Otago Polytechnic staff and students from across the campus are bringing their energy and ideas to the market, which will be held next Wednesday, October 22, from 3pm-7pm, at the campus quad.
Living Campus lead Kim Thomas said the Living Market event was a reimagining of the popular annual plant sale as a lively market day celebrating the Living Campus.
"We also hope it will bring together staff, students and the wider community for a day of connection and celebration," Ms Thomas said.
"The market will celebrate sustainability, local enterprise and campus life — and we are welcoming community vendors to come and join us.
"Whether you sell handmade goods, upcycled treasures, plants, produce, art of anything that aligns with the spirit of living well and living green — we’d love to hear from you."
Ms Thomas said a team of third-year occupational therapy (OT) students were working to help get the market up and running, having chosen it as their final project for their studies.
The OT students — May Nelson, Morgan Crossley, Jordan Meltzer and Tori Mennell, are helping to co-ordinate stallholders and entertainment, promoting the event and will assist with the event on the day.
Miss Meltzer said the group had been focusing on encouraging students to participate in the Living Market and helping to create a sustainable future for the event.
"We are doing that through applying occupational therapy principles to the project, promoting participation, as well as sustainability and community connection," she said.
Miss Crossley said the project was also an enjoyable way for the OT students to get involved in a fun event for staff, students and the community.
"It is a way for us to give back to the polytech," she said.
Ms Thomas said there had already been excellent student engagement in the Living Market, with four communication design students from the School of Design working to create a logo, branding and promotion campaign earlier in the year.
Other Otago Polytechnic staff and students were getting behind the project by setting up stalls, including students selling pre-loved clothes for charity via their Te Pa Opshop, food design students making breads and treats to sell, as well as food design senior lecturer Tim Lynch leading a "gourmet sausage sizzle".
Among the stalls lined-up so far is the ever-popular plant stall, offering hundreds of plants raised in the Living Campus nursery and a broad range of community stalls.
Local entertainers will also be part of the Living Market, including four-piece band Two Angry Scotsmen, three-piece outfit Apocolabia and more.
Ms Thomas said spaces were still available for stall holders at the market — for information, email kim.thomas@op.ac.nz
