Airing time: Saturdays, 11am
A community arts radio show that challenges the belief that the arts are exclusive.
Sugar Loafing Arts Cast is supported and sponsored by:
Sugar Loafing Arts Cast showcases the diversity of arts in Taranaki and beyond. Host Mikaela Nyman interviews artists, creative makers, writers and curators, and delves into art ideas and mediums, discussing a wide range of themes, such as decolonisation in New Zealand and Pacific art and literature, how to find inspiration, and the beauty of collaboration with other creative souls across art disciplines.
The fundamental idea of this podcast is to showcase arts and creativity and to inspire. Do you have a creative passion or want to share your ideas? Feel free to contact Mikaela on [email protected]
Podcasts
To download the latest episode: Click on the kiwifruit to go to the Sugar Loafing Arts Cast show page on the accessmedia.nz site:
Click on the title of an episode to listen
Karen Rubado
Weaver and sculptor Karen Rubado is back at from out of the blue studio gallery in Ōpunake with a solo show ‘Unraveling Certainties’ from 18 July to 26 August.
Duration: 00:57:23 | Date: 20 July, 2024
Erica Sklenars
Artist and designer Erica Sklenars (a.k.a. Lady Lazer Light) from New Plymouth works globally across the fields of mixed reality, video art, installation, performance and intervention with sound artists and musicians.
Duration: 00:49:18 | Date: 6 July, 2024
Festival of Flash Creative Non-fiction
A taste of Festival of Flash 2024! In the lead-up to National Flash Fiction Day New Zealand on 22 June, Mikaela chaired a panel with writers/artists Renee Liang, Siobhan Harvey, Michelle Elvy, Claire Beynon and Bill Nelson on ‘Creative (non)fiction: In search of the truth?’
Duration: 0:59:26 | Date: 22 June, 2024
Tom Sainsbury
Mikaela caught up with actor, comedian and film-maker Tom Sainsbury at WOMAD. Tom’s darkly comic plays have been staged in New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA, France and Greece. We talk about his funny social media videos, the Goodbye Pork Pie remake, and whether he feels the pressure to always be funny.
Duration: 0:39:15 | Date: 15 June, 2024
Norine Ford-Dixon
Norine Ford-Dixon is the ARTSpace artist in June and shares her love for wallpaper and collage in this episode. Check out her collages and the suitcase that was part of the ‘Abroad’ exhibition at Percy Thomson Gallery last year.
Duration: 00:55:08 | Date: 8 June, 2024
Caroline Barron
Mikaela caught up with author Caroline Barron at WOMAD. Find out what prompted Caroline to write her memoir Ripiro Beach and her novel The Golden Days. Lots of useful writing tips on offer too!
Duration: 00:43:59 | Date: 25 May, 2024
Kura Forrester
Actor, comedian and writer Kura Forrester (Ngāti Porou) won the Billy T Award in 2019 for best-emerging comedian with her show ‘Kura Woulda Shoulda’ and became the first Māori woman to do so. Mikaela caught up with Kura at WOMAD this year.
Duration: 00:39:49 | Date: 18 May, 2024
Heidi Griffin
Heidi Griffin is the owner and manager of the popular Gover St Gallery in New Plymouth - a true community space for Taranaki’s creatives. This year she intends to nurture her own artistic skills too.
Duration: 0:53:47 | Date: 11 May, 2024
Airana Ngarewa - Launch of NZSA Māori Branch
Mikaela talks to Taranaki writer Airana Ngarewa about his best-selling novel The Bonetree and the launch of a Māori branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors this weekend, with more to come!
Duration: 00:53:52 | Date: 4 May, 2024
Rowena Komene
Diagnosed with a rare kidney condition 11 years ago, Taranaki artist Rowena Komene has overcome the odds and now has a future to plan for. One that includes visual arts.
Duration: 00:50:50 | Date: 27 April, 2024
Tio Vanuatu
Tio Bang Massing from Vanuatu delighted crowds at WOMAD this year. Mikaela talked to Tio about his poetic folk music and his home island, Ambrym.
Duration: 00:32:49 | Date: 20 April, 2024
Helen Lehndorf
Helen Lehndorf is a co-founder of the Manawatu Urban Foraging Group. Mikaela talked to Helen off the stage at WOMAD about her book A Forager’s Life which delves into the environment, food, motherhood and autism.
Duration: 00:45:26 | Date: 13 April, 2024
Korrena Kidd
Korrena Kidd’s vibrant art fills the ARTSpace in April. Listen to Korrena talk about her art and the supportive environment at ACE Adult Community Education Massey University Te Putahi a Toi in Palmerston North.
Duration: 00:51:11 | Date: 6 April, 2024
Laura Campbell & Morgan Paige Taitoko
The Emergence Art Awards for young Taranaki artists are back! Mikaela finds out all about them from Laura Campbell, Director of Percy Thomson Gallery, and the 2018 Emergence Award winner Morgan Paige Taitoko.
Duration: 00:53:06 | Date: 30 March, 2024
WOMAD Poetry Slam 2024
Taranaki poets Wilna Strydom and Helen Griffiths reveal how they prepared for the event. Poetry judge Karlo Mila tells us what moves her and reads a poem. And this year’s winner, Teirangi Klever, reveals why she chose to enter.
Duration: 00:53:14 | Date: 23 March, 2024
Rebecca Beyer - Word Festival
Rebecca Beyer is a children's librarian, printmaker and author of illustrated children’s books. She’s been busy organising Our Words - a festival of local writers and story-tellers happening in and around New Plymouth on 20-27 March.
Duration: 00:56:26 | Date: 16 March, 2024
Steampunk Taranaki
Steampunk Taranaki - The Mild Mild West has taken over the ARTSpace in March. Costumes and Tea Pot racers included! Hear Jo Fuller (Lady Watsonia Victorious! Ohms) and Lesley Butler (Lady Esmarelda Wainwright Hyphen Smythe) profess their love for steampunk.
Duration: 00:53:19 | Date: 9 March, 2024
Anna McLean
Anna McLean switched Taranaki’s art scene for a curatorial internship at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. What is it about curating that makes it an exciting career choice for creative young people?
Duration: 00:51:59 | Date: 2 March, 2024
Elizabeth Smither
Elizabeth Smither is a multi-award winning writer of poetry, fiction and non-fiction and a former New Zealand Poet Laureate. Elizabeth reads part of a new short story and a poem.
Duration: 0:48:47 | Date: 24 February, 2024