Thus was born the Ockham Collective, an annual residency programme where a group of artists-who-are-also-educators are given free use of beautiful spaces in which to teach, run workshops, perform, think, write and create.

Each of the Collective’s three creative precincts is located within an Ockham building. Tuatahi in Mt Albert has two custom-built studios which are in high demand by the Collective’s music teachers. Further up New North Rd, Modal has a sun-drenched corner unit, which is perfect for individual or small-group lessons, ensemble rehearsals and workshops. The largest and newest precinct takes up most of the ground floor of The Nix in Grey Lynn. There’s enough room here for performances for up to 100 people, and the central location positions the Collective within Auckland’s most vibrant arts quarter.

Despite the obvious pandemic-induced disruptions, the Collective has grown in scope with each new annual intake. In 2021 it included talented musicians, a poet laureate, a visual artist and a reo Māori educator. Their achievements during the course of their residencies were considerable. To single out just a few: poet Selina Tusitala Marsh was nominated for a New Zealand children’s book award and was accepted as a professor at the University of Auckland; Kingsley Spargo took charge of sound and music design for two Auckland Theatre Company productions, and released an album as part of electronic-acoustic duo Alargo; and David Ward taught, worked on theatre shows, and wrote and played the banjo pieces for the soundtrack of Oscar-winner Jane Campion’s movie The Power of the Dog.

The 2022 intake saw the Collective reaching what we consider to be its ideal size, and the model for its future. The 12 creatives are a wonderful reflection of the diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau and include six musicians, three writers (including award-winning novelist Paula Morris), two theatre professionals and a visual artist.

Already the Ockham Collective is building up a legacy of artistic achievement in our city, and we can’t wait to see what amazing work all of our current creatives and valued alumni produce in years to come.