The word 'together' can evoke harmony or tension. When people get together, you could get a party or a fight - and let's face it, maybe both at the same time! One reason is because it's hard to honor the uniqueness of individuals within a collective. Lucy-Mary Mulholland has managed to approach 'togetherness' in a way that helps her work at Aaiotanga Peace Place called the 'orchestra principle'. "(It's about) everyone finding their instrument or their role," Lucy-Mary says. 'What kind of impact can we have when we're all playing our unique roles…in a unified and aligned sort of way?" To get an orchestra playing well together takes heaps of listening and creating the right conditions for co-discovering, co-creating and "collective composing," Lucy-Mary says. "It takes a lot of skill to bring together all the different stakeholders of a place (and it be a) reconciling process."
From her background in creativity, psychology and art therapy, Lucy-Mary has always had a holistic and connective approach to her endeavors. Even with Aaiotanga, situated on a historic part of Auckland, Lucy-Mary is wary of its rich past, present challenges, but mostly the potential of the space and its surrounding community. That's where regenerative development comes in, a practice that Lucy-Mary is deeply involved in. It is the process in looking at the uniqueness of a place and its inhabitants (human or not) and working towards its potential. This looks like "(lifting) up the wholeness of the place", says Lucy-Mary, from Aaiotanga's apartment dwelling neighbours on Emily Place, to the endangered bee colony down the road.
Lucy-Mary and her team recently put on a community get-together, and though it seemed like a small event, it was a big step for their community. "I'm excited for a new network that's growing (and) taking ownership for the evolution of our neighbourhood," says Lucy-Mary. "We're starting to build that collective voice, our orchestra and the distinct sound we are creating."
Coming back to listening, SpacetoCo has been proud to be a part of this journey. "We're not just numbers to you guys," explains Lucy-Mary. "(You are) listening for the uniqueness of this place." Another gift that SpacetoCo gives is its connectedness with other community venues. As Lucy-Mary puts it, the company's "relational service" and "network of community spaces" helps Aaiotanga and other venues become "stronger through the sharing of ideas".
“Our place is alive and whole. It has a voice.” says Lucy-Mary, and she is just one of the amazing humans who help their communities be heard. But, she adds “we can’t do it on our own, it takes a collective listening. When we all hear that unique melody that’s trying to emerge in our place, we start to get excited about picking up an instrument and playing some small part in making that potential real.” That's why SpacetoCo exists - to build a supportive, inclusive and diverse society, full of unique communities working in beautiful harmony.
A massive thank you to Lucy-Mary for sharing her story and that of Aaiotanga Peace Place! Want to hear more from her? She spoke at our Community Venue Learning Series in August 2022 - check out the snippets of her wonderful insights about community building and Aaiotanga Peace Place, and click the button below to watch the full session!
How Aiatanga honours mana whenua and serves its local community through hosting, education, and facilitation, from yoga and language classes to co-creative gatherings.
How one neighbourhood is thinking about its role in Central Auckland's regeneration, and the ripple effects that could flow from it.
Book their spaces here.
What is the "orchestra principle" that Lucy-Mary Mulholland talks about?
It's Lucy-Mary's approach to bringing people together without flattening what makes them different. Rather than asking a community to move as one voice, she helps each person find "their instrument or their role," so a place can sound like many parts playing in alignment rather than one note repeated.
What is Aaiotanga Peace Place?
Aaiotanga Peace Place is a community venue on Emily Place, a historic part of Auckland. Under Lucy-Mary Mulholland's leadership, it's grown into a hub for regenerative development, connecting neighbours, apartment dwellers, and even the local bee population into one evolving community.
What is regenerative development?
It's the practice of looking at the unique potential of a place and everyone in it, human or otherwise, and working to lift up the whole rather than just one part. For Lucy-Mary, that means honouring Emily Place's rich history while building toward what the space and its community could become.
How does SpacetoCo support community venues like Aaiotanga?
SpacetoCo gives venues like Aaiotanga a "relational service" and a wider "network of community spaces," so hosts can share ideas and grow stronger together rather than operating in isolation. Community venues on SpacetoCo typically see 10-30% growth in income and get back hours previously lost to manual admin and invoice chasing.
Where can I hear more from Lucy-Mary Mulholland?
Lucy-Mary spoke at SpacetoCo's Community Venue Learning Series in August 2022, sharing more on community building and her work at Aaiotanga Peace Place.
Is SpacetoCo only for venues in Auckland or New Zealand?
No. SpacetoCo supports community venues across Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, helping hosts take bookings online and grow their venue's reach.