background

Creative Matakana Incorporated is a not-for-profit society formed to organise Creative Matakana workshops. If surplus funds become available, they'll be used to support the arts within the Matakana area and to provide grants and subsidies for arts projects.

general info

CM2024 will run the week of May 6-10, 2024 with two exceptions: one day online on April 27 with rag-rug maker Ilka White (this workshop will have its second day in-person on Friday May 10), and Richard Hare’s greenwood chair-making workshop which is six days long, with an extra day on Saturday 11 May.

Bookings for courses open on Monday January 8, 2024 at 8am and will be booked strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot hold places for participants.

Note: if the course you want is full, it’s always worth going on a waitlist as plans very often change.

COVID-19

We will be taking all precautions deemed necessary at the time by the NZ Government to keep everyone safe. We will be keeping strictly up to date with Covid-19 developments in NZ and will only proceed with workshops and events if appropriate for safety reasons.

Ticketing

We are delighted to work with Humanitix for our ticketing where 100% of profits from booking fees are donated to help in the education of disadvantaged children across New Zealand. The project helps support New Zealand students and families, who find it difficult to access or afford local and global digital access, to close the education gap. 

Start and finish times

Most workshops will start around 9.30am and finish between 3-5pm. Tea, coffee, biscuits and fruit will be provided at each workshop venue, and plentiful lunch options are available locally at a reasonable price. Our One Day Wonders will have variable start and finish times.

Welcome event

Each year, Creative Matakana hosts an annual welcome function for short and long course participants on the Sunday before the event, at a venue to be advised in Matakana, from 5pm-6.30pm where participants will receive their registration information and meet their tutors and other participants.

Social events

Class participants and tutors often gather after classes in the evenings at The Vintry wine bar in the Matakana Cinemas complex – an opportunity to meet those on other courses.

On Thursday during the week, an optional ticketed dinner for participants is held at a local restaurant – this is very popular and a lot of fun!

Accommodation

Participants are responsible for booking their own accommodation, but there is plenty in the area – try Leigh Central (they have a special rate for Creative Matakana participants if your workshop is out that way!), Matakana Motel, Whangateau Holiday Park, Bookabach, Holiday Houses and Airbnb – and remember to book early to avoid disappointment.

course info

Fees

Course fees will be noted with the information under the workshop info and include GST. Some may have an extra charge for materials, and you may need to bring materials and/or tools from home for others. You’ll receive all information about materials and what to bring well before the event.

Course cancellation

The organisers retain the right to cancel courses, and, in the event of cancellation by them, they would give the option to refund the fees in full or hold them over for the following year. Notification of cancellations will be made by early April each year.

If you cancel before April 1, you will be able to refund your own fees in full via the ‘manage your booking’ link in your original ticket confirmation email.

After April 1 we will not refund booking fees for cancellations and you must make your application in writing. Cancellations after April 14 will not be refunded except in special circumstances.