Rosabel

Late last year, I was commissioned by the Asia-Europe Foundation (@culture360_asef ) to write an introduction to the Aotearoa arts and cultural landscape, as part of a new series ⋆˙⟡ tbh it was a challenge! it felt important that it didn’t devolve into a catalogue of the largely universal challenges that artists and arts workers experience and instead captured something specific about what was happening here, right now, in this particular moment So we start with a short history of Aotearoa and how that has shaped the sector today. I talk about some of the artists who inspire me. I talk about our government implementing regressive policies that disproportionately affect Māori and how it is an election year, and things could change. I talk about the flow-on effects of the recession. I talk about the big changes to long-term investment at Creative New Zealand and how they might radically reshape the landscape (a personal hope), and how the absence of an international strategy is cutting the sector off at the knees. I talk about the unique challenges of building a sustainable creative career here, how it is unsurprising that everyone is leaving, and how this is aging the sector in ways that will slow it down. I also say some positive, upbeat, cool things Anyway this guide is for anyone curious about Aotearoa — anyone interested in bringing work here, collaborating with artists here, or just understanding this place a little better. It’s by no means comprehensive. Really it’s just the beginning of a conversation, but I hope it offers something useful to those who are looking ♥ you’ll find it over on their website ngā mihi @whaeaparaoa for being my reader and to all the artists who feature .✦ ݁˖

We’re so excited to announce our next Night Mayors event, just a few weeks away and this time something a little different, leading up to the Auckland Writers Festival. Britomart Streetside x Night Mayors present: Sealed Section Featuring Rosabel Tan, Damien Levi and Kaan Hiini, hosted by Charlotte Ryan. Friday 8 May, 8pm Daily Bread, Britomart Free event, no tickets required In this rare conversation between behind-the-scenes dreamers Rosabel Tan, Damien Levi (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi) and Kaan Hiini (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa), we tear open the sealed section, dish dirt on what they find hot and not in local writing, and share secrets to spice up your Tāmaki life. Part of STREETSIDE: Britomart, a one-night programme of talks, music and performances across the precinct. Come early and stay late. Bring friends and check out some of the other awesome events on all around Britomart. With thanks to Auckland By Night for their support. Brought to you by the Night Mayors team @placecreative__ @openlatekrd @novemberstudio.nz @charlotteaoryan @1_of_1_studio @incorrect_pin @damienlevi @kaanivorous @britomartnz @aklwritersfest

it’s been a dream to join @davidfarrier and @wobby_wob for this leg of the @flightlessbirdpod tour and to meet so many warm, generous, and incredible people along the way. special thanks to all the patreons who made this trip possible (my first time in texas!) and who helped me live my secret alter ego fantasy life of being a part-time alternating guest on a podcast some silly things i have loved this past week: sleeping inside a pig pen, trying texan bbq, making a cowboy hat my new personality, being haunted by a swarm of gnats, assisting lizard man when he did that gross trick where he sucked a beer into his belly and then back out again, learning about de-extinction technology, watching david kiss a cow sculpture (legal in dallas), discovering the ‘eleven’ in 7-ELEVEn (invented in dallas) features a lowercase ’n’ because it feels “less aggressive” and of course going to magic castle!!! i will never say it to his face but i am forever in awe of the work david does, the way he fiercely fights for a better world while still celebrating all the big and small things that make us weird and interesting. i’m proud to call him my friend. and now i that i’ve hung out with rob irl, i get to call him my friend too, whether he likes it or not!!! a magic-maker both on and off-mic ♥ also if you like flightless bird! you can vote for them in the webbys where they are nominated for best indie podcast (no 1 in my heart but no 3 in the polls)

I turned 40!!!!! i didn’t give a speech but here’s what i’ll say now: i am profoundly lucky to be shaped, held and inspired by so many incredible people. like,, you’re saying i get to be surrounded by this much curiosity, generosity and mischief?? lmao nice try loser what’s the catch special thanks to @sanray.nz for making it magical and delicious and @dstgeorgephoto who took all these gorgeous sneaky shots including ones of me crying over how much i love my friends (rude)

still haven’t seen a mentalist tho

Thanks to everyone who came along to the launch events for 𝐏𝐮̄𝐭𝐚̄𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐚: 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚̄𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐀𝐫𝐭 last week ♥ Episode 1 is now available on all your fav podcast platforms!! ⋆˙⟡ Te Papa photos by Jo Moore / Artspace photos by @juliezhuu

many of you know that i am terrible at explaining what i do and given the option would rather not, but i also believe so absolutely in the artists i am lucky enough to work with and the kaupapa I get to work on ! this has been an ongoing conundrum and last year an answer arrived from heaven in the form of talented angel @jngie , who has created this digital filing cabinet for some of the projects I’ve worked on recently. like her it is stylish and cool and like me it is called rosabeltan.com  This is ultimately a growing catalogue of the people who sustain me and keep me curious and charged about the many futures we are building together. Thank you to everyone who has ever trusted me to bring your work to life, for letting me dream out loud about different ways to do things, for inviting me to tell your stories, and for creating space to allow others to tell theirs.  I look forward to never speaking about any of this ever again!!! Also: I don’t know if @jngie is actually looking for work but you would be lucky to be on her books ♥ we’ve worked together on a number of projects and i’m always struck by her playfulness and intelligence and the thoughtful details she carves into her design. i also owe many martini to @l___j___m___ and @damienlevi for detailing with great disappointment my many crimes against grammar (i remain unrepentant) and to the crew at @extendedwhanau for asking me every week when the website would go live. it was annoying but it worked (thank you)

Nau mai haere mai ⋆˚.⋆ Join us in celebrating the launch of the new limited-series podcast, 𝑃𝑢̄𝑡𝑎̄𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑎: 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑎̄𝑜𝑟𝑖 𝐴𝑟𝑡. Hosted by 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐢 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬 (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Hauiti, Taranaki, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) and produced by 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚 (Te Arawa: Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Makino, Tapuika), 𝑃𝑢̄𝑡𝑎̄𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑎 dives into the sociopolitical context around which Māori art has evolved and revolved — opening with the 1973 Ngā Puna Waihanga hui in Te Kaha, to 𝑇𝑒 𝑀𝑎̄𝑜𝑟𝑖 in New York, through to today as we meet some of the people whose work has changed the way we think about Māori art. 𝐓𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐢-𝐚-𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 Wednesday 18 February — 6pm Te Papa Rongomaraeroa (Level 4) Free to attend, register via link in our bio or the @te_papa website Feat. performance by @tekahureretoa 𝐓𝐚̄𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 Thursday 19 February — 6pm Artspace Aotearoa Free to attend, register via link in our bio or the @artspace.aotearoa website 𝑃𝑢̄𝑡𝑎̄𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑎 joins 𝑇𝑢𝑘𝑢𝑎 and 𝑂𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑦𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑠 as part of a trio of arts and culture podcasts commissioned through a @creativenz , @nz_on_air and @rnznewzealand co-fund, which was established in response to 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑀𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑠, a report focusing on how we might strengthen arts and culture media in Aotearoa New Zealand. Design by @ambidrift and image by Taylor Galmiche ♥

a few moments from the rehearsal room this afternoon ♥ very special to be taking this show on tour! @xin_with_ji spoke w @yourex_is_gay last week about the origins of this work: “I started noticing how the body holds things long after the mind forgets,” he says. “Small memories, habits, even traces of places I’ve been. 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 really began when I realised those invisible layers were shaping how I move, how I rest, and how I react.” ⋆⭒˚.⋆ 𝐵𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 @theatreroyalnelson Sat 25 Oct — 7.30pm Presented as part of @nelson_arts_festival ⋆⭒˚.⋆ Dramaturg @yellowperilproductions Music Director @alistair_deverick Costume Design @6x4online Lighting Design @rowanpierce Set Design @taliapua AV Design @q_zone__ Producer @incorrect_pin Production Manager @rex.reynaud Lighting Operator @jazmin.whittall Initially developed with @aucklandpride in Feb 2025 ✿ ngā mihi nui to everyone who supported this initial season including @pchanggg @seasonaotearoa @wellesleystudios @teorogleninnes @nzdanceco @public_record_ John Verryt and Sue Pua

been trying to love this city but she’s testing my patience!!

i know he’s gone but still feels like he’s watching over me

𝐴𝑛 𝐼𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 is now open, presented as part of Manchester International Festival ♥ This is a project that has been two years in the making, and we are so grateful to all our young collaborators, and also all our old collaborators @if_do , @lachlan_anderson_ , @extendedwhanau , and @heymyshko , to Kee Hong for believing in us and for his creative guidance and wisdom, to @richardgregoryqtine for the dramaturgical conversations, @sameed_sameed_sameed , @ambercalland and @vennsmyth who helped us hold these important relationships with the schools we worked with, our producing team Holly, Rochelle and Laura, our production manager (and reformed comedian) Phil Buckley, our international champion @rochellemicha , the wider @factory_international team, and @fionacorridan , @neisamason and the team at @mcrartgallery who have looked after us so warmly and who will be the guardians of this inheritance for the next 100 years 𝐴𝑛 𝐼𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 Manchester Art Gallery 4 July — 2 Nov 2025 and 2125 Showing at Manchester Art Gallery in 2025 and again in 2125, 𝐴𝑛 𝐼𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 brings together a sprawling collection of knowledge, advice, jokes, memories and objects assembled by over 450 primary school children from across every borough of Greater Manchester. Working with artists Andy Field, Beckie Darlington and Rosabel Tan, these young people have been thinking about Manchester 100 years from now and what they can leave behind for its children – from a jar of honey (in case there are no bees in 2125) to advice on how to make friends, and everything in between. Both a gift and a tribute to some of the city’s youngest inhabitants, 𝐴𝑛 𝐼𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 is an invitation to think about the world we live in now, the legacy we leave behind and what it means to be a good ancestor. Photos by @michaelpollardphotography ☾