Things that will make you go WOW: World of Wearable Art 2024
The World of Wearable Art (WOW) has returned to Wellington! If you're feeling inspired to create your own wearable art, we have some great kids' books to get you started!
The World of Wearable Art (WOW) will be returning to Wellington from the 26th of September until 13th of October. This year, imagination becomes a reality in the 2024 WOW Show: DREAM AWAKE. You will be drawn into six awe-inspiring realms, where the boundaries of theatrical spectacle, live music, dance, aerial choreography and wearable art pushed to the extreme.
What is WOW?
WOW is an internationally renowned design competition that attracts entries from over 40 countries. Anything that is wearable art can find a place on the stage, as long as it is original, innovative and well executed.
For three weeks every year, WOW showcases the best of these creations in a spectacular show that takes over New Zealand’s vibrant capital city of Wellington in an explosion of creativity. And sometimes some creations even find their way into our libraries!
Story Time by Claire Ryan, Queen Margaret College, on display at Arapaki Library in 2023. Read more about this piece here!
To celebrate WOW, Wellington City Libraries has some amazing non-fiction and DVDs that are guaranteed to inspire you to create your own wearable arts award event!
Why not pop on down to Tūhura HIVE, our makerspace at Waitohi | Johnsonville Library, to create your own wearable arts. From 3D printing, audio recording, coding, robotics, and electronics, to sewing, weaving and more, we offer endless opportunities for everyone to get inspired and create. We'd love to see you!
We're also running a whole host of maker and creative activities over the school holidays as part of the Beyond the Page festival for tamariki and their whānau. If you'd like to start small and repurpose old toys into something new and weird and wonderful, or start a bit bigger and turn recycled materials into the alien puppet of your dreams then we have the events for you!
If you'd like to know more, read our guide about what's going on in Wellington City for Beyond the Page.
Create your own WOW designs with the following books to inspire you:
Sometimes it's hard to know where to start, but these books will give you plenty of ideas for how to start creating.
- Wearable wonders / Colston, Fifi
- Now make this: 24 DIY projects by designers for kids
- Maker camp: heritage crafts and skill-building projects for kids / Holton-Fessler, Delanie
- Stellar science fiction crafts / Jones, Jen
- You can upcycle and craft
- Junk modelling / Stanford, Sara
- 10-minute yarn projects / Schuette, Sarah L.
- Disney ideas book / Dowsett, Elizabeth
- Around the world craft & design book / Eaton, Kait
- Tinkerlab art starts: 52 projects for open-ended exploration / Doorley, Rachelle
- Modern Art for kids: hands on art and craft activities inspired the masters / Ho Poon, Stephanie
- Make this!: building, thinking, and tinkering projects for the amazing maker in you / Schwartz, Ella
Click here for more books about handicrafts.
Have a WOW themed movie night at home with these DVDs:
Watch a family-friendly movie full of colourful designs and fantastic costumes!