Ōwheo Rising, an interdisciplinary project where
Art meets Communication Design and history meets the future
The waters of the Leith or Ōwheo, (the original Māori name meaning “The place of Wheo”) normally divides Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin campus in two (including the schools of Art and Design), but an interdisciplinary and inter-school Living Campus project known as Ōwheo Rising has made students from both schools reconsider the stream as a way to connect with each other, nature and culture through storytelling and creative practices.
The project began with a one day symposium, bringing a variety of social, cultural and environmental histories together, at Otago Museum’s Hutton Theatre. From there students walked along the stream, and worked in small teams to develop site-responsive works, presenting their understandings as experiences, and proposing their work to a panel of local experts and potential funders.