Light show shines spotlight on milestone

For 35 years Smokefree Rockquest has been helping teenagers around the country light up a passion for music, and now it’s lighting up Nelson.

Until June 12, an art and light installation celebrating Rockquest’s 35-year milestone will light up the exterior of the main building at Nelson’s Millers Acre carpark at night. The images are projected onto a white wrap covering the building as part of a recladding project.

The installation, facilitated by Make/Shift Spaces in partnership with Rockquest Promotions, features eyecatching images helping tell the story of the Rockquest journey over the decades. There is also an ongoing window exhibition at the Millers Acre which includes videos with music, interviews and highlights.

The Nelson-based founders of Rockquest Promotions, Pete Rainey and Glenn Common, started running Rockquest in Christchurch in 1989, a year after it was first held by a Christchurch radio station.

Now a nationwide competition for young people showcasing original live music, Smokefree Rockquest regional competitions are held around the country, with about 2700 teens taking part each year. This year’s Nelson heat is on June 10, with a national final held on September 23 in Auckland.

Rainey said he and Common – who met as teachers in Christchurch – were thrilled Rockquest was heading into its 35th year and still going strong.

It had been based in Nelson for about 25 years. ‘‘It’s a bit of an acknowledgement that students are really still enthusiastic about playing live music on stage,’’ Rainey said.

He said the art projections and exhibition, called Rock! 35 Years of Rockquest, looked at various aspects of Rockquest, including its history, different music genres, some of its many success stories and the impact on the music industry.

The 2022 Smokefree Rockquest competition would be launched in Nelson on Thursday at a function with special guest Julia Deans, Fur Patrol front-woman and a 1991 Rockquest finalist.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary, live events would also be held at various venues in Nelson during the next six weeks, Rainey said.