring Conversations
27 to 29 March 2026
Lake Wānaka Centre
89 Ardmore Street, Wānaka
For more information visit www.aspiringconversations.co.nz

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