Hui tahi tātoa o Porirua

Wellington agency Storybox briefed me to provide the overarching concept, art direction, and early design schematics for an interactive community exhibition communicating a compelling vision for the Porirua housing development project. Built around the notion of a ‘knowledge tree,’ the exhibition aimed not only to inform but also to capture the aspirations of the Porirua community in a genuine, organic, fun, and inclusive way.

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Client

Kāinga Ora for Storybox

Year

2023

Services

Creative Concept

Art Direction

Copywriting

Bringing a community together around a plan for the future

Te Rā Nui, The Eastern Porirua Development, is a visionary program outlining critical actions to support local population growth, expected to increase by around 25% over the next 25 years. Kāinga Ora partnered with the team to involve the people of Porirua in this important journey.

I was tasked with turning that spatial plan into an experience that was approachable, accessible, and easy to understand. The result: Hui tahi tātou o Porirua, a pop-up exhibition designed to give the community an opportunity to view the plan and provide feedback in a compelling way.

The enormous tree in the middle of the exhibition acted as a gathering point where people could write their thoughts and opinions onto the colorful leaves. This proved popular. In its opening weekend, Hui tahi tātou o Porirua drew over a thousand people into the space. Ultimately, over five thousand people and thirty community groups engaged with the experience. There are now plans to use the exhibition as a blueprint for future Kāinga Ora community engagement projects.