Fascination, CTANZ’s 2025 symposium, celebrates textiles and dress for those that are charmed by them, who create them, collect, curate and crave them. We’re pleased to announce the outline of the programme of papers and associated activities for the first days of May and that registrations are open (and operational – our apologies for the delay, but it’s definitely working now).
Inspired by the various ways textiles and dress compel and fascinate across time and place, our presenters will share the usual mix of storytelling, passion and expertise. Topics to be explored include Barbie’s shoes, in our keynote by Emeritus Professor Hilary Radner, and clusters on flamboyance, ritual dress, luxury textiles, collection inspirations and impacts, material alchemy and material expressions, and material and plant worlds. These presentations are the backbone of the symposium, but there are other connected activities threading into it, covering fashion, collections, and textile work.
Fascination will be held at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum in Ōtepoti Dunedin, in conjunction with an exhibition of the Eden Hore collection curated by longtime CTANZ member Dr Jane Malthus. Also currently on show in the city, THIS IS NOM*d at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. A public panel on the evening ahead of the symposium on the Eden Hore collection, exhibition and book, and a floor talk by NOM*d founder and director Margarita Robertson offer opportunities for symposium attendees to get insider insights into the collector and creator of the garments in these exhibitions.
The symposium and adjacent content includes opportunities to see behind the scenes of two of Dunedin’s valued collections. On Thursday afternoon, Katherine Milburn and Amanda Mills of the University of Otago’s Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hākena are hosting two tours of the collections, with a focus on the holdings used by researchers in our field. On Saturday morning,
Toitu Otago Settler’s Museum invite those involved with GLAM collections to take part in a peer review session discussing the significance of Toitū Otago Settler’s Museum extensive costume and textile holdings. Please note that both of these activities will have limits on numbers. Booking for the Hocken tours can be done with your registration; for the Saturday session at Toitū, please email osm.collections@dcc.govt.nz.
Alongside the event, two others that will showcase the local textile community. From 1-4 May at the Dunedin Community Gallery, Christine Keller is hosting Craft Lounge – a long weekend of creative classes, workshops, and exhibitions.s. With local community projects, Among the Sparrows, LoomRoom, Sew On Period Care and Stitch Kitchen, it offers opportunities for the public to engage with contemporary craft practices and enjoy coming together. On Saturday afternoon, Toitu is also hosting demonstrations of weaving, stitching, badge making, knitting, spinning, cloth making and other textile goodies in action. The Maker’s Pop-Up Demonstrations will run from 2-4.30pm. https://www.toituosm.com/whats-on/events/makers-pop-up-demonstrations
Between the papers and the range of connected activities, it will be a lively few days, with plenty to appeal across a spectrum of interests. We look forward to seeing you at the beginning of May.
Schedule
Thursday 1 May 2025 – Preliminary events
Hocken Collections Uare Taoka o Hākena Tour
1.30-2.30pm or 3.30-4.30pm Guided by Katherine Milburn, Hocken Liaison Librarian, Curator Ephemera
and Amanda Mills, Hocken Liaison Library, Curator Music and AV.
No charge, but 20 per session maximum, please book when registering.
Panel Discussion Eden Hore Collection: The Fascinating Bigger Picture 5.30pm: Public Evening talk at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Dr Jane Malthus, fashion scholar and curator of Eden in Dunedin, Margarita Robertson, Creative Director NOM*d, Paula Penno, Community and Engagement Manager at Central Otago District Council, and Dr Natalie Smith, fashion scholar.
Friday 2 May – Symposium Day 1
9am Registration
9.15am Mihi whakatu and opening remarks
9.30 – 10.30am Keynote: Emeritus Professor Hilary Radner, Regarding the shoe: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023)
10.30-11am Morning tea
11am-12.30 Session 1 Papers (2 streams)
12.30-1.30pm Lunch
1.30-3.30pm Session 2 Papers (2 streams)
3.30-4pm Afternoon tea
4-5pm AGM
5.30-6.30pm- Tour of This is NOM*d Dunedin Public Art Gallery, with Margarita Robertson, Creative Director, NOM*d.
6.30-9pm Symposium dinner, Etrusco at the Savoy Please book when registering for an Italian feast in a beautiful historic building with lively ambience.
Saturday 3 May – Symposium Day 2
9.30-10am Morning tea
10-11.30am Session 3 (2 streams)
11.30am-12.30pm Toitū’s Costume & Textiles Collection – peer review and significance discussion
12.30-1.30pm Lunch
1.30-3pm Session 4 (2 streams)
3-3.30pm Afternoon tea and closing remarks
3.30pm Makers’ workshops at Toitū
5.30pm Invitation to Loom Room open event at Community Gallery
Full symposium members – waged $245 Unwaged $165
Non-members $305 Day rate $170
Dinner $57
Housekeeping
To make this as sustainable as possible, we’re asking you to bring your own badges and a bag if you need one. Please bring a cup if you can, washing and drying facilites are available.
Lunches will be boxed for eating in designated space in Toitu, or outside, weather permitting. We’ve also arranged for those attending the symposium to have access to Lan Yuan, Dunedin’s Chinese scholar’s garden, for 2-4 May. This garden is at the far / south end of Toitu, and provides peaceful covered and uncovered spaces for those who’d like to visit other local attractions.
Other information
If you don’t know Dunedin, Toitu is literally two minutes from the Railway Station, which is about three blocks from the city’s centre, the Octagon, which is the site of the art gallery. The Community Gallery is on Princes Street, just round the corner from the art gallery, and another few minutes along to Etrusco. While planning your trip, you might like to consult the latest edition of this very useful resource: https://creativedunedin.co.nz/. We’ll have paper copies at the desk when you collect your programmes on the day.
Keep an eye on this page, the blog and our social media for more details of the papers and the other activities. The early interest has been really encouraging and we will look forward to another memorable symposium in early May.