A paper submitted by Andrew Moore in partial fulfilment of the degree of Bachelor of Music with Honours, covering the effects of the Canterbury earthquakes on the musical life of Christchurch. Dissertation supervised by Dr Elaine Dobson, University of Canterbury School of Music. All photographs from The Press are copyright Fairfax Media and are used with permission.
A photograph of a musician playing an electric guitar during the Canterbury Tales procession. Canterbury Tales was created by Free Theatre Christchurch, and was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A PDF copy of pages 184-185 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Re:Entry'. Photos: Gap Filler
A photograph of a musician performing at Something Super during FESTA 2013. The event was held at ArtBox and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
A photograph captioned by Paul Corliss, "Catholic Cathedral".
A photograph of Barnaby Bennett giving a talk at Something Super during FESTA 2013. The event was held at ArtBox and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
A photograph of Barnaby Bennett giving a talk at Something Super during FESTA 2013. The event was held at ArtBox and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
An image that appeared on the opening pages of the web edition of Christchurch Art Gallery's magazine Bulletin in Winter 2013 (no. 172). The image depicts an 'All Rightie' listening to music and dancing alongside Rita Angus' well-known painting 'Cass'. The image reads, "Had a good boogie lately?".
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
A PDF copy of pages 316-317 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Art Beat'. Photos of stage and graffiti works fledge.co.nz. Photos of building and loss adjusters courtesy of the social.
Context of the project: On 4 September 2010, 22 February 2011, 13 June 2011 and 23 December 2011 Christchurch suffered major earthquakes and aftershocks (well over 10,000) that have left the central city in ruins and many of the eastern suburbs barely habitable even now. The earthquakes on 22 February caused catastrophic loss of life with 185 people killed. The toll this has taken on the residents of Christchurch has been considerable, not least of all for the significant psychological impact and disruption it has had on the children. As the process of rebuilding the city commenced, it became clear that the arts would play a key role in maintaining our quality of life during difficult times. For me, this started with the children and the most expressive of all the art forms – music.
A photograph of a band performing at Gap Filler's first project.
A photograph of musicians performing on the riverbank of Oxford Terrace during Canterbury Tales. Canterbury Tales was created by Free Theatre Christchurch, and was the main event of FESTA 2013.
A PDF copy of pages 158-159 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Film in the Gap'. Photos: Gap Filler
A PDF copy of pages 178-179 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Dance-O-Mat'. Photos: Gap Filler
A PDF copy of pages 182-183 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Poetica Urban Poetry Project'. Photos: Gap Filler
A photograph of the inside of ArtBox gallery, which was the venue for Something Super. This event was part of FESTA 2013 and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
A photograph of the inside of ArtBox gallery, where people are gathered for Something Super. This event was part of FESTA 2013 and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
A photograph of the inside of ArtBox gallery, which was the venue for Something Super. This event was part of FESTA 2013 and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
A photograph of the inside of ArtBox gallery, which was the venue for Something Super. This event was part of FESTA 2013 and included food, music, art, animation and talks about ArtBox, BeatBox and the future of Christchurch.
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
A photograph of a crowd watching a performance on the Art Beat stage.
Peter Marshall is managing director of architectural firm Warren and Mahoney, part of the team selected to carry out the task of the redesign of Christchurch after the earthquakes. (This version of the audio does not include music)
Band Together - Concert for Canterbury www.bandtogetherforcanterbury.co.nz 23rd October 2010 Free concrete in Hagley Park following the 4th September 2010 earthquake
The combination of music and disaster has been the subject of much study, especially starstudded telethons and songs that commemorate tragedy. However, there are many other ways that music can be used after disaster that provide benefits far greater than money or memorials but are not necessarily as prominent in the worldwide media landscape. Beginning in September 2010, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, has been struck by several major earthquakes and over 11,000 aftershocks, the most destructive of which caused 185 deaths. As with many other disasters, music has been used as a method of fundraising and commemoration, but personal experience suggests many other ways that music can be used as a coping mechanism and aid to personal and community recovery. Therefore, in order to uncover the connections, context, and strategies behind its use, this thesis addresses the question: Since the earthquakes began, how has popular music been beneficial for the city and people of Christchurch? As well as documenting a wide variety of musical ‘earthquake relief’ events and charitable releases, this research also explores some of the more intangible aspects of the music-aid relationship. Two central themes are presented – fundraising and psychosocial uses – utilising individual voices and case studies to illustrate the benefits of music use after disaster at a community or city-wide level. Together the disparate threads and story fragments weave a detailed picture of the ways in which music as shared experience, as text, as commodity, and as a tool for memory and movement has been incorporated into the fabric of the city during the recovery phase.
A PDF copy of pages 348-349 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Thinking Outside the Square'. Photos: Gap Filler