Deepen*
Image of the front of a program which says Deepen and a shell on top.
Photo credit: Shelley Te Haara
Introducing Deepen*
Deepen* places us at the centre
Deepen* understands you are with us (even when you’re at home)
Deepen* our sovereignty as queer, disabled people and tāngata whaikaha
Deepen* creates time and space for our relationships
Deepen* our community through gathering and witnessing
Deepen* asks us, where do we feel our Pride deeply?
Commissioned by The D List and Auckland Pride to curate and produce a series of events. This led to developing Deepen alongside Beth Awatere. Through community conversations the kupu ahurutanga was shared with us and underpinned the values of this kaupapa.
To celebrate intimacy and community we asked Misty Frequency and Ari Kerssens to curate bespoke dinners around their communities and artistry. Misty’s dinner celebrated Takatāpuitanga and neurodivergent experience. These dinners were intimate and covid conscious (smaller numbers, well ventilated spaces with a air purifier and covid testing).
Read more about our kaupapa Introducing Deepen*
Visual Poems: with Ruby Solly and Henrietta Bollinger
We asked artists Ruby and Henrietta to respond to the prompt of Deepen and alongside videographer Julie Zhu we went to their homes and translated these poems into visual works.
This model of offering poems online began with the legacy of Te Timatanga curated by Hamiora Bailey.
Watch Risk by Ruby Solly
Watch Definition by Henrietta Bollinger
Ruby sits in their studio looking pensievely out of frame. The colours are rustic with her ancestor wall framing her head on her back wall.
Video still credit: Julie Zhu
A photo of Misty Frequency, Hamiora Bailey laughing while sitting down to dinner, other guests are partially seen.
Photo credit: Shelley Te Haara
Content series
We wanted to offer a content series that accompanied Deepen to document and explore further our ideas within this kaupapa.
Beth opened our korero with: What kind of queer person doesn’t like Pride month?
Beth facilitated a intergenerational conversation between Noell Ratapu and Dr Huhana Hu: Fear, love, metal ceilings and fighting for your rights: A tuakana-teina kōrero with Dr Huhana Hickey and Noēll Ratapu.
Learning our history was important to us with Beth’s conversation with Hu: Queer ti with Aunty Hu
Documenting our dinners were important so that those who couldn’t join could feel the vibes.
Pelenakeke wrote about Memory, imagination and kōrero: A recollection of Misty Frequency’s Deepen* dinner and activation.
Beth ended our series with Articulating Deepen* - An invitation to take up space in a new way.