Creator: Elisabeth Kumaran, Guava Collective
Artform: Creative Workshops
Timeframe: November 2025 – December 2025
Location: Māngere Markets, Guava Collective Mobile Hub
Instagram: @talofa_tusiata
About
Guava Collective, led by Elisabeth Kumaran, will deliver a Summer Series of four free, hands-on creative workshops at the Māngere Markets during November–December 2025. These workshops will take place at the Mobile Hub, located in the heart of the bustling markets, ensuring they are accessible, visible, and welcoming to all.
Each session will invite people of all ages and backgrounds to connect, learn, and express themselves through art. Designed to be inclusive, culturally relevant, and accessible at all skill levels, the workshops aim to break down barriers to creative participation.
“I have been running creative workshops for over a decade, and since moving to Māngere, I’ve been inspired by the vibrancy and diversity of this community. These new Summer Workshops are designed to bring art directly to the people, in a way that feels natural and welcoming.”
By hosting the workshops at the Māngere Markets, the project ensures high visibility and encourages natural participation from the local community. Promotion will focus on reaching whānau who may not usually access arts opportunities, using local networks, social media, community noticeboards, and word-of-mouth.
Many people face cost barriers to accessing creative opportunities. By delivering free workshops in a familiar community space, this project removes those barriers and invites people to experience art in a way that is both accessible and empowering.
What makes this project unique is its pop-up, participatory nature—bringing art directly to the people where they already gather. Elisabeth’s background in community-led creative practice ensures the workshops are engaging, culturally grounded, and responsive to community needs.
About The Creator
Elisabeth Kumaran has over 10 years of experience delivering hands-on creative workshops in the communities where she lives. Her practice focuses on accessibility, community connection, and creative participation.
Highlights include:
Open Days at Pah Homestead: Delivered workshops that consistently attracted large numbers of families, leading to repeat invitations to return.
ManaRewa Collective: Worked with professional local artists Raymond Sagapolutele and Emily Mafileo to nurture local talent. Led workshops, co-curated exhibitions, and received strong recommendations from organisers.
Taro Patch Creative (Papatoetoe): Ran a community day workshop gathering creative ideas for safety signage in a new development. This led to a follow-up zine workshop with 15 children, receiving positive feedback and further invitations.
Māngere-based mural and design projects: Collaborated with local schools to co-design murals for the Māngere Arts Centre and Vector power boxes, engaging young people in shaping public creative spaces.
Across all her projects, Elisabeth has built a reputation for creating welcoming, high-participation workshops that are valued by both communities and partner organizations.