Semi Permanent

What does 20 years of creative collaboration, exploration and achievement look like? Semi Permanent Studio sought to encapsulate the milestone in our 20th anniversary publication, a non-linear timeline charting new and iconic work by some of the world's most boundary-pushing creatives.

Since its foundation in 2017, Semi Permanent Studio has produced Google’s global diversity, equity and inclusion initiative Rare with Google. Rare's evolving program of talks, workshops, mentorship opportunities and research projects are designed to increase DEI initiatives both internally at Google and in the creative industries at large. Rare’s vision of diversity spans race, gender, sexuality, neurodiversity and physical ability, and we’ve been proud to help this movement. As a means of archiving five years of keynote talks, seminars, training modules, educational toolkits and literature, Semi Permanent conceived, designed, and produced a significant, standalone website for the Rare With Google project. Intended as a free resource for minority and marginalised creatives, the Rare With Google digital archive provides wide access in perpetuity to wealth of information that will support the next generation of creative talent. 

With our partners at Spark for Business, Semi Permanent Studio is committed to providing access, resources, tools and knowledge to the Australasian business community. In an increasingly crowded and competitive landscape, improving the competitive edge of SMEs via new and emergent technologies, sustainability initiatives, and increased productivity measures will have myriad benefits for the broader community, and speaks to the purpose of our twice-yearly business summit and digital content series Future State. In the second edition of the program, titled The Turning Point, we brought together three world-changing leaders – Eva Kruse of PANGAIA, Justin Kamine of Do Good Foods and Leyla Acaroglu of Disrupt Design – to offer valuable insights into how Aotearoa New Zealand businesses can embrace and implement sustainability into their practice, as well offer inspiration from the cutting-edge of circular design systems, resource maximisation, audience engagement strategies, and open source collaboration. Watch all the keynotes, read the interviews, and learn more via the free content portal here: https://lnkd.in/g7dUjaRN

Over the past year, Semi Permanent Studio has been working with Pernod Ricard Winemakers to write a bold new chapter for one of New Zealand's oldest wineries - and one of its most awarded - Church Road. Through the brand platform Original Expressions of Artistry, we've been built out a global experiential blueprint that brings to life the dualities of art and wine-making in a premium event setting, established an enriching new art prize for Aotearoa that gives back to the Hawke's Bay community, and in our latest project, captured the artistry that is bottled in the brand's new vintage range. Photographed in the setting of a sculpture gallery, here the range becomes the artwork, a proud encapsulation of the winemaker's many years work.

As technology continues to reshape our world at an accelerated pace, traditional paradigms are rapidly evolving, giving way to new ways of living and working. Businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand now have the opportunity to embrace digital transformation and unlock their potential for productivity and sustainability. Future State 03: Ahead Of The Curve will explore the impacts of these bold new systems, tools and methodologies on businesses. It will also delve into how organisations can not only adapt to seize new opportunities, but also ensure their continual success and resilience at a time where environmental impact is as much an imperative as growth. Join us on May 2 at Spark Arena in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland where speakers like Noelle R. of Accenture, Ethan Eismann of Slack, Professor Scott Galloway of NYU Stern School of Business, Sara Smeath of CiRCLR, Rachel Brown ONZM (She/Her) of Sustainable Business Network, Jayden Klinac of Anew® and Damon Gameau will share their insights. Future State is a powerful reminder to embrace the digital transformation of business, technology and creativity as a means of propelling us towards a more sustainable future for our planet.

A sustainable future requires innovative thinking, and this year’s Woolmark Performance Challenge called for reinvention of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team’s uniforms with bold, game-changing designs using Australian Merino wool. From nanotechnology to composite rubber blends and more, this years’ finalists brought the best of wool performance wear innovations to the forefront. We loved working with The Woolmark Company and the five tertiary students from around the world to showcase their outstanding innovations in this short film, which includes transdermal glucose transfer, micro encapsulation technology, and colour-changing dyes. Congratulations in particular to Joon Han of Hongik University in Seoul who took top honours as the 2023 winner of the Woolmark Performance Challenge, earning an internship with Prada Group.

Hands up if you could do with a little more chill in your life 🙌 At Semi Permanent Aotearoa, we had the pleasure of checking in with Claire Robbie from We are SOMM for a short meditative breathwork practice each day after lunch. Paired with Ārepa, binaural beats and verbal cues, these sessions helped cultivate an alert but calm state for the afternoons ahead.⁠ ⁠ We loved bringing our creativity and design festival to New Zealand's capital, and hope you left feeling inspired and empowered. To help us to continue elevating our event, we invite you to take the short survey below. It only takes a few minutes, and on completion you'll receive access to two weeks of unlimited SOMM classes including breath work, guided meditation, EFT, and sound work.

How many iterations of a magazine spread is too many? How many hours should you spend honing your craft if you want to make a living in the arts? And where does an employer's responsibility end when it comes to creating a happier, healthier creative industry? ⁠ ⁠ On the first day of Semi Permanent Aotearoa, Ben Grandgenett, Rajiv Surendra, and Andy Wright, the creator of Never Not Creative and CEO of Streamtime, attempted to answer these questions and more in a series of intimate masterclasses and workshops. ⁠ ⁠ In case you missed them, one answer to each of those questions would appear to be: 'the limit does not exist'.

A phenomenal beginning to the first day of main stage keynote talks at Semi Permanent Aotearoa, our final festival of 2023 in New Zealand's capital of Wellington. From Māori storytelling in game design and development, and discovering the colour of the future, to clumsy precision in visual art, and taking a deep dive into the design process of The New York Times Magazine, the diversity of speakers highlighted the breadth and richness of the creative industries today.

Day one of Semi Permanent Aotearoa began with a series of masterclasses and panel discussions, including an engaging discussion about the about the risks and rewards of establishing an independent design business as an extension of multidisciplinary practices that encompass branding, illustration, publishing and UX design. Presented by Squarespace, the panel brought together some of New Zealand's most exciting creative voices: Wellington illustrator Ruby Jones, January Made Design Nicole Macdonald, and freelance designer Becca O'Shea.