First events revealed for Festival of the Arts
Wednesday, 6 September 2023
The Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts is back again, with organisers teasing their first selection of world-class live events spanning theatre, literature, dance, music and visual art.
Running from February 23 to March 17 in Wellington next year, the biennial festival – which has been held since 1986 – is the country’s biggest celebration of free and ticketed contemporary arts experiences.
In 2022, a decision was made to cancel most of that year’s live and indoor festival events due to the red traffic light setting, and it later released a pared-back programme. But now, with Covid-19 regulations in the rearview mirror, it’s hoped little will derail next year’s arts offerings.
Opening the festival at Wellington’s St James Theatre on February 23 is Akram Khan Company’s Jungle Book, reimagined for its first and only New Zealand season. Khan, an English dancer and choreographer, has reinterpreted Mowgli’s story through the eyes of a young refugee caught in a world devastated by climate change.
“At some point our civilisation shifted and we started to think that we controlled nature, that we are not guests but owners of nature, of earth. … We are guests, as much as the other species,” Khan said.
The show is currently touring Europe and North America.
Festival-goers will also be able to experience tangos, politics, shenanigans and theatre at Meow Meow’s Pandemonium with the NZ Symphony Orchestra on February 24 at the Michael Fowler Centre.
David Bowie once said of Australian actress, dancer and cabaret performer Meow Meow: “Certain artists you just never miss; when they come into town, you go and see them.”
British a capella vocal group The King’s Singers will also present a collection of songs inspired by birds spanning the last 500 years – from Franz Schubert to Fleetwood Mac – at the Michael Fowler Centre on March 13.
In terms of local acts, Māori kaupapa theatre company Taki Rua Productions will present a new aerial dance work involving kapa haka called Hatupatu | Kurungaituku: A Forbidden Love, bringing to life the legend of the chief and the bird-woman, respectively.
It is the first show to perform at the new Tāwhiri Warehouse venue in the suburb of Newtown, from February 20-24. The warehouse is part of the Te Whaea campus that hosts Toi Whakaari, the national drama school.
“This production will immerse the audiences right into the heart of the performance, with Kurungaituku literally flying above their heads,” said Taki Rua Productions chief executive Tānemahuta Gray.
Creative director Marnie Karmelita said next year’s festival would celebrate local and international artists exploring compelling ideas in innovative ways.
The full programme will be released in November.
- Pre-sale tickets available now, general tickets available from September 14.