Groundswell Festival of Innovation 2019 is here, with 40 exciting events happening in Tauranga from 26 August – 9 September. Though most of the paid events are now sold out, there are still plenty of FREE activities that you’re more than welcome to visit. We’ve chosen the most interesting and useful ones.
Creative Views
Tired of all the empty windows in CBD? The Creative Views project, organised by Creative Bay of Plenty, Downtown Tauranga and CBD stakeholders, will transform them into something beautiful. Walk around the Red Square and enjoy the colourful installations by local artists. The pilot, demonstrated during the Groundwell Festival, will occupy only two windows but the project will be expanding!
Terminus Exhibition by Jess Johnson and Simon Ward
This impressive virtual reality exhibition is on at Tauranga Art Gallery from 20 July to 27 October. If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time! Immerse yourself in a mysterious universe of alien architecture populated by humanoid clones and cryptic symbols. Though the exhibition is travelling worldwide, there are some original artworks and large-scale quilts, created specifically for Tauranga.
The Pitches: Tauranga Startup Weekend
Keen to see new perspectives and creative thinking from local entrepreneurs? Join this event at Trustpower (108 Durham Street) on Sunday, 1 September at 5 pm. You will get a chance to hear the team’s social impact concepts, the judges feedback and learn who will be crowned the winner of the Tauranga Startup Weekend 2019. There will also be light refreshments and drinks!
Play and Explore STEMFest Popup Day
If you love learning something new or want your kids to discover how fun and interesting science, technology, engineering and mathematics can be, this event is for you! Hands-on workshops will explore everything from using simple household items to the latest in technology. 3 September, 10 am, at Basestation (148 Durham Street).
Startup Secrets Tauranga: Kiwi success stories in Southeast Asia
Kiwis are known for being creative and innovative. Many local ideas are so good, they’ve become successful worldwide. This event, at Priority One (29 Grey St) on 4 September, 5.30 pm, will introduce local talent who have succeeded in Asia. Angela Lim is CEO and co-founder of Clearhead, a health-tech company that is developing a one-stop-shop to achieve mental wellbeing through the use of artificial intelligence. She also co-founded Catalyst Point, a software platform to improve the efficiency of hospitals. Brandon Hutcheson is the CEO of Aware Group, an artificial intelligence company, specialising in enterprise services and works closely with the New Zealand government.
