North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Gracegate holiday fun
During the school holidays, 40 eager children and teens descended on Gracegate Centre in Sunnynook for the SALT Performing Arts Holiday Workshop.
Participants could choose from a mix of activities - dance, creative crafts, singing, media and tech, even aerial performances and silks culminating in a showcase event on the Saturday evening.
The theme for the workshop was ‘‘Identity’’ and all of the activities involved positive reinforcement and fun, allowing those attending the opportunity to explore their own creativity, choreograph their own dances, craft self-portraits, learn how to use technology to film and edit, then showcase their newly learned skills in a concert and art exhibition at the end of the holiday workshop. It was a whopper week and within days of bookings opening for the next Salt Performing Arts Holiday Workshop, the programme was fully booked.
Gracegate punches well above its weight. It is a registered charity situated in Sunnynook, engrossed in serving the community. Its free weekly events include ‘‘Stay and Play’’ (a great environment where parents can connect with their young children, in the company of other parents) and ‘‘Young Mums’’ (where new parents are taught parenting skills, while their children are cared for).
Gracegate offers fun weekly hangouts for young people on Friday evenings (Radiate for 10-13 year olds, or Fuel for 14-17 year olds) as well as Spark for 18-30 year olds on Wednesday evenings. These gettogethers are packed full of games, challenges, outings, even camps. While the next Salt holiday workshop is already fully booked, there are great holiday camps planned for Radiate and Fuel aged children during the next school break.
If children’s hangouts aren’t your thing, Gracegate’s diverse offering also includes free health and fitness, in the form of Thrive (similar to cross-fit),
Salt (dance and performance classes for ages 5-18) and yoga stretch. Then there is also social netball, cricket and soccer.
For more information on all Gracegate has to offer, visit www.gracegate.org.nz.