Christchurch streets are in for a little zhoosh-up from this weekend with the arrival of a brand-new event on the city’s arts calendar – the Little Street Art Festival.

The brainchild of street art chronicler Reuben Woods, the festival is a response to what he sees as “the bigger the better” approach that has come to dominate street art festivals.

Reuben is an art historian, writer and curator. His PhD thesis explored graffiti and street art within post-earthquake Christchurch. He also serves as creative director and lead tour guide for Watch This Space, a group dedicated to Christchurch’s street art, mural and graffiti scene.

The Little Street Art Festival is a celebration of the smaller side of urban art, what has been termed ‘post-graffiti’ street art – stencils and miniature sculptures, installations and urban craft, guerrilla gardening, light-based works and participatory projects.

If you have seen Ghostcat’s Haunted Teacup in New Regent Street, you’ll get the idea. It was created as an example of the types of work the festival will feature. The worn construction dares the viewer to peer into a mysterious box, promising supernatural terror, before an ultimately mundane encounter reveals intentional disappointment, leaving viewers bemused by the experience.

Nine Ōtautahi urban artists have created works across the central city for the festival – from tiny paintings filling cracks and painted blooms emerging from planter beds to ruminations on Ōtautahi’s past.

Several of the projects encourage interaction so check out the programme for timings. There are also guided tours, artist talks and workshops.

A Boost Ōtautahi crowdfunding campaign in June 2022 raised $15,000 to help get the festival off the ground.

Fri 24 Nov – Tue 5 Dec

littlestreetartfestival.co.nz