Public lectures
in New Zealand

Building Back Better: 15 Years of Earthquake Engineering Lessons from Christchurch

Fifteen years after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, UC engineers reflect on what they learned, what changed in global building codes, and what still needs to happen.

Whānau Day: Breathe | Mauri Ora

Research funding in Aotearoa New Zealand—Threats, trajectories, and the potential for transformation

Details For many generations, Aotearoa has invested comparatively little, certainly by OECD standards, in research and development (R and D). Moreover, since 2020–21,...

Ockham NZ Book Awards 2026 Longlist Celebration

Join us to celebrate the announcement of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist, with readings from longlisted authors across all four categories.

Distinguished Lecture: The Brain in Pain — New Frontiers in Chronic Pain Research

The annual Otago Distinguished Lecture in Medicine explores breakthrough research into the neuroscience of chronic pain and emerging treatments.

A Painter, a Dentist and a lot of Ingenuity

Join Shaun Higgins, Curator Pictorial here at Auckland Museum, to learn how in the midst of a World War II prisoner of war camp, an Australian prisoner of war was able to create stunning portraits of his fellow inmates.

Work-Integrated Learning Research: Transforming the Future of Practice (WACE International Research Symposium)

School of Education research seminar: Professor Hella von Unger

We invite you to join us for a seminar with visiting Professor Hella von Unger, from Munich. We will have tea/coffee together at...

Big Tech: Too Big To Fail?

Inaugural Professorial Lecture: Alexandra Andhov

Kia Tika, Kia Pono—For A Just Society

In Aotearoa, we know very well what our most pressing problems are—poverty, inequity, ecological destruction, and climate change. But we are much less...

Writers & Readers: New Zealand Literary Identities

A conversation with three New Zealand authors about writing from the margins, finding a readership, and what it means to tell New Zealand stories in a globalised publishing market.

New Zealand's Space Future: From Rocket Lab to National Strategy

An exploration of New Zealand's rapidly growing space sector, the science enabled by domestic launch capability, and the policy frameworks governing our use of space.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra: Stories Alive! The Tortoise and the Hare

Philanthropy Along the Supply Chain

Authors: Huu Nhan Duong, Emdad Islam, Lubna Rahman, and Cara Vansteenkiste Abstract Firms strategically use donations to trade partners’ affiliated charities to achieve...

Create With Pride — for 13–18 year olds

Welfare (1975) film screening

Join us for a film screening of Welfare, with an introduction by artist Rangi White in a discussion of Aotearoa's welfare bureaucracies

Welfare (1975)

For Tell us if something changes, artist Rangi White draws on the aesthetics of a Work and Income Office to consider how material and spatial conditions structure a person’s encounters with the state. Join us for a film screening of Welfare (1975) , with an introduction by White in a discussion of Aotearoa's welfare bureaucracies. Welfare, directed by Frederick Wiseman, explores the complexity of the welfare system, highlighting issues like housing, unemployment, and medical problems. It shows both welfare workers and clients struggling to navigate the laws and regulations that impact their lives.

Easter Egg Hunt

Pick up our Easter Egg trail to help you hunt down decorated eggs hiding in our galleries, and be in to win a delicious chocolate hamper.

Secrets of the Southern Ocean: Otago's Deep-Sea Research Programme

Marine scientists share discoveries from recent voyages to the Southern Ocean, including new species, ecosystem dynamics, and implications for fisheries management.

In Conversation: The State of New Zealand Fiction

A panel discussion with this year's fiction finalists exploring the themes, craft, and challenges of writing contemporary New Zealand fiction.

Canterbury Water: Ecology, Irrigation, and the Future of Our Freshwater

Researchers and community voices discuss the competing demands on Canterbury's freshwater resources and what a sustainable future looks like for the region.

Super Creative Live: The Art of Home

Ideas Challenge Workshop 1: Connect and Collaborate

Come for the insights, stay for the connections.

Arguing about morphemes

The School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies hosts weekly seminars featuring a selection of visiting researchers as well as those from the...

Equity in Health: Progress and Challenges for Māori Wellbeing

A wānanga-style public discussion on the persistent health inequities facing Māori communities and what genuine system change would require.

History Recovered: New Discoveries in the Alexander Turnbull Collection

Archivists and historians reveal recently catalogued items from the Alexander Turnbull Library collection, including previously unseen photographs and correspondence.

2026 Climate Festival Fortnight

Register hereWellington School of Business and Government (WSBG) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is proud to support Wellington City Council’s first...

Great graduates speaker series: We counsel, we don't cancel

Aviation Conversations

Enjoy an evening in the Aviation Hall with a panel discussion exploring aerial mapping technology.

Kindred at Silo6 - Live performance, 1st May, F...

'Kindred' at Silo6

Toi Art Saturdays: Sit and Sketch

Mandarin Corner: Explore the art of Yongchun lacquer baskets and paint your own

Discover the beauty of Yongchun Lacquer Baskets, a traditional craft from Fujian that blends weaving and lacquer art. Learn about its cultural story,...

PRINTOPIA FESTIVAL —

Printopia Festival returns for its fifth edition from 1–3 May 2026, celebrating contemporary printmaking across Aotearoa and the Asia Pacific. Now a recognised regional arts event, the Festival presents its signature programme including the country’s largest print fair, live printing, artist talks and hands-on workshops. New for 2026 are curated exhibitions, guided gallery tours and experimental performances that expand how print is experienced. Taking place across four central Auckland venues, Printopia invites audiences to connect, explore and be inspired.

Ideas Challenge Workshop 2: Polish Your Idea

Grab a bite, have a chat, and refine your vision alongside your peers.

Curator talk – Standing tall: a century of the Clock Tower

Come join us for a captivating journey through time as we uncover the secrets behind the iconic Clock Tower in this curator talk!

WOMEN & NON-BINARY ARTIST HUI: CYANOTYPE WORKSHOP —

In this cyanotype workshop you’ll discover how science and creativity can coincide. Experiment with exposure, shadow, and UV light to create your own unique print using natural materials gathered from your surroundings. Lulu will guide you through two hours of playful exploration, learning, and good chats, perfect for anyone keen to try something new and make art in a relaxed, supportive environment.

New Zealand Sign Language Awards Night

Speech-language therapists can talk you into anything

Professor Clare McCann's Inaugural Lecture

QUEERS & WARES —

Queers & Wares is a market that celebrates queer creativity, community, and connection. Come hang out, browse beautiful handmade pieces, vintage clothing, and art - all by local artists. We are proud to support small, sustainable businesses here in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Chinese Bridge Competition 2026

Showcase your Chinese language skill at the annual Wellington regional competition. Hosted by the VUW Confucius Institute and supported by Center for Language...

TĀ: SIAPO AS A LIVING PRACTICE —

This two-day workshop introduces participants to the traditional art practice of siapo-making as a living practice. Through talanoa, we will explore the history of siapo in Sāmoa, its cultural significance and the ways it continues to be reimagined today.

SIVA MO LOU SOIFUA MANUIA —

This workshop offers a nurturing journey into Siva Samoa, where movement supports wellbeing. Participants explore foundational Siva Samoa steps and their cultural meanings — gestures that honour connections to land, ocean, sky, ancestry, and community. Through soft hands, grounded feet, and mindful breath, they experience how movement mirrors the natural world. Rooted in traditional practice, the session invites people to slow down, reconnect, and honour the body. Open to all levels. Let them Siva for health, language, and collective wellbeing.

MAMALU – A LINEAGE EMBODIED —

This workshop centres the malu, the Samoan female tattoo, as a living archive of cultural knowledge and ancestral presence. Through discussion, drawing, writing, and embodied practice, participants will explore how Indigenous knowledge is encoded in the body, and how these markings intersect with gender, identity, and sovereignty. Grounded Rosanna's own malu and artistic practice, the workshop invites critical reflection on issues of cultural appropriation, authorship, and the responsibilities of working with Indigenous visual systems.

Mandarin Corner: Celebrate the Dragon Boat festival and craft your own herbal sachet

Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and explore one of China’s most meaningful traditional holidays. Learn the story of Qu Yuan, discover the origins...

HANDCRAFTED SPELL CANDLES —

In this two hour workshop, you’ll be guided through the steps to create your own spell candle tuned to your desires and intentions. Spell candles are used to represent specific goals, with herbs and oils added to strengthen their purpose and support manifestation within magickal ritual, inviting enchantment into your life. During the course, you’ll braid your own twine, hand dip your candles in wax and roll them in the herbs and oils you choose.

Kintsugi Workshop

BOHM Presents: Eddie Izzard performs Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Hamlet

Mandarin Corner: Chinese shadow puppetry - experience the storytelling magic of shadow puppetry

Experience the storytelling magic of traditional Chinese shadow puppetry. Watch a live demonstration, learn about its history and cultural meaning, and discover how...

Mandarin Corner: Mid-Autumn festival - explore its traditions, food, characters & craft

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and explore one of China’s most beloved traditions. Discover the legend of Chang’e, learn about mooncakes and festival customs,...

Mandarin Corner: Chinese gold-foil burning art

Discover the cultural symbolism of gold in Chinese art and explore the beauty of traditional gold-foil design. Learn about its history and decorative...

Mandarin Corner: Baduanjin wellness - explore the philosophy of baduanjin, including its connection to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Experience Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese wellness practice known as the “Eight Pieces of Brocade.” Learn about its cultural background and connection to balance...

RELAUNCH —

After taking some time to reset and rebuild, CreativeMornings Auckland returns with a renewed spark, a new organising team, and a lineup of fresh themes and inspiring speakers. Make sure to save the dates for our first three events: 27 February, 27 March, 24 April. Come for the speakers, stay for the connection, and leave inspired.

QUEERS & WARES PRIDE MARKET —

Queers & Wares Pride Market is an annual celebration of queer creativity, community, and connection. Come hang out, browse beautiful handmade pieces, vintage clothing, and art - all by local artists. We are proud to support small, sustainable businesses here in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Swimming with Sharks

Join us for a theatrical journey into deep waters, to meet sharks from the prehistoric era to today. You won't need a wetsuit or breathing apparatus to go swimming with these sharks - just come as you are.

MAKE ART FROM PLANTS —

In this hands-on workshop, learn to create natural art tools and media sourced directly from the landscape. Explore simple, practical techniques for turning locally foraged and homegrown plants into artist’s charcoals (including smudge-proof), rich black and tanninbased inks, brightly coloured painting inks, and handcrafted dip pens for drawing, writing, and calligraphy.

AUNTY'S HOUSE PRESENTS SKETCH&SIP —

Get ready to unwind, connect and create with Aunty’s House and Masala Bazaar at Studio One Toi Tū for Sketch&Sip — a chilled afternoon of art, music, and culture. Together, we’ll create something beautiful while sipping homemade spicy chai, nibbling on both sweet and savoury South Asian snacks, and soaking in a live cultural soundscape by our resident DJ: basmami.

COLLAGE CLUB —

Join us in rummaging through a wide range of materials (everything from maps to magazines) and once you find something that catches your eye… look for more. Then, cut, rip and stick to make something new. Whether you have a plan or want to be inspired this community event will offer a chance for creativity with no previous experience necessary. Collage club is a sustainable art event: all our materials are rescued from the tip via local recycling centres. This event kindly supported by the Creative Communities scheme / Creative New Zealand.

NOKSHI KOTHA —

Explore Bengali embroidery in an interactive, communal workshop with textile and community artist, Sahana Rahman. Contribute your story to a collective embroidered mural as you learn about Nokshi Kantha, a tradition where Bengali women stitch their stories onto fabrics and upcycled sarees. Master basic kantha stitches and create a design inspired by your own story. Nokshi Kotha, meaning "embroidered talk" in Bangla, celebrates shared healing, joy and connection through the art of stitching together.

BODY AS STAMP: CARVING NAME THROUGH CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS —

This workshop offers an introduction to Chinese martial arts through guided movement, cultural context and learning. Drawing on fundamental martial arts principles participants will explore how intention, posture, rhythm, and pathways move through the body.