Late night at the museum

By Donna McTavish on October 14, 2015 • ( 0 )

I don’t think that there is a better place in Auckland for an evening event than the Auckland Museum. The views stretch across the city and it feels deliciously naughty to be allowed inside the building after closing time.

Many exclusive occasions are celebrated in the Museum’s event centre but if you are not on the invitation list for one of those, the Late at the Museum series welcomes everyone. These events have been popular for a few years but it’s taken me a while to get there. The 2015 series is all about Auckland which is fitting given that the city is celebrating it’s 175th anniversary.

Each event picks out an aspect of Auckland’s history and culture and delves deeply into the personal recollections of the guest panellists with musical performances and storytelling and dance. The ‘Late’ session I attended was titled “Late: City of Shadows”. It started with a mesmerising performance from the Okareka Dance Company. They twist Māori mythology with haka, drag queens and contemporary dance and it’s provocative and enchanting. You can see more about these talented perfomers here.

The “City of Shadows” panel discussed Auckland’s hidden world and the stories were of sex, drugs, crime and politics told from the perspectives of a 21-year-old ex-stripper, a student of gay culture and a country girl who became part of Auckland’s drug scene and is now a senior university lecturer. Each story was honestly told, sometimes shocking and sometimes humorous, and totally enthralling.