It's time for another installment of the Orcon Great Blend. It has been a little while since the last one, but working with Russell Brown over at Public Address we think we have put together what is going to be the best one yet (and of course as an Orcon customer you can come along for free!)

This time it is all about creativity and collaboration. We are really excited about what we have managed to pull together.

Kicking off at 7pm on Friday the 10th of September, this edition of the Orcon Great Blend will run as part of The Edge's Deep and Meaningful series in our beautiful new venue, the Civic Wintergarden. Russell Brown and guests will be exploring the nature of creative collaboration.

And "explore" doesn't just mean talking about collaboration, but doing it. The Orcon Great Blend has brought together prominent local creatives to see what emerges when they work together.

Novelist Emily Perkins and graphic novelist Dylan Horrocks decided to jointly create a comic as page-by-page "conversation about writing", and they'll "perform" that illustrated conversation on stage on the night.

The event also brings together painter Karl Maughan and Auckland graffiti artist and video director Askew One to jointly create a large-scale work in Askew's studio. They'll be making a video and photographic record of the process, and presenting the work at the event.

Russell Brown will also interview local music industry legend Simon Grigg - flown in specially from Bangkok - about the interface between commercial management and creative artists, with particular reference to the OMC story, which is the subject of Simon's forthcoming book.

And 95bFM's ukulele queen Silke Hartung will round out the stage programme with a musical collaboration of her own.
After the main stage programme is completed, it'll be party time. Simon Grigg will DJ at a purpose-built "nightclub" within the Wintergarden, there will be a space for relaxed conversation and networking in the Safari Room, and NZ On Screen and Flying Nun Records are collaborating on a special video programme in the adjacent Taj Mahal room.

As usual, the ticket price is a bargain, you lucky Orcon customers can come along for free. Let us know you would like to come along by dropping us an email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your Orcon username as our lovely new venue has a strictly limited capacity. We will drop you an email back to let you know that we have saved you a place.