Listen Up Exhibition at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Listen Up!, a new exhibition and graphic novel by photographer and Senior Lecturer David Cook, is the centrepiece of the national launch of Christchurch Methodist Mission (CMM) Doors to Dignitycampaign. The campaign calls for a cross‑party commitment to sustained government investment in secure, affordable housing for older people.

Now, it is available for public viewing at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul until Wednesday, 1 April.

In 2025 David Cook spent 10 weeks in his former hometown through a residency at Te Matariki Tai Ora / The Arts Centre in Christchurch.

He says the graphic novel ‘Listen Up’, designed by Massey colleague Professor Anna Brown brings to life the conversations he had during the residency with 24 seniors and kaumātua who generously shared their experiences of housing stress, insecurity and hope.

The Retirement Commission estimates that by 2048, forty per cent of retirees, around 600,000 people will be renting. The Christchurch Methodist Mission says in the five years to December 2024, the number of New Zealanders aged 65 years and over on the Housing Register has more than doubled, a much greater percentage increase than for any other age group. 

David says bringing the voices of seniors into one of Wellington’s most iconic public spaces is both timely and necessary. 

“One of things that came through again and again in my project was why don’t you talk with us? So I had groups of people sitting around the table drawing plans for ideal housing scenarios to build mixed communities.” 

‘Listen Up’ is the second collaboration between David Cook and Professor Brown, who is the founder and research lead of Toi Āria: Design for Public Good at Toi Rauwhārangi, Massey University’s College of Creative Arts.