About Life in Vacant Spaces
Established in 2012, Life in Vacant Spaces (LiVS) is a charitable trust dedicated to reimagining the face of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Our primary goal is to engage the city's citizens in the (re)creation of our urban spaces. We're not just dreamers; we're doers. We offer assistance to anyone brimming with a transformative idea, providing access to land for temporary projects or interventions. Through the years, we've fine-tuned a myriad of mechanisms to achieve this.
At LiVS, we envision a city teeming with creativity, community spirit, and entrepreneurship. We believe that the key to a vibrant Ōtautahi Christchurch is already within its borders, waiting for the right spaces to flourish.
What We Do:
- Connection: We link owners of vacant land and buildings to individuals and groups bursting with innovative ideas to utilise these spaces
- Support for Creatives and Entrepreneurs: Whether you’re a community group, an artist, a social enterprise, or a startup, we're here to bridge the gap. Our mission is to provide you with the temporary spaces, tools, and resources to turn your vision into reality.
- A Charitable Trust with a Mission: As a charitable entity, our goal isn't profit. It's progress. We are dedicated to fostering a city where imagination thrives, and every dream gets a fighting chance.
Join us, if you own a vacant property or have a groundbreaking idea, let's collaborate and make Ōtautahi Christchurch the city of endless possibilities!
Read more...
Huritanga: 10 Years of Transformative Placemaking
This book celebrates a decade of Life in Vacant Spaces, affectionately known as LiVS, and the collection of over 700 projects that LiVS have supported in the ten years since the devastating Canterbury earthquakes of 2010/2011. The projects supported by LiVS have varied in shape, scale, location, aims, outputs, participants and people reached.Please email us at info@livs.org.nz if you would like to purchase a copy.
Price: $15 (including postage anywhere in Aotearoa, New Zealand)
Our People
Meet the Team
Elisha Blogg - Director
Elisha has over 15 years’ experience across the creative sector, working in project and production roles in London, Melbourne, Tāmaki Makaurau and now Ōtautahi Christchurch. Her work focuses on connecting people, places and ideas — helping underused spaces become platforms for creativity, enterprise and community activity.
At Life in Vacant Spaces, Elisha works closely with property owners, artists, organisations and local communities to broker temporary use projects that bring life and accessibility into the city. She specialises in partnership building, navigating practical barriers, and supporting people to test ideas that might not otherwise have a place to begin.
A natural connector, Elisha is motivated by making things possible. She cares deeply about creating welcoming, inclusive environments where creativity can grow and where communities feel ownership of their city.
Board Members
Paul Lonsdale (Chair)
Paul currently manages the Central City Business Association and post the February 2011 earthquake he was one of the key leaders in the Re:START initiative (container mall) which was the first step in bringing life back to the central city sooner than would have otherwise been possible.Paul stayed on to manage Re:START to local success and international acclaim. Re:START gave Paul a passion for activation work in city spaces and showed him what could be achieved with a bit of effort. He has worked with LiVS during its early phase and believes LiVS still has an important role to play in the future of our beautiful city.
Paul loves the creative side of life and has a passion for art and music. When time permits, he loves to play his guitar or get stuck into some good old renovation work around the house.
Bridget Beck (Treasurer)
Bridget is an Associate at Kendons, Business Advisors and Chartered Accountants. Originally from Southland, Bridget and her family moved to Christchurch in 2008 and were just starting to get used to the “big city” before the earthquakes struck. Post-earthquakes, one of the Directors at Kendons became involved with Gap Filler and when the idea of LiVS was mooted, it was suggested that Bridget act as the Treasurer – so Bridget has been involved since the day LiVS began. Now a Trustee, Bridget values being involved with a Trust that provides an opportunity for start-up businesses to “give it a go” with very little cost and that encourages and helps to create life in the city. In her spare time Bridget can be found playing the cello with the Canterbury Philharmonia, standing on the side lines of a rugby or AFL field watching family play or walking her two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Boris and Bronte.Gaby Montejo
Gaby Montejo is an interdisciplinary artist with a sometimes performative style who uses human relations as a catalyst and works with politics as medium; making for an event that is not always predicted or defined. With often some aspect of food displayed at the centre of Gaby’s practice, he shows internationally and has had national exhibitions as well as a number of local initiatives, collaborations, and social interventions.Linda Glasgow
Linda Glasgow joined the LiVS Board in September 2022. She has spent over a decade supporting communities in various roles across Ōtautahi, working in community development, events coordination, and governance. She currently works within a kaupapa Māori organisation that delivers whānau-centred health and social services, bringing experience in values-led, community-responsive practice.Linda was previously part of the team at Gap Filler Trust and also served on its board, giving her a strong understanding of creative urban activation at both operational and governance levels. She brings a strengths-based, relational approach to governance, informed by 14 years in school governance, including 11 as Chairperson.
Esta Tonkin (Secretary)
Esta is a textile artist based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, with a background in conservation biology and environmental education. She brings a thoughtful blend of creativity and organisation to her role as Board Secretary, drawing on experience working alongside a range of stakeholders, from government departments to local not-for-profits and craft collectives, like Rekindle and the team at The Kōwhai Collective locally in Ōtautahi.Alongside her textile practice under Coast Road Quilting Co., Esta writes Seek To Make, a newsletter exploring creativity and spotlighting makers across Aotearoa and beyond. She also works part-time in administration at Outdoor Education New Zealand. With a deep appreciation for community-led initiatives, Esta supports LiVS in helping bold ideas take shape.
Rosie Murphy
Rosie is an architectural designer, educator and facilitator and works with Field Studio of Architecture & Urbanism. Her work involves co-designing architectural projects with children and young people, where she enjoys sharing her energy and creativity to empower others. Rosie is a passionate advocate for social and environmental justice, and has previously shared this expertise on the board of Architects Declare and Architects Climate Action Network. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch after moving from London, Rosie has loved becoming part of the local community, contributing to workshops, events and weekly community Ecstatic Dance!Centuri Chan
Centuri is a multi-faceted creative with a passion for sustainability and connecting communities. Since moving back to Christchurch in 2011 he has worked for and alongside several grass-roots organisations in order to invigorate, enliven and promote Christchurch City. As a founding member of the Humans of Christchurch Ōtautahi Trust, he is an advocate for using storytelling to empower people and to preserve our city's heritage. Creating art from LEGO is one of Centuri's creative outlets, and he loves running the trails around Ōtautahi and beyond.