The Collective Conscious

December 2010 @ Devonport Wharf

The Collective was a deliberate attempt to get the 4wa++ers together in the one city and put together the kickest-assest band in New Zealand.

A line up of Ben Campbell, Moses Robbins, Kris Wilson, Dan Antunovich and Chris on drums was simply unbeatable. Not to mention the beat poetry of Tony Piggott harking back to the days of Fred Schneider and the B 52s.

And even a cameo by none other than Carlos Santana!

With the sound engineering genius of Dave Allen direct from the U.S. we managed to record serious hours of music which are now in development and on their way to the world. First stop - this website, so stay tuned.

Anthony Piggot Presents: A clean slate

November 2010 - the Harbourlight - Lyttelton

Every good thing begins with nothing.

Fourwa++ is dedicated to providing that 'clean slate' in its most unassuming form within a plethora of stimuli designed to make you fill that slate with the best work possible.

'A Clean Slate' was originally slated for the Isaac Royal Theatre Christchurch, but was ultimately deemed too controversial for the venue. The show found a new home at the Harbour Light in Lyttelton.

Alongside musical, artistic and filmic performances by the Fourwa++ crew, 'A Clean Slate' presented the large-scale sculptural work 'The Nest' by Lucy Matthews, and the musical performances of Kris Wilson, Moses, Dan Antunovich, Spacecake and more.

'A Clean Slate' was all about expecting the unexpected where Fourwa++ is concerned. Our shows are always spontaneous and stretch across a number of genres including conceptual art, theatre, music and film. Be prepared to be challenged, humoured, entertained and bored – depending on your personality type and your mood at the time… Certainly there are no other show quite like these in New Zealand.

Who are these humans?

October 2010 - Tandem Studios Christchurch

It became clear to us very quickly that we had a lot of extremely talented musicians on our hands, all with immense potential. 'Who Are These Humans' was a musically-focused working show based out of Tandem Studios in Christchurch. Over the course of the week we invited specific musicians to both develop their own songs and also to improvise and create new songs using a range of lyrics and music produced by the Fourwa++ crew.

Hundreds of hours of recordings resulted from this phenomenally creative week, many of the songs within the jams are currently being mixed and produced into commercially-focused tracks.

Comments from the show:

Ben Campbell is one of the most creative and talented people I've met. Tandem Studios works with Ben and the 'Making of the Making' crew to develop the arts in Christchurch, and to create an environment of warmth and creativity to produce brilliant works. We're proud to have the crew associated with and part of Tandem Studios.
- Toby Ricketts, Tandem Studios Christchurch

Making Of The Making

July 2010 - White Elephant Trust HQ - Christchurch

Too often we become so focused on the end result that the process becomes compromised or even forgotten. 'The Making of the Making' was an attempt to deliberately strip away the desire to 'finish' something and actually enjoy the creation of it.
By creating a warm, inclusive environment designed to inspire all the senses - we had interactive sculpture by Lucy Matthews, canvases, paint and paper available to all and of course a top notch group of musicians ready to jam - our artists created amazing new material across every genre. And our audience went away joyful, creatively inspired and with a new found enthusiasm for life.

Comments from the show:

Tony Piggott, Manisha Lee and Ben Campbell's latest show was without doubt the most interesting and stimulating show I have ever attended.
- Roberto Carvalho, Professional Draftsman and Art Collector

'The Making of the Making' events make me fizz. What a refreshing environment to be a part of. I believe that executing an idea is what drives success, but to be a part of an idea in the moment as it happens is an incredible experience, and usually only exclusive to the owner/creator/team.
It’s really hard to express the single thing I enjoyed most about being in the exhibition room. On reflection the pure creativity brings out my art side and blocks out the noise of everyday life. So you leave the room feeling recharged even after hours of interaction and engagement.
I think this is a genius concept and can scale into so many things. I gave my email address at the event for an invite to the next one, and next time I’ll bring some like-minded people along!
- David Mckinnon, Rock Star Recipes Ltd

Who Do You Think I Am?

June 2010, The Arts Centre, Christchurch.

An exploration into the many roles we play - the ones that are forced onto us and those we choose to adopt. In this exhibition, Fourwa++ took a look inside the roles of artist, muse, rockstar, millionaire, husband, ex-husband and anything else our audience brought into the room.

The combination of live music and live art was introduced at 'Who do you think I am?' with amazing results. Blurring the boundaries between art-maker and audience, we invited all attendees to become part of the live art process. With businessmen blowing conch shells, interpretive dancers, musicians captured live via pastels on paper by audience and artists both, the event was a real tribute to creativity.