Hear from more changemakers making a difference – watch another episode.

 

In this episode of From the Ground Up:

  • Meet Olivia Edgerton, Director of Te Atamira, and hear how this community-led space has become a home for innovation, inclusion, and everyday creativity.

  • You’ll explore Te Atamira, a purpose-built arts and cultural centre in Queenstown that’s redefining creative connection.

  • Learn how the space supports Queenstown’s diverse cultures, enriches lives, and helps shape a creative future.

 

Te Atamira is a vibrant hub of creativity, located in the heart of Queenstown. With 22 purpose-built spaces - including two sprung-floor dance studios, acoustically-designed performance and recording studios, a gallery, project space and a pottery studio with over 100 members - it’s a place designed for expression, experimentation, and belonging. “Our goal is that the breathtaking creativity outside our doors has a chance to flourish within,” says Olivia Edgerton, Director of Te Atamira.

 

What makes Te Atamira so unique is the way it came to life - designed and delivered by the community, in partnership with Queenstown Lakes District Council. Operated as a not-for-profit charitable trust, it’s a living, breathing example of what can happen when people come together to build something meaningful. The centre is open seven days a week and welcomes everyone, with no need for a booking or even a plan. “You don’t need any reason to come here other than just to be,” says Olivia. Through a wide range of exhibitions, events and programs, Te Atamira supports the vast number of cultures that make up the Queenstown community. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know who your neighbour is, or the person sitting next to you on the bus,” Olivia adds.

 

A key focus is innovation. Backed by a visionary board and a team willing to take creative risks, Te Atamira is constantly evolving its programming and content. “We’re helping shift and grow people’s understanding of what arts and culture can be,” says Olivia. And that impact is reaching beyond Queenstown. Other organisations around the country are looking to Te Atamira as a model for how to make the arts more accessible, more enjoyable, and part of everyday life. For many, the impact is deeply personal. “Most days, someone tells us how this place has changed their life,” Olivia says. “We see such a broad range of people here. You don’t need to be highly skilled - creativity is for everyone.”

 

Queenstown Lakes has always been a place of pioneers, innovators and entrepreneurs and that spirit is fuelling a cultural evolution. For the second year in a row, the district has been named the second most creative in the country. While many visitors come for the epic scenery and adventure, they leave inspired by the people, ideas and creativity they discover.

Te Atamira is a powerful example of what happens when creativity is given space to thrive and it’s only just getting started. Follow their journey here.
 

From The Ground Up video series digs deep into the stories of local businesses building a regenerative future within the Queenstown community. From pioneering world-firsts to grassroots initiatives, each episode celebrates those making a difference to the environment and their communities, from the ground up.

 

Hear from more changemakers making a difference to Queenstown’s environment and community – watch another episode.