The call for proposals for PARK(ing) Day 2025 are now open!
Submissions are due 17 January 2025, with PARK(ing) Day itself scheduled for Saturday 1 March and the back up rain date is Saturday 8 March.
We've increased the contribution paid to each successful proposal to $500!
The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat. We welcome submissions from creatives and community groups interested in taking over a Cuba Street car park for the course of one day.
Download the past brief here.
Background
Usually held in the northern hemisphere in September, PARK(ing) Day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and designers collaborate temporarily to transform metered parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is used, created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!
The original PARK(ing) Day concept was initiated by Rebar, www.myparkingday.org
PARK(ing) Day 2024
This year's PARK(ing) Day was a big milestone for WST being the 10th year the event has been held and the first time it has been held on a Saturday. The 4th of March saw 24 participants transform 28 Cuba street car parks into dance floors, artist studios, gardens, living and reading rooms and a ceramics studio just to name a few. After a damp start, Wellington turned on the sun and an audience of unprecedented numbers enjoyed the festive mood and the many opportunities to engage with high quality creative installations, in locations usually reserved for cars.
PARK(ing) Day's mission is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of the urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!
The project is an annual open-source global event, and began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with organisations and individuals (operating independently of Rebar, but following an established set of guidelines) creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world.
This year there were two People's Choice winners - Victoria Singh’s Daydream Believer and COCA Massey students' Hydromedusa, splitting the $500 prize between them. Home by Kapiti Arts Studio was the runner-up. The judges Gerald Parsonson and Mark Hutchins-Pond, awarded the $500 Judge's Choice award to Katja Starke for Your Highlight where passers-by were invited to highlight words taken from a page of old books to make a poem which was then hung on a wall of string in the 'lounge-room' parking space. The runner up was Victoria Singh’s Daydream Believer, who undertook a durational performance about time, noting that parking in a metered space is an act of paying for time while ironing is something many people consider “a waste of time”. Her performance was a contrast between the activities of a suburban “housewife” (or maid) from a bygone era with that of a modern day working woman who drives her vehicle to work in the city. Amy Grace Laura's ASMR BAR! also received a Highly Commended award from the Judges.
Like all events run on shoe-string budgets, PARK(ing) Day could not happen without the support of many. Thanks as always to our partner WCC, the Creative Communities and Arts & Culture Funds, LT McGuinness, GOTMS, Portsmouth Rentals, the judges and Karen and Mark at Webb's Auction Rooms.
The Post Parking Day article
PARK(ing) Day 2023
PARK(ing) Day 2022
PARK(ing) Day 2021
