The Kūmara Awards

10/12/2024

Kia ora everyone!

How are you guys doing? Any fabulous placemaking happening around?

We miss you and can’t wait to see you again! Though from now you’ll have heaps of time to work on the amazing placemaking ideas you have (the world needs to see them, you know it!).

We have some news to share! After four years of awards that celebrate your enthusiasm, care and incredible placemaking initiatives across the motu, we are switching The Kūmara Awards from an annual to a biennial celebration.

This change will help maintain the highest standards for The Kūmaras and make sure they grow even sweeter and stronger. We want you, our amazing placemakers, to enjoy the best recognition for all the care you give to our beautiful lands and cities and celebrate fully in 2026, we can’t wait so long to connect to you so we are planning a little (tiny, but special!) something to do in 2025. We won’t say more just yet, but stay tuned!

Thanks for being part of this fabulous journey with us!

Ngā mihi maioha!

You are the stars! Keep shining and sharing aroha! 🥰💛🌿

Mā te wā

30/09/2024

The Kūmara Awards are part of Placemaking Aotearoa, a collective of volunteers who champion placemaking across the motu. They are wanting to find out more about what would support great placemaking across the motu and how Placemaking Aotearoa might best develop.

All thoughts are welcome via the survey link below - you don't have to be a professional placemaker and it should take about 5 minutes to do. Thank you!

We are running a survey for Placemaking Aotearoa, a collective of volunteers who want to grow our placemaking practice as a nation.

There is lots of experience to draw upon across the motu and we’d love to hear what would make a difference to you... please do our short survey and help inform the future development of Placemaking Aotearoa!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YLPKZVN

17/05/2024

We're hoping that the Kūmara Awards (and all the awesome nominated projects) inspired you to do some more placemaking! If you're looking for some ideas we'd love to suggest one of our favourites... footpath games 🎉

Footpath games are lots of fun and all you need is chalk (chalk paint) and some willing hands. People of all ages can play!

Follow the link to find a free resource from Catalyse ☺️

https://www.catalyse.co.nz/_files/ugd/dad9d7_b03fe9cc6f9c459f8d347a20df907206.pdf

06/05/2024

Wow, so amazing to see the Yarn for Pride team celebrating their Words of Love poster, written by all the awesome people who attended the Tāmaki Makaurau Kūmara Awards ceremony 😁 great job guys!!

01/05/2024

A quick throwback to not so long ago! Dave Fransen from All Good Media Co. captured the incredible Tāmaki Makaurau Kūmara Awards Ceremony on video 🥳🎉🎊 We weren't dreaming... it WAS such a fun night, thanks to everyone who came!

Congrats again to our amazing winners:

1. Mā te haukāinga hei tūāpapa ki te ao tūroa / It Takes a Village:
Te Hōnonga a Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park

2. Ahakoa he iti, ko tōna painga ka puawaitia / From Little Things Big Things Grow:
Kauri Park School Container Art Project 2023

3. Kei tua atu i te kaupapa / Beyond the brief:
Hub West: MPHS Community Trust

4. Ngā akoranga i muri, hei tūāpapa ki ngā mahi ki mua / Looking Back to Move Forward:
Te Pu-A-Nga Maara

5. Tiakina te whenua, ka manaakitia te tangata / Caring For the Land, Caring For the People:
Grow Forrest Hill

Our Loud Hurrah winners:

Mens Shed Auckland East
Project Twin Streams
Patiki community Hub (Rosebank Community Hub)
Great North Gallery ( )
Yarn for Pride
Future Future Festival (Interesting Things Aotearoa, Bike Auckland)
Waitangi Waititi
Sozo Coffee House
Pasifika Festival

Big thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this event happen:
Placemaking Aotearoa
Fivestar Print
Ᾱrepa
Hakanoa Handmade Drinks
Ellen Melville Centre
Oronegro
MAKE SHOP
Eke Panuku Development Auckland
The Proper Pizza Company

22/04/2024

We didn't forget you Ōtautahi Christchurch! 🥳 It has been amazing to see all the posts the Ōtautahi nominees have been making on facebook about their time at the ceremony 🎉🏆 It was a fabulous night to be sure, and while we were there to celebrate ALL the nominated projects, as you know there could only be 5 category winners (and a few Loud Hurrahs!) 👀 And our Ōtautahi Christchurch winners are...

1. It Takes a Village - is all about collaboration
- Hansen Park Nature Play Project

2. From Little Things Big Things Grow - small changes can make an impact
- Place Cadets (Gather Landscape Architecture)

3. Beyond the brief - physical spaces that are more than what is expected or required
Nigel Mahan Pump Track

4. Looking Back to Move Forward - highlighting experiences of culture in our places
Unity Week (Sakinah Community Trust)

5. Caring For the Land, Caring For the People - nature is the focus here
Richmond Community Garden + Riverlution

Loud Hurrahs!:
Spreydon Sunflower Competition
Yarnachy (Gap Filler and amazing artists)

Congratulations to you all!!

17/04/2024

Today is all about our Pōneke Wellington Winners! 🥳 It goes without saying that the judges had more than a hard time deciding on their winners, there are just so many incredible placemaking projects happening in Wellington, and we love all of them! But there had to be winners 👀 and the fabulous projects that took home the awards were...

1. It Takes a Village - is all about collaboration
Tē Pātē community facility in Cannons ( Rā Nui, Eastern Porirua Development)

2. From Little Things Big Things Grow - small changes can make an impact
Picnics In Parks

3. Beyond the brief - physical spaces that are more than what is expected or required
Playscape Urban Swing (Urban Dream Brokerage)

4. Looking Back to Move Forward - highlighting experiences of culture in our places
Tātarakihi wayfinding

5. Caring For the Land, Caring For the People - nature is the focus here
Berhampore Island Bay Community Orchard

Loud Hurrahs:
Riding with Olivia – Cycling Without Age Lower Hutt
Porirua Chorus Box Project (Porirua City Council)

15/04/2024

We can't forget our Auckland Loud Hurrah! winners 🥳🙌🎉

These projects, while they didn't win in a category, were so inspirational that the judges awarded them a special shoutout for all the incredible mahi they do. Congratulations everyone! These awards are VERY well deserved!

Our Auckland Loud Hurrah! Winners for 2024 are...

Mens Shed Auckland East
Project Twin Streams
Patiki community Hub (Rosebank Community Hub)
Great North Gallery ( )
Yarn for Pride
Future Future Festival (Interesting Things Aotearoa, Bike Auckland)
Waitangi Waititi
Sozo Coffee House
Pasifika Festival

12/04/2024

Wow, what a night! We had such an incredible time at the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Kūmara Awards yesterday. We want to say a huge thank you to all those involved in the amazing projects that were shortlisted, as well as all the friends, family, and communities that came to cheer them on 🎉 Every single project was truly fabulous, and they all mean so much to so many. Thank you to all of you for the tireless, and often unsung work that you do to make our city better ❤️

While we loved all of you, in the end there had to be only 5 category winners! Trust us the Judges had an incredibly hard time choosing the winners, but choose they did and we want to dedicate our post today to these five projects.

We'll be posting about the Christchurch and Wellington winners, as well as our Loud Hurrah winners soon, so keep an eye out!

The Auckland winners were...

1. Mā te haukāinga hei tūāpapa ki te ao tūroa / It Takes a Village:
Te Hōnonga a Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park

2. Ahakoa he iti, ko tōna painga ka puawaitia / From Little Things Big Things Grow:
Kauri Park School Container Art Project 2023

3. Kei tua atu i te kaupapa / Beyond the brief:
Hub West: MPHS Community Trust

4. Ngā akoranga i muri, hei tūāpapa ki ngā mahi ki mua / Looking Back to Move Forward:
Te Pu-A-Nga Maara

5. Tiakina te whenua, ka manaakitia te tangata / Caring For the Land, Caring For the People:
Grow Forrest Hill