CALLING ALL WRITERS

We are seeking innovative Henderson stories.  This could be contemporary interpretations of local history, recent events, or imagined future narratives of the people and places in Henderson.

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Outside the Square is a new initiative, funded by the Henderson-Massey Local Board, to support  community arts in Henderson. This initial project will commission four to six written works to provide a fresh perspective on the Henderson area.

 

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

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We are looking for works that are fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry (long-form or a collection), or scripts for stage, screen, or digital platforms.

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SELECTION CRITERIA

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Works will be be selected on the following criteria:

 

• relevance to the project and the Henderson area

• originality

• quality of writing

• feasibility in given time frames

• ability to generate future place-making opportunities

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SUGGESTED THEMES 

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Pre-European Histories:

• The feats of Tiriwa

• The history of Te Kawerau A Maki
   

Early Settler Stories:

• Don Buck's Notorious Gum Digger Camp

• Simun Ujdur’s Birdwood Winery Estate

• The Corban family

• Lucy Cranwell - pioneering botanist and intrepid tramper

 

Contemporary stories:

• Local Pacific stories 

• Stories from Henderson’s CBD

West Auckland Historical Poems:

• The Ballad of Don Buck's Hill 

• Tramping Girls of Auckland 

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An introduction to each topic can be found on our Writing Themes page.

 

Please do not hesitate to respond to another relevant Henderson story.

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FURTHER RESEARCH

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Further research material can be found at: The West Auckland Research Centre, Waitakere Central Library, Level 2, 3 Ratanui Street, Henderson, Tel: 09 440 7003, Email:

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You can also visit Local History Online to search the West Auckland Oral History Index, and the West Auckland Images Collection.  

 

Please do not hesitate to respond to another relevant Henderson story.

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IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL

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If you are successful, you will be supported with a grant of $1,500 to $2,250.  Completed works will be showcased at a public event and used by Outside the Square to generate future projects.

 

​You can make submissions between Monday, 21 November 2016 and midnight, Friday 16 December 2016. 

​This is a call for the expression of your idea – completed works will not be accepted.

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If you have questions, please contact Rebecca Kunin - Outside the Square Project Manager.