We’re Melissa, James and Diane, residents and neighbours of Westlight. We’ve been running festivals and creative projects for over twenty years. We’re interested in the artistic life of this building.
James
James Littlewood is a writer, director and producer who’s worked in theatre, film, opera and festivals since the 1990s. He is obsessed with making the world a better place one story at a time, and can often be heard reminding anyone who’ll listen that “we’re nothing without our stories”. At the helm of Going West festival during rolling lockdowns, he oversaw the production of over 50 podcast episodes and a dozen original new short films, prompting one participant to describe the revised festival as “a refreshing, invigorating development of what a literary festival can be”.
He loves living in Westlight, loves Glen Eden and is a habitual commuter cyclist and train rider. When he’s not working he can either be found strumming his ukulele, plugging his recently released spoken-word album words + noise or haunting the poetry shelves at Glen Eden Library.
Diane
As a proud Laingholm resident since 1988 and fourth-generation Aucklander, Diane Blomfield cares deeply about our local community — and recently put this into action by standing for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board.
She has over 20 years of experience in the arts, leading major projects at Going West Festival, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland Museum, McCahon House and Te Papa. She has delivered award-winning programmes for Aotearoa while always advocating for meaningful and enjoyable public participation.
Recently Diane rescued a neglected yacht from near irreparable decline and, when she’s not working, can be found somewhere on the water in the Hauraki Gulf.
Melissa
Kelston based artist, writer and curator Melissa Laing explores the creative spaces between art, ethics, place and politics. With a focus on how we encounter and understand the world her work creates opportunities for people to encounter familiar and proximate places and environments in alternate ways. Recently she has co-created a community parade of marine creatures, built platforms from which to observe the sea, taken people on ‘boat dates’ on the Whau river, and run creative walking festivals across Auckland.
She has worked in the arts since 1998, most recently as a community arts broker and consultant. Over the course of her career she has worked for public institutions and artist-run initiatives, universities and schools, local government and arts festivals.
When she’s not working she can be found reading novels, weeding her garden or bombing around on her bike.
