Bringing {The And} to Ōtautahi

In early December, we brought two incredibly clever creatives from New York City to Christchurch, with the intention of creating some content. On the face of it, most people asked us, “but why?”

Let’s go back a step.

In March 2019, I officially joined the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, as a Fellow in Kohia [Cohort 4]. We spent eight days in Aroha Valley (Upper Hutt).

Our EHF whānau, Kohia cohort [ Photo by Andi Crown ] x

EHF is an incredible world first: looking to connect people driven by impact, from around the world. As a New Zealander, I’d always wondered why you’d apply — however, what’s become obvious to me over the past year, is the need for the local connectivity and ‘stickiness’ that we, as kiwis, can bring to the Program. For more information on EHF and how to apply, head over here directly.

Anyway, amongst the incredible 150 people that I met that week, one of those was Topaz Adizes from Kawakawa [Cohort 1]. Topaz is something of a legend — both within EHF and further afield — and we got to talking about his incredible work and awesome team at The Skin Deep.

Meet Topaz!

Meet Topaz!

The Skin Deep have, as one of their projects, created {THE AND}, an Emmy Award winning format for new approaches to documentary. Designed to map human connections through conversation, we “played” {THE AND} that evening — and I was fascinated that, by providing the right tools and prompts, you could unlock such depth in an ‘everyday’ interaction. As someone who spends her time playing with language and connectivity between people and organisations, what I saw intrigued me. Over several conversations (and beers), Topaz and I agreed to keep talking.

We left Aroha Valley on Thursday, the 14th March. Exhausted in that bone-tired way that comes from trying to meet and engage with that many new people in a short space of time.

The next day, on the 15th March, back in Queenstown, I had a midday nap [refer to said exhaustion]. I woke up to my phone incessantly buzzing, with our Narrative team in constant comms as they were spread across the city, with little or no information to hand, as the Christchurch mosque attacks unfolded.

Minute by minute, the sheer scale of the atrocity unfolded. There are many who can speak more intimately about the terror, the impact and what happened on the ground.

That is not my story to tell.

However, what I do know from having spent the majority of my life in Ōtautahi (and the best part of a decade of that in the post-quake, chaotic, environment) is that there are so many stories that should be told. We (both locally and as a global community) need deep listening. Empathy. And healing.

Behind the scenes | December 2019

I wondered whether {THE AND} format could help to provide that platform. For genuine, heartfelt and authentic stories. Not through the lens of the media, or yet another commentator speculating on our city, whilst sitting in an Auckland studio.

Topaz and I traded emails and WhatsApp messages, wondering and waiting. A couple of false starts, both of us sensing that the time wasn’t quite right.

Then, when an opportunity presented itself, we decided to test it by doing it.

Three days of filming participants: two people having a conversation between themselves, but captured. Twenty-one available slots. Some conversations centred around March 15; some around the nature of living in Ōtautahi; some just on their relationships, with the events of the past decade shaping but not defining.

As kiwis, we’re a funny bunch sometimes. We’re keen to get yarning — but we wait for the invitation. We want to tell our story — but we’re less likely to do so, until we trust the person that we’re telling it to. Trying to convince 42 people to trust me — and these Americans — in a strange format, definitely took some work.

However, we filled 20 of the 21 slots.

Nick D’Agostino, part of The Skin Deep team (for once not behind the camera)

Our feedback, from the three days, is that there is something here. Sitting in that chair feels different to what you expect it will: safer, more inclusive, less scary. Several couples rang friends of theirs and said “you’ve got to come down here and do this.” The ultimate kiwi validation. Trust ya mates.

We would love to do this again & bring this epic crew back to our city.

We want to provide our community (and all of our community) the chance to have these conversations, in the wake of March 15 and in the wake of 10,000 aftershocks.

The Skin Deep & Narrative largely self-funded this first round: we received a generous donation which enabled us to provide a proper koha for our volunteers and many companies came to the party in terms of the space we used and our gear and equipment.

If you’re interested in being a part of this moving forward, we’d love to hear from you — get in touch { erin [at] narrativecampaigns.com }.

And, if you’re interested in sponsoring this (in any format), we’d love that too!

Thanks to the following people, companies & organisations for supporting {THE AND} in Ōtautahi x

• MartinJenkins

• Genius Coworking

• Lightchasers Rentals

• NED Collections

• David Jensen

• Joseph Veale

• Ella (Camera Operator) & Tina (Host)

All photos by Nick D’Agostino except where otherwise credited.

And, thanks to The Skin Deep team for trusting us with their time and energy. Thanks to Topaz for your vision & mana, Mériem for your tireless organisation and Nick for your endless enthusiasm & coordination!

To watch examples of {The And}, have a look at Ōtautahi’s own, Matt & Sarah (filmed in December 2019):