We are a new exciting and creative art gallery, handmade boutique and photographic studio opening at 166 Cuba Street. We are looking for artists, makers and designers who are interested in exhibiting or stocking in our boutique, Please contact us at gallery@matchboxstudios.co.nz or shop@matchboxstudios.co.nz for more information.

We also have two artists studios available for hire in our new space, they will be $50 per week and in a great location right in the heart of Cuba street! If you would like more information on this please email us at studio@matchboxstudios.co.nz.

Our launch party and opening exhibition will begin on 19th May at 6.30pm. See you there!

Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan is the Yoga of Awareness brought to the west from India by Yogi Bhajan in 1969. Kundalini Yoga will strenthen your nervous system and balance your glandular system by purifying the body and calming the mind. It gives fast effective results, including intuition, vitality and harmony by working on the inner self. So it's not so much working on your physical aspect although you will begin to see the change from the inner and outer you.

In Kundalini Yoga the most important thing is your experience; it goes right to your heart, an experience that no words can replace. So come and try Kundalini Yoga on Tuesday evenings 5.45pm-6.45pm upstairs in Thistle Hall. $15 casual or $72 for 6 classes. Bring your own mat and blanket.

Contact Alicia by email: ak.kundaliniyoga@gmail or phone 021 899 215.

Alphabet Street presents Lord Echo!
For families.
Capital E
2.00 - 4.00pm Sunday 25 March
Alphabet Street is a Sunday session at Capital E, where families can listen, laugh, dance and craft together. We provide an iconic live Wellington band, a craft workshop, a dance workshop and a photobooth family photo, as part of our afternoon activities. Alphabet Street proves kids and parents can listen to and enjoy the same music. Alphabet aims to inspire the next generation of Wellington musicians, dancers and artists by providing an authentic arts experience. Alphabet Street is funk for the whole family.

Alphabet Street with Lord Echo will run from 2.00 - 4.00pm on Sunday 25 March, with local DJ Edmund Skillary providing the first hour of tunes to dance to, while you craft with Craftcamp and learn some new dance moves with the Pump Dancers. Each family can also take away a free Amazing Travelling Photobooth family photo to remember your awesome family day with.

Lord Echo aka Mike Fabulous, is the guitarist and producer for such bands as The Black Seeds, Fabulous Arabia, The Scribes of Ra and The Recloose Band. Lord Echo's debut solo release Melodies, is a roaring romp through his crazy world of sound; a magical, meandering journey through Afro–disco, Soul Reggae, Latin boogie and Ethio–Jazz. Echo is joined by a plethora of notable colleagues from every Wellington band you can imagine, but this time it's all about Echo! His remarkable talents are everywhere in abundance. The studio boffin has put down his soldering iron and picked up his tambourine in order to create a mighty album of towering tunes! Lord Echo plays his second ever Wellington show, especially for Alphabet Street families. Lucky.

Alphabet Street - a family arts experience that will leave the whole family smiling. Dress fruity, craft sparkly and get down with some amazing & inspiring Wellington musicians, up close and personal. Because we believe the children are our future!

Presale tickets $13 from www.undertheradar.co.nz, $15 doorsales on the day. Under 2s are free, all activities and workshops included in the ticket price.

With thanks to Creative Communities, Wellington City Council, Radio Active, Little League and Iko Iko. For more info contact organizer Lily on 021 0220 4635 or lily@yokoso.co.nz.

Toi Pōneke Gallery is calling for exhibition proposals for the October 2012–March 2013 programme.

The deadline for proposals is 30 March 2012. Download 'call for proposals' here for more information.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any queries and please do spread the word.

Visit here for information on current and upcoming Toi Pōneke Gallery exhibitions.

Love your kids or know someone who loves theirs? Of course you do! Most parents and guardians love their kids, and it's a pity that it's only most and not all.

For those that do, there is so much ridiculous (mis)information circulating about what we need to do to keep our kids safe - and we'll clean some of it up through our upcoming talk rich with practical steps and food for thought about what we need to do to keep our kids safe from violence. More details and registrations here.

3.00 - 4.00pm, Saturday 10 March 2012
Auditorium, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Koha (all proceeds go to Wellington Rape Crisis).

Thistle Hall is pleased to welcome our new manager, Clea Matthews. Feel free to pop into the office and say hi!

Thistle Hall presents SNAPSHOT: A photographic exhibition celebrating upper Cuba Street.

Featuring commissioned work by Andrew Ross, Ans Westra, Caleb Smith & Ryan McCauley.

Opening & Thistle Hall's Xmas bash Tuesday 6 December 6.00pm - all welcome.

Open daily 10.00am - 6.00pm Wednesday 7 December - Sunday 11 December.

All works are for sale.

Over three Tuesday evenings this October, Thistle Hall is holding a series of free seminars for artists wanting to develop themselves. These will be held at The Hub at Toi Poneke Arts Centre on Abel Smith Street from 6.00 to 8.00pm on 4, 11 and 18 October. Each session will be approx 1 hour long followed by a Q&A over tea and biscuits.

Our first seminar will be on Tuesday 4 Oct at 6pm with Mark Amery. The 11 October seminar will be with Nikki Burns from Grow Wellington about the artist as a business and our third seminar, on 18 October, will be about career development within the arts.

You can put your name down to come along by emailing Hannah Clarke at thistlehallworkshops@gmail.com. Spaces are limited to so please get in touch soon. You can elect to come to one session or all three!

PLANT: PUBLICITY & MEDIA 4 OCTOBER
Wondering best how to get that necessary review, article or interview? Mark Amery has worked in both the arts and the media and knows the tricks of both trades. This session will be tailored to the specific questions you bring about the arts and the media. What are your best approaches? What's the reality of the media in relation to the arts in NZ and your best chances? How do you construct a news release that will actually be read and used? Are you better off these days just being the media and building your own networks? With both fresh and long, good and tortuous experiences on both sides of the fence Mark is looking forward to a frank, open and practical session about getting your work out there.

For further information or to register email thistlehallworkshops@gmail.com.

The three winning designs from our T-shirt design competition are still available to purchase. Locally designed and locally printed, these t-shirts are a steal at $40 each, and a great way to support your local community. All funds raised go towards the purchase of a defibrillator for the Upper Cuba St area.

All designs are available on charcoal or silver and come in sizes S - XL and in mens and womens styles. To see them in person, pop into the Thistle Hall office during opening hours, or email office@thistlehall.org.nz for more info.

The Cuba Street Memories Project is the first collaborative history project from Wellington City Libraries. Help build a history of Cuba Street online - share your memories and pictures of Cuba Street and contribute your knowledge of the area.

kete.wcl.govt.nz

Thistle Hall tiles, image by Tom Beard.