Instagram story viewer> @prestoluke> Posts

Preston Hegel

@prestoluke

1.5K

followers

1739

following

Recovering American in Aotearoa 🇳🇿 ; designing clubhouses for creatives
✖️prototype | @_xchc
✖️Mary Hush
✖️Heritage Buildings

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

🎧 Meet the artists of Winter Wonder World — Black & White Edition 🖤🤍

PISTACHIO

Playfully disobedient dancefloor selections — style, attitude, and a low-stakes-high-reward feeling for the after-hours.

24–26 July 2026 · Exchange Christchurch
Tickets: link in bio 🎟️ taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

60

3

3 months ago

Join us this evening for a kōrero this evening. All are welcomed. We’ll be sharing a bit about our history, current position, and future.

As you may have seen our recent announcement, we’re facing some challenges, and the decision to extend the lease is at a crossroads. And we’re inviting everyone who’s interested in our story, or being a part of the future.

Thousands of people have visited XCHC over its 11 years. As the city evolved, so did the way our space operated; attempting to balance affordability, and filling a creative gap in the city within our capacity.

We’ve lost a number of spaces in this city already, and every 2 years we extend the lease, we revisit what’s working, what’s not, and what’s sustainable.
We want to do this With you.
With the right structure going forward, I believe we can figure this out.

This session will also have a co-facilitator who has experience in governance and strategy; bringing a fresh perspective from their experience as Director of Christchurch Community Events, and working across the multi-cultural and queer community spaces.

We’ll be recording our session so that we can publish it as an informative source for anyone to watch, but encourage anyone who’s interested to join.

Hope to see you there! taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

34

0

4 months ago

*WE NEED YOUR HELP*
🚨 This is not a drill 🚨

TL;DR:
Our lease is due for renewal, and we need your support, otherwise we'll have no choice but to wrap up the space.
-----
Kia ora friends & followers 🌎

It is with heavy hearts to say, after almost 12 years, we’re at a very difficult crossroads.
•
Following suit with the global trend of spaces closing, we’re facing the same fate.
•
As a space that doesn't get funding, this has been a huge labor of love surviving off low fees to remain accessible, and despite having a bar, our low consumption culture has made our space unique, safe, and special. Financially this isn't ideal, but we don't want this to change.
•
With our lease renewal on the table, facing a rent increase, and our current activities not generating enough revenue, we’re asking for help.
•
We want to be transparent in every way; the situation, where our model, events, and capacity has come up short, so we’re writing a blog post now to give you the full picture, and will be doing live streams/Q&As to share more & how things could change if things turn around.
•
In the meantime, we’re asking for you to take action.
•
There are 3. ways you can help

Subscribe as an "XCHC Supporter"
$1 a Day ($7 a week).
Thats all. The price of a scone.
Half the price of Netflix.

A little help from everyone is our biggest chance to turn things around and actually build momentum again.

We have 20,000 online followers, if 1,000 committed to this, even for a few months, it would completely change the game.

🔗 in bio
•
2. Make a one-off Donation to help us cover immediate debts.

These are challenging economic times for our creative scene, but we know some out there may have the means to give more.
We're calling on you.

🔗 in bio
•
Before we can commit to the lease from August 1st, we need you to commit to us; help us build our faith and capacity back up over the coming months.

Don't leave it to the promoters and event organizers who already give so much. You, the audience & followers, are who we need right now.
•
3. SHARE THIS POST ✨
It would mean the world to us to hear in your own words/IG story what XCHC has been to you.
•
4. Your Energy. See you Saturday 🪩 taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

212

13

4 months ago

🔴 SAT 13 JUN // TECHNO + HOUSE

Week two of XCHC Genre Month.

Pistachio b2b Ben Fein
Maia Katz
ASH-S

8pm–2am. Alcohol sales stop at midnight, party continues.
$15–20 — or grab the $50 Genre Month Pass for all four Saturdays.

🎟️ Link in bio
📍 376 Wilsons Rd N, Waltham

#XCHC #Ōtautahi #Techno #House #ChristchurchEvents taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

31

0

4 months ago

Social media has really taken it out of me lately… so I’m just gonna fire back with some positive vibes for a while.
•
⚠️ Fair warning, shmooshy post ⚠️
•
This smile caught my eye over 2 years ago, and I’m still, constantly, blown away by this beautiful human.
•
@crkt.jpg has the imagination of a child, the hustle of a Spartan, and a heart of g̶o̶l̶d̶ marshmallows (I’m bad at compliments, but it’s quite a trifecta).
•
I love how we live. We can occasionally fail at the easy things, yet can decide go to Burning Man last minute and smash it 😎 and I’ve come to love learning how to manage both with this one ♡
•
I remember the first time she found a pretty rock and fully screamed. To me, it was a rock. But Cricket sees the beauty in things we don’t always see; but is there. This is a lesson I’ll never forget.. As for the rock, it was beautiful, and is probably still in one of our cars cup holders.
And don’t even get her started on clouds. It’s like a permanent setting. Just check her Instagram stories. Probably todays cloud forecast.
•
She can turn a scrabble board into an alien dictionary.
She committed to her art and quickly surpassed my number of Instagram followers (it was personal).
She served champagne in a maids outfit at 7am/Bubbles & Bass redefining what “like a boss” even means.
And she looks damn good in everything, even a painting.
•
The list goes on, but who’s keeping track #holdmyPolaroid
•
Cricket, I love you. Thanks for the butterflies in my stomach.. they’re delicious… like tootershmoodlepops.
•
Celebrate your friends/relationships.
Tell them you love them.
Maybe even share it with the world.
We need it.
•
🎨 Painting by @tylerkennedystent by @prestoluke

147

21

3 years ago

🌟 Life Update.. Lucky Star!🌟
•
@crkt.jpg and I will be spending 5 months this summer with Lucky Star / @the_extravaganza_fair and adventuring across the North Island 🎪💫
•
I remember first wandering across Lucky Star in early 2021 and being transported into a twilight-zone of community, creativity, and cacophony.. aka Shenanigan Lane 😎
•
We attended the Lucky Star Variety Show in January (AGM🪑lol) where we found ourselves hijacking gate, slinging coffees into the night, and serving up fruit and chocolate fondue for sunrise 🌄 we dug it, got to celebrate with friends old and new, and realized we have so much in common with this crew.
•
I’m excited
💫 to visit and play with everyone across Te Ika-a-Māui.
💫 to help Lucky Star be the best host/experience for you all at some summer festivals.
💫 to be on the road visiting new places across Aotearoa
💫 to have weekdays free for planning, slowing down, reading/writing, and visiting creative spaces
💫 to bring what we’ve learned from @_xchc to whoever’s curious up north
💫 and I’m SO excited to be doing all this with my love @crkt.jpg 🫠
•
More to come.
🫶🏻 by @prestoluke

115

11

3 years ago

event recap | FULL HOUSE 🏭
showcase sessions / immersive arts
•
Thanks everyone for coming along and diving into the topic with us!
•
We discussed #maryhush and showcased the inspiring success of @meow__wolf. We’ll be screening their documentary later this month.
•
As traditional spaces maintain the local creative scene, we strive to take it further; attracting artists pushing the edge of their practice and bringing ambitious ideas. Our network includes technologists, scientists, economists, environmentalists, and entrepreneurs passionate about working together and helping create a more colorful, experimental, and fun future.
•
We’re amazed at what’s evolved in the last 2.5 years and will continue to welcome others who want to join in. Just PM us.
•
Shoutout to the artists who presented and shared their work and excitement for joining in and building up an event/industry with so much potential.
•
contributors:
@tomcosm
@crkt.jpg
@grymmstoneandtreacle
@tribehousenz
@steampunkvoyager
@tyanhaus
•
#immersivearts #xchc #creativespace #nzart #maryhush #christchurchnz #chchnz #creativespace #creativeeconomy taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

66

1

4 years ago

Great weekend in Auckland with some new friends. Glad to of discovered the incredible work of @perceptual.engineering and feeling very inspired 👌🏻 taken in Anawhata by @prestoluke

27

1

4 years ago

Throwback from 2020.
•
XCHC was based on spaces in Berlin where artists could converge, create culture, and test their creative edge. They were truest creative incubators.
•
This challenges many traditional narratives where art/artists are put into containers that don’t encourage overlap or experimentation; visual art is for galleries, performance is for theatre, music is for bars or concert halls, and dancing is for nightclubs. We fundamentally disagree.
•
When spaces are affordable, non-bureaucratic, and non-judgmental, new ideas emerge and develop. There is a need for spaces that serve this purpose for creatives that feel like they’re falling between the cracks.
•
This video takes you on a brief tour of how XCHC has been the genesis of some incredible ideas showing people they can experience creativity in new and imaginative ways.
•
XCHC is looking to buy a bigger building in Christchurch to better serve its purpose of Cultivating a Creative Ecology. Our current site of 7 years has taught us a lot about what is needed and we currently lack the size/diversity of space. So eyes open everyone.
•
Thanks @youmitrip for sitting me down one day and asking for the story. It has evolved a lot since then, and something big is coming… but some things cannot be told in stories or videos, only experienced 🌬
•
#xchc #incubator #christchurch #chchnz #christurchnz #artparty #creativespace #throwbackthursday #maryhush #artcollectivenz #artcollective #chchevents #chchvenue taken in Christchurch, New Zealand by @prestoluke

106

15

5 years ago

What a community of champions. 2 parties, 2 main stages, 1 boiler room and 19 immersive zones 🤩
•
Thank you all for being so creative, dedicated, and playful; this was best event I’ve ever seen and I think we blew the minds of the 350+ invitees. Massive thanks to each and every one of you!
•
So much love. Until next time.
- Pistachio | MH 🌬 | XCHC
#xchc #maryhush taken in Exchange Christchurch - XCHC by @prestoluke

102

4

5 years ago

Throwback to recording a music video with @beaconbloom and the inspiration it gave me at the time. Thanks crew 🙏🏻
📸 @ingmarwein by @prestoluke

100

4

5 years ago

Love this crew.
Anyone wanting a good time on a boat in TeAna, hit up Roy and the FoxII ⛵️
#Lyttelton #xchc #sailboat #chchnz #explorechristchurch taken in Lyttelton, New Zealand by @prestoluke

109

4

5 years ago