Words by Java Katzur and Liam Stretch.

The mouthful crew, from left to right. Liv, Andre, Ollie, and Jack.

Yo Vocal has a chat to Mouthful Productions a team of Wellington creatives; giving life to projects of all different mediums. We discuss their time at 121, Tora Bombora, goals for the future, and what these folks are pondering.

Mouthful Productions is made up of a core team of four: Jack Gittings, Liv Gallagher, Ollie Hutton, and Andre Smith. As they all come from different creative backgrounds, each bring something unique to the table. Jack grew up in the small surf village of Te Awanga before navigating the cities of Wellington and Melbourne. He’s produced independent theatre and film, and he disk jockeys under Hello Vera. Liv grew up in the Middle East but now calls the Windy City home. She initially came on board as a writer for the team, but for the past few years has been dipping into several creative projects within Mouthful.

Ollie grew up in the Wairarapa; filmmaking, storytelling, spirituality, and coffee-creating take occupy his focus. The last member of the team is Andre, originally from Auckland, is a member of the band Heavy Chest. Having graduated from Massey University’s School of Creative Media Production, he now works on audio production and curating special events.

Overall, the team would describe Mouthful as “a network of people collaborating and incubating refreshing, experimental projects of all mediums”.

It all started back at university when Ollie, Jack, and Andre teamed up to talk over the upcoming films they were making. After some insight from Ian Jorgensen about the K Foundation, which was an art foundation set up by Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond back in 1993, they gained inspiration to do more with their films.

“Catering to our different skills, we thought that a multi-disciplinary media platform was the way to get the most spread, so we started brainstorming names. Andre remembered a conversation he’d had with his papa in his young years about a project called Mouthful, so we have Tim Smith to thank for the name.”

Soon after, they started hosting events called ‘Magnitudes.’ The response was incredible. And as these events grew, it caught the eyes of some Wellingtons creatives.

“Post-production, we veered from releasing our films and decided to focus on our values as a collective, moving into several different spaces, including curation and community workshops. Our kaupapa is to inspire and enliven the people around us, encouraging authentic connections, conscious consumption, and mindful engagements in all that we do.”

The purpose of Mouthful is to create a more connected creative community. “We act as a middle ground for those wanting to take sustainable measures to continue their practice by supporting them through exhibiting, which, if all goes to plan, will generate income. We want to support artists of all mediums and work together in creating a more engaged landscape that doesn’t discriminate nor fills the pretentiousness of the market.”

Last summer, the team at Mouthful productions toured the country with their art exhibit. Hitting three festivals in total, they set up camp at Eyegum’s Welcome to Nowhere festival, Tora Bombora, and 121 Festival.

Tora Bombora, which has become one of the country’s most unique outings, was an utterly distinctive festival that Mouthful was able to be involved in; they created an immersive space under a large marquee. With its luminous balloons swinging like pendulums from the roof, it was an immersive and energised space. “I think people had a lot of fun pushing them around once they realised it was okay too. The crowd at Tora was a very curious bunch and loved browsing zines and photographs. [I] Would go as far as to say that most of the people at the festival came past at some point to paint, read, hit a balloon, or purchase art.”

121 was a more significant scale event for Mouthful; one of their largest festivals to date, involving over 30 artists across their space. The exhibition included visuals, film, sculptural works, and performance. Gaining inspiration from previous festival displays, the team wanted their displays to be interactive and inclusive. Bouncing ideas around with each other, they came up with some authentic shows for 121.

“[121] all started with a conversation; the guys (Olly and Cam) wanted to collaborate in facilitating some art for the festival. After lots of back and forth, we ideated some solid concepts for doof-friendly art that would interest the attendees. We made some pretty big plans for installations, some of which changed lots in the leadup to the festival as we went back and forth a bit, trying to gauge which concepts could best be pulled off. In true festival fashion, everything came together in the final days.”

Mouthful created an art hub and a small outdoor theatre for screening films for 121 Festival. Entering through a hand-made six-metre high bamboo screen to reveal the hub; a door stood in front of you while Seb Hart painted an intricate piece. Inside, people were listening to George Nelson read through his ‘Techno Kiwi’ book in Japanese beside the tent gallery space.

Walking further inside the tent, art was revealed, featuring works by Georgie Johnson, Kate Mabin, Sam Gorham, Madshrew, Violette Squire, Stu Morris, Ariana Faulkner, and many more – all this was topped off by a confession jar where people were encouraged to leave secrets both heartfelt and silly.

“More importantly, though, we wanted to create a comfortable, welcoming space where people can interact and stay awhile. Our focus was always to do our artist’s justice by exhibiting their work in the best light, and to look after our space attendees’ experiences.”

“In terms of the process, we sent out an open call for submissions in the months leading up to the festival, so; some artists were selected through that, with the rest being curated by our team with the vibe of each gallery space and festival specifically in mind.” The energy that is created at festivals is what draws the team at Mouthful back: meeting new people, conversations, and observing how people interact with the art that they create.

“The dancing is a close second; we’re so grateful to get to listen to some incredible musicians familiar or fresh.” During these ever-evolving times, the team at Mouthful production has been working hard on dormant projects that have been on the back burner for a while. Although COVID- 19 changes a lot for the team, they are planning for future projects, working on moving into a physical space to host a studio residency program and community-oriented workshops/events over the winter.

Currently, they are working on an online platform that operates as a digital manifestation of the physical, creative space. There’s going to be reading material, film, radio, along with downloadable music, and a space to engage with other people in the community. Once the pandemic has settled and we’re allowed to gather again, Mouthful Radio will be hosting weekly DJs and broadcasting from one of Wellington’s most beloved bars.

We can’t wait to listen to music together soon, check out Mouthful productions below.

Check out mouthful here

A Morsel of Mouthful