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Rhythm and Vines 2018
Sheesh, these were the days man. Zero budget, zero idea, but 100% commitment to the vibe. We had so many little creative bits and bobs we were trying to throw together. Spray painting 10 containers and applying giant stickers on the cheapest vinyl we could get nearly killed us. “One more day in the sun” became the mantra. For three 23-year-olds with no workshop and no tools we reckon we did alright.
Rhythm and Vines 2019
At this point we were three graduates, living in three different cities, with one common goal - let’s make some magic. Pulling together this show took a ton of tenacity and large sprinkle of ingenuity. We flew to Wellington to use Josh’s free university space in the Design phase, crashed in Christchurch to pilfer Brown Kiwis workshop during fabrication (Hawke was working their as a sign writer), and the installs stepped up ten-fold under the mentorship and tutelage of Angus Muir Design. Less core flute, more ACM, and our first proper use of industrial machinery.
Rhythm and Vines 2020
It’s blow the budget year baby! Finally we knew what we were up to…. Well, except for the whole global pandemic wrecking havoc on the entire planet. Young, dumb, and ready to run, we all moved up to Auckland City to start an events and experience based company - our parents were supportive but perplexed. In one city we could plan, strategise, and execute efficiently. The stages were bigger, materials more expensive, and the end result immaculate. Also, has to be said that we were proud of our first major sponsorship activation in the Heineken container bar.
Rhythm and Vines 2022
It's time to level up! big team, big plans and a tight time frame. We hit the RnV site early December with success on the mind - atttacking the Crocs build and goose club first thing (our biggest challenges). Once the big ones were complete, we split up and errected all the archways (Main, cellar and goose) as well as Elliots passion project - the beer garden. The final push came in the form of Garden stage and Cellar stage - what a time!
Shout out to Rhythm and Vines and Radlab for the pics!
Nest Fest 2021
For our third year at Nest Fest we were able to really get our hands involved and do a site wide take over of sorts. Starting with the entrance, we produced a super fun, multi-layer, multi-material square entrance based off the brand guide lines. For the first stage we created a large fabric backdrop with vinyl and hung a large amount of whimsical mirror stars. The market stage we kitted out with our green disco plates and some canvas sea weeds. And finally for the main stage we CnC'd out some massive "NESTFEST" letters out of foam - simple and effective! Thanks Harry!
Nest Fest 2022
Nestfest 2022 was the first time it was hosted in the Hawkes Bay show grounds, which was a massive increase in festival size! We were incharge of delivering both entrances, jelly lane, Pals bar (for AMD), Honest rum bar and wayfinding plinths.
In Bloom 2
A cool gig, with cool kids, in cool digs. The Tauranga council had the “Our Place” space designed as a temporary events space and the local Red Hearing team jumped on it to squeeze some dance juice into the city centre. A floral theme, couple cute sun-flower-disco-plates and the mighty O.S.M light box wall features behind the DJ. With smaller enterprises, it's always a buzz repurposing assets from other bigger shows and distilling the magic into an intimate party.
In Bloom 3
Bam and the venues gone! After two successful and raging Inblooms the Tauranga council threw a spanner in our event works when they decided to scrap the “Our Place” event space. However, there was no holding back our mates Pezzard and Handy Man Hanso from Red Hearing. Immediately, they started to grease the wheels of local contacts for a waterfront opportunity only 600m away. One week out the weather was about to implode in a cyclone like rainy hell and all power went to fingers crossed and finding a marquee. Wouldn’t you know it, the day turned out to be a pearler! Sun as bright as a star and the good looking youngsters of Tauranga dressed to the 9’s. Another raging success, what a life.
That Weekend 2022
A two stage take over for That Weekend! Wowee that was a wet install and managed to get the sisscor lift stuck in the mud twice! Corona stage went hard on the beach boho vibes amongth the trees and the main stage towered everyone with its Russian fairytail theme! Nice!
Longline Classic 2020
While we launched an events and experience creative agency, our friends at Nexgen launched a festival - the Long Line Classic. This now makes it a total of five 25-year-old blindfolded numpties shooting from the hip at their small business dreams. As we always say, “teamwork makes the dream work.” From inside the walls of a 4m x 8m room in an Auckland central flat, we planned world domination (also known as festival art). This was our first show completely separate from the warm bosom of our Rhythm and Vines contract and we gave it our all. No seriously, we used all the budget and rinsed ourselves dry with sleepless nights covered in sawdust and primer paint. It feels good to be a fish at the Long Line Classic!
Longline Classic 2022
After a covid ridden cancellation in 2021 it was a dream to see the Long Line Classic sold out with the Gisborne sun beaming overhead. Moving away from decoration bits and bobs we put laser focus into creating three themed stages. Watching Fat Freddy’s Drop play on the main stage underneath our designs was a real special moment - having to juggle back an forth with Smirnoff on 18 different colour changes and shape trials not so much but hey that’s show business baby!
Longline Classic 2023
Longline 2023! A change of venue and a change of stage lay outs. Firstly, the main stage was on the Gisborne main beach, cladded with Corona branded panels and a beautiful yellow curtain backdrop and wooden stars. Our second stage was the Platypus DJ stage - a 9m arch, cladded with Platypus branding and our next generation ring lights!
All Friends Welcome
We do like to party! Most importantly, we like to party with friends. All Friends Welcome started because East St Hall wanted a pretty lit DJ booth, we said “we see your pretty lit DJ booth and raise you a party with friends.” East St Hall called our bluff and next thing you know, we were creating little pockets of art joy in every corner of the building. Colours, lights, cheeky language, and big blue dudes, a true representation of what got the Department of Arts rolling so many years ago in our flat party past.
Working Late 2021
Work Late, Win Big! You know we’ve moved up to Auckland, risked it all starting a small business and it’s kinda working…. Let us double down! Working Late, in collaboration with Nexgen Touring, was our first taste of being festival promoters. The concept was a game show and live music experience with the chance to win a second-hand van! A van that was spinning on stage on a giant lazy Susan (spinning deck thingy). We came, we saw, we conquered 2200 festival attendees packed into Shed10 on the Auckland water front enjoying music, and appreciating our art. Full creative control, bands we loved, and objectively a raging success…… Bliss.
Working Late 2022
Work Late, work big, work, work work. Gassed on our success from 2021, we wanted to elevate what it meant to attend a Department of Arts show. Our lovely host Aunty El was given a professional team of dancers, costumes, and time to choreograph a show. We used set flats to create an 80’s style game show set, and Yamaha came onboard to give away a brand new 3-wheeled road scooter. We completed a total of 7 custom art installations and brought over Australian pop legends Confidence Man to tear the house down. Proud is an understatement, we delivered the slickest and most creatively unique show in our history - blew the budget and made no money but we would’ve got into banking, house speculation, or crypto if we were here for the cash.
Baseline Festival 2022
Dirty Dunners is the student Mecca, a place where many young souls cut their teeth on their first real bass music experiences. This festival was started by two entrepreneurial university students under the Limitless Touring brand and it boasted over 4000 attendees. Not bad, not bad at all. We flew down with our tools, positive attitude, and a bunch of large layered ACM panels to dress the main stage - oh and some flags. The first year we did this festival, we stayed up all night celebrating and had without a doubt the most soul-crushing pack-down known to man. Happy to say that this time round, we had grown, matured, and gotten way better. It all came down like a breeze and we were actually talking on the plane ride home.
Pals X Spark Arena Kiosk
Client: "We need a jaw dropping, 2 sided, long term installation inside of one of the bar kiosks in Spark Arena - Auckland. Give us some controlled lights, a sick awning and a lot of pink."
DOA: "Not an issue at all"
Mild Orange x That Weekend
Client: "We want to showcase and help elevate the musical genius of New Zealand band Mild Orange. Could we possibly use their album art as inspiration and create a few take-home mementos for the band and their fans?"
DOA: "We've got you."
121 Festival 2020
It’s amazing what you can do with a cash donation and passion. The Department of Arts was in its infancy and 121 was a brand we had always admired, there was no way we were missing the chance to add our magic to their maiden camping festival. The venue is a beautiful old racecourse nestled in amongst some natural greenery one hour north of Wellington City. We were out of service and off our phones for a beautiful five-day install and dance experience. We came out of the bush and the world was being flipped upside down by COVID. It felt like the plot of a Tomorrow When the World Began novel.
Part Time Rangers X Baseline Festival
Client: "We have a placement at a student festival down in Dunedin. It will be the house and disco stage, so we want something with a real vibe but that still fits into our safari-like animal-loving personality."
DOA: "Not a problem."
Heineken
Client: "We've got ten forty-foot containers and not much of an idea of what to do with them. We know we want to create a bar and make a statement. We've also been walking around the space on site and think a wooden deck could work really nicely."
DOA: "Leave it with us."
Bumble
Client: "We need a beacon! Some sort of structure that can be seen from a long way away and used as a meeting point. Hoping you might be able to use yellow and black - they're our colors, oh, and maybe a honeycomb reference of some kind?"
DOA: "Say less."
Goose Club X Rhythm and Vines
Goose-tastic Goose club with good vibes and energy and a touch of "away with you uncultured swines, this is the place to party perfectly with etiquette, class, and two tablespoons of disco sugar (add salt at your leisure)." Our little slice of paradise in amongst the madness of a 3-day New Years festival. We brought onboard Kayla-Paige to lead a team of fruity and fantastic choreographed dancers. Shameless bangers, feel-good tunes, and pretty lights to match. Heaven is a place called Goose!
Stoneleigh
Client: "We are a boujee wine company with a placement at the Hamilton food road show. Could you provide us with a slick point of sale, using organic shapes, and timber? We would also love it if our install was able to win some kind of award for the best-looking stall at the prize-giving post-event."
DOA: "Say no more."
Almighty 24
Client: "We are releasing a new caffeinated soda water that will be an alternative caffeine source for people on the go. What are your thoughts on a vending machine that can be transferred to different locations in the city and provide busy people with the energy they crave. Also, we want to get that metal fabrication legend Matt Dawkins onboard for some spending and bending?"
DOA: "On it."
Burnout Tour
Burnout tour is a co-promoted series of events that we took on tour with club 121 in the summer of 2020.
The idea of burnout tour stemmed off the idea that event based work and DJ's are in a constant space of burnout through the summer months as a large capacity of the yearly work load is squeezed into a 3 month period. Taking this idea we decided to go on tour with a travelling stage set made from mirrored ACM paneling and a set of green disco plates as well as a star studded DJ cast of 121 Sound system, Bontempo, Eden Burns, Cameron Morris, Jesper Tjarnfors and Fabu we hit the road. A 4 stop tour full of friends and energy ensued. Our first show kicked off at Nest Fest in Hawkes bay were we brought down the house in the market stage, followed by a double hitting weekend of Raglan Yacht club on Friday and Tauranga Our Place on the Saturday where Eden Burns matched the endergy of a warm summer night . Our final stop was at club121 in Wellington, where we took the stage set into the basement and danced all night long to send it home. A true 121 x DoA experience!
Benee EP Launch
Client: "We have one of the biggest pop stars in the world right now launching her EP. The only catch is we are in the middle of level 3 covid lock down and households are social distancing. Does your team do art for drive-through cinema experiences?"
DoA: "We do now!"
Redbull Red Mondays
Client: "We want to throw a party to thank all our stockiest and highest grossing bars. It's an industry shindig, hospitality people with their one night off. It's also in a church. How do you feel about dressing a church?"
DoA: "See you Sunday"
Friends Coffee Table
We had a coffee table problem down at Friends Studio, as in we didn't have one! So we decided to buy all the valchromat stock that New Zealand had and made a super fun CnC'd, logo detailed grey valchromat coffee table.
Drax Project X Tiger album launch
Client: “We are doing a collaboration with New Zealand Music sensations Drax Project and Tiger beer. We have a venue, we have the band, and we have the beer. Could you please bring some art?”
DoA: "Absolutely"
Lance Savali x Odd Company
Always an absolute pleasure working with Ghalesha from Universal on super fun projects! We were tasked with designing a super cool EP launch party for the coolest cat Lance Savali. Based on his requests we went big on hi-fructos colour, mirros and plants - what a vibe! A special thank you to the Blink Boys for coming through on the fab and install assist on this one!
Crocs
Client: "Can you make us a two storied, interactive, multi photowalled, high colour store front activation with claw machines and digital screens inside of it that embodies the essence of crocs and what they stand for?
DoA: "Commence render bender"
Red Bull x 121 Festival
Client: "Can you make us a banging bar for redbull, equiped with mirrors, LED bar lights and seating that ties in with the techno dance tunnel stage at 121 Festival?"
DoA: "Absolut! Ich liebe Techno"
Sundown Gin
Client: "We would love a nice hangout spot at a festival with a big archway and 3 light up frosted scrylic pillars. Make it nice and bright please"
DoA: "Jack, warm up the CnC machine"
Allpress
Client: "We want our coffee activation to outshine everything around us! Make us pop, glimmer and shine. Lets go as big as we can in the space we have!"
DoA: "RGB colour pallet activated"
Pals x RnV
Client: "Lets get a couple of dope cabanas for the top of that hill. Oh, and make it pink"
DoA: "Hell yeah, cabana, no drama -rama rama"