Open now and on for the next few weeks is Nanageddon at ROAR! gallery.  Nanageddon is the end of craft as we know it and its not-for-the-fainthearted 😉

Many of the of the artists involved learnt how to craft from their nanas and using those skills they are transforming craft into art.

This isn’t tea cosies with a twist or stylish scarves (both of which we love) but a re-take on traditional craft methods, giving us another way at looking at and using craft.

Nananageddon releases craft from it’s normal, common and accepted uses drawing it into the realms of conceptually driven art.

Some of today’s edgy, and radical thinkers are part of Nanageddon and they are also sharing their skills with you at two public workshops:

– On Saturday August 29th take a family photograph along to ROAR! and transform it using some embroidery techniques.

– the following Saturday – September 5th take along some old plastic bags and you’ll learn how to transform them into jandals.

Both workshops are by gold coin donation

So get your craft on or just head along to ROAR! above Real Groovy Records in Upper Cuba Street from now until September 12th

check out the website for opening hours

Here’s just a quick reminder that the Smarten your Snapper competition closes in a week’s time, on Thursday 27th August.

This means there’s still time for you to get busy on an entry. Check out the Craft 2.0 blog for some inspiration, or, think about this…

The new Green Snapper cards have been released for sale in Wellington this week. This means there will soon be thousands of school-age kids out there needing help to look after a hard-to-handle object that is valued (by their parents, at least). There’s got to be opportunities there for some inspired, and potentially rewarding, crafting!

For example, this Wellingtonista would queue, just behind his daughters, to help buy them a couple of robust and pretty holders on a lanyard at the next Craft 2.0…

(In which we let you eat cake)

Ekeltus Inc are going for baroque with a lavish event this Saturday – The Affair of the Diamond Necklace: an evening with Marie Antoinette in the Gardens of Versailles – a dinner, ball and theatre experience all joined together in one sumptuous affair. It sounds rather excellent, and we can heartily recommend dressing up as Marie Antoinette, so perhaps you should find out more right now, oui? 

If you’ve visited Akaroa, you’ll know how the li’l Canterbury village prides itself on its Frenchness. See, it was founded by the French.

Dave Armstrong’s new play "Le Sud" takes the idea of the French in Aotearoa a few steps further – ce qui si le français avait colonisé l’Île du Sud?

Uh, I mean, what if the French colonised the South Island?

The comedy is set at a political meeting, with the Kiwi-as North Zealanders paying a visit to their Gallic southern neighbours to see about buying some of that electricity they have an abundance of.

We meet the sleazy South Zealand prime minister, his lesbionique deputy, and their minister of native affairs, who’ll do anything for a dollar. Or a franc. And if you’ve learned a bit of French in school, you’ll be able to feel clever throughout their opening dialogue en français.

The North Zealand team are lead by the good ol’ Kiwi bloke PM, and his coalition partners – a very left-wing Maori woman and a very ACT-like young dude.

The story manages to be quite naughty at times – much more naughty than you’d get on the telly – and the cast are brilliant with both the verbal and physical comedy.

I will also praise the bold, effective costumes by Nic Smillie. It’s kind of nice knowing that New Zealand political culture can be summed up in three well chosen suits.

And when all this comes together, Dave Armstrong’s pen of lolz manages to skewer French, Kiwi, Maori and political culture, throw in a bit of sex farce (Oh-haw-haw! Baguette!), and produce a really fun, funny play.

"Le Sud" plays at Downstage until August 22.

We’ve reviewed Roxy before, but having had the experience of being the only people dining there at 7.30pm on a Thursday night, we thought it was pretty important that we review them again. Especially since we saw that now (like many other places we really should round up) they’re offering BYO on Mondays and Tuesdays.

First up, I should say that my opinion of their breakfast has changed considerably since I left that last comment. I’ve been there for breakfast many times with the brunch club, and they’re always delicious, quick with the coffee which is sorely needed on Saturday mornings, and oh my stars, those hash browns – wow. In fact, they were nominated for Best Breakfast in the 2007 AWAs.

We’ve already told you about

• The handmade nation screenings on Monday
• The outdoor knit tagging action planed for Sunday
• Saturday pick for Craftyness is…..

….. The Island Bay Craft Village!

It’s  showcasing a gorgeous range of bags, jewellery, chocolate, cupcakes, clothes, photos, toys, brooches, scarfs, pottery, ceramics and more.

Head along to the Presbyterian Church at 88 The Parade in Island Bay from 10am till 4pm on Saturday 8 August to support NZ businesses and be part of the bustling atmosphere.

If you can’t make it this weekend, don’t despair – the Island Bay Craft Village happens on the second Saturday of every month!

Although Wellington’s been turning on some stunning days recently, winter’s still officially here for a little while longer…

To warm your wee souls, especially for those suffering from Film Festival withdrawal, the Film Archive (corner of Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts) has come up with a great Soup & A Seat concept.

It’s cinema condensed to fit into your hour-long lunchbreak. Each screening starts at 12:15pm on Fridays until 18 September.

And you get a film screening, including a hilarious range of docos, short films, even a Flight of the Conchords episode, and a cup of homemade soup FOR EIGHT BUCKS! 

What a beauty. First screening today at 12:15pm is the plucky 1975 doco Lost in the Garden of the World, which features, among others, Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese and Dustin Hoffman, in fine 70s form.