The Nelson Arts Festival is recognised as the first and oldest annual, regional, multi-arts festival in Aotearoa.
Now in our 30th year of delivering epic annual festivals – all wrapped up in the warm embrace of manaakitanga that defines and holds us as people of Aotearoa and the Pacific – the Nelson Arts Festival continues as a bright beacon for the arts and a strong pou for the creative community in Whakatū Nelson, the broader Te Tauihu region, and beyond.
The seeds are sown
When Dutch immigrant Eelco Boswijk Senior opened The Chez Eelco coffee house in Whakatū Nelson in 1960, it soon became a hub for the fledgling local artistic community. In 1969, the Nelson Provincial Arts Council (the predecessor of Arts Council Nelson) was founded, aspiring to put Whakatū Nelson on the map as the ‘Art Centre of New Zealand’. In 1977, it staged three weeks of events in venues across the city, from mid-August to early September. The programme included opera, dance, music, photography, painting and pottery. From there, the local art scene blossomed. In 1987, the first wearable art show (which went on to become World of WearableArt) took place.
Festival beginnings
The inaugural Nelson Arts Festival, in its current form, took place in 1995, envisioned as a wrap-around event for World of WearableArt (WOW) and to encourage visitors to the region to stay longer.
A few years earlier, WOW founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff had the idea of starting a festival but had no time to pursue it. Then she met Annabel Norman, who had moved to Nelson in the early 1990s and was looking for meaningful work that involved community.
Annabel joined the WOW team as a volunteer. Her first job was sweeping floors for WOW’s then set director, Bodhi Vincent. Recognising that Annabel had great people skills and a positive energy, Dame Suzie promoted her up the ranks until she volunteered alongside WOW’s core team of three.
Keen to support Annabel finding paid work (because WOW, which was largely run by volunteers at the time, wasn’t in the position to offer this), Dame Suzie asked her if she would be interested in running an arts festival and then suggested Annabel approach Philip Woollaston, who was Mayor of Nelson at the time, to see if Nelson City Council would sponsor it.
WOW clearly demonstrated the power of the arts in bringing together the community as well as delivering economic benefits to Whakatū Nelson businesses, and having a Nelson Arts Festival would extend those benefits beyond what was then only a two-night show.
‘Woollaston was a champion for the arts, and he could see the value in creating another cultural festival for Nelson,’
says Dame Suzie.
The Nelson City Council’s willingness to play a more active role, providing both funding and employing a team, made the festival possible.
In 1994, Annabel was appointed by Nelson City Council to research and develop what would become known as the Nelson Arts Festival. That year, a small trial was held over a weekend, called Off the Wall. It featured cabaret, talks and lectures, and art tours of artist’s galleries in the city.
Annabel became the inaugural director when the first Nelson Arts Festival was held the following year and remained in this role for the next 16 years.
Community celebration at its heart
In the mid-90s, every child in Nelson dreamed of being selected to appear in WOW but, by then, WOW was attracting such a high calibre of entries that it decided to set the minimum age for entrants to 18 years.
Not wanting school students to feel discouraged, and wanting to continue to encourage creativity, Dame Suzie suggested to Annabel the idea of a parade as the festival’s opening night community celebration. This would give school students the opportunity to create amazing masks that they could showcase, resulting in a colourful, vibrant and fun street parade for the whole community.
At the beginning, the Mask Parade was the festival’s key event. The Mask Parade would have not become the success it did without the combined creative energies of street performance and community theatre champions, the late Kim Merry (himself a professional mask maker) and Donna Chapman.
Like Annabel, Kim had played a key role at WOW, directing and staging pre-show theatre performances. In 1994, he was appointed to the role of community events organiser at Nelson City Council alongside Donna.
Kim remained a vibrant part of the festival team until 2009 and his early death, at age 46, from cancer. During his tenure, the Mask Parade became the biggest event of its kind in New Zealand and was embraced by the local community.
According to Dame Suzie and others, Whakatū Nelson became ‘party central’, with flags flying, street performers, sculpture in the park, and the town full of interesting, colourful characters. Thousands of people would line the streets during the Mask Parade.
On the map as an arts centre
Along with a growing community of local artists of all shapes and size, WOW and the Nelson Arts Festival had firmly positioned Whakatū as the cultural arts centre of Aotearoa by the turn of the new millennium. However, there was little evidence of public art on display in the Nelson outdoors, so Dame Suzie also proposed that NCC invest in public sculpture around the city. From there, the Nelson Arts Festival’s famed Sculpture Symposium was born. Anzac Park became its first home before it relocated to the top of Trafalgar Street and, later, near Albion Square off Bridge Street.
In 2004, Sophie Kelly joined the festival team as production coordinator. Over the next few years, she experimented with creating bespoke venues for the festival, the most memorable being the couple of years the team created its own version of a kind of Spiegeltent on the courthouse car park, near Albion Square.
Sophie says it was a small, tightknit team at this time, with Annabel, Kim, and herself, along with Antony Hodgson in the role of technical director and Jacquetta Bell, who had been the festival publicist for several years and became the Readers & Writers coordinator in 2003 (and served in these roles until 2015).
In 2005, WOW moved to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, after Dame Suzie realised it needed to move to a bigger city in order to grow and survive. This gave the Nelson Arts Festival the opportunity to move to slightly later in the year (from September to late October, when the days are longer and warmer), grow and to stand alone as the successful festival it has become.
As Annabel says,
‘We started bringing in international shows and a lot more diverse kind of program. We really became a fully-fledged arts festival at this point.’
In 2008, when both the Nelson School of Music (now Nelson Centre of Musical Arts) and Theatre Royal closed for refurbishment, the Nelson Arts Festival moved to Founders Park, with most of the events held at the Energy Centre and Granary along with street entertainers, artists, and food stalls around the park. Only the Mask Parade and occasional theatre shows took place in the central city.
In 2010, Michaela Blackman joined Nelson City Council’s festival team as an event coordinator for its Summer Programme. Initially working with Adi Tait, she continued to coordinate the Mask Parade for the following decade.
In 2018, following 24 successful years of development and support, a new community-based, autonomous organisation was established to take over the management of the festival. The first festival to run under the Nelson Festivals Trust was in 2019, our 25th year.
Growing talent
Throughout the past 30 years, the festival has provided training, mentoring and advancement opportunities for its team members and volunteers. And several founding team members have been known to return to the festival as volunteers.
When Annabel retired in 2011, Sophie took over as festival director and Charlie Unwin joined as producer. When Sophie left in 2017, Charlie took over as festival director until 2019, alongside Amanda Raine who worked first as marketing manager and then general manager.
In 2018, Kerry Sunderland joined as Readers & Writers coordinator (after Stella Chrysostomou curated the 2016 programme and Naomi Arnold the 2017 programme). In 2019, Readers & Writers was renamed Pukapuka Talks.
In 2019, Antony Hodgson stepped down from the role of technical director and fellow team member Wendy Clease – and, later, JR Richardson – took his place. Despite his attempts to retire, Antony continues in a more focused role as head of AV and deputy technical & production manager. Grant Ellis has been a key member of the technical team for many years.
A new decade of leadership
In 2020, Padma Naidu came on board as festival director and Annie Pokel joined as inaugural Night Vision coordinator. The festival moved from Founders and back into the heart of the city.
In 2021, a new leadership team – Lydia Zanetti, Rose Campbell and Shanine Hermsen – joined Annie (now head of marketing & communications) and Kerry (now Pukapuka Talks programme manager).
In 2022, Lydia Zanetti became executive & artistic director and Rose McGrannachan joined as head of business and operations, becoming a key member of the core team, alongside Annie and Kerry.
After two years of Covid-19 disruption in 2020 and 2012, when the Mask Carnivale was unable to run and smaller programmes were delivered, the Nelson Arts returned in 2022 and began to flourish, growing even bigger in 2023, when the Mask Carnivale returned to the city centre streets for the first time in four years.
In 2024, Ruth Roebuck joined the team as general manager to develop and direct the Nelson Festivals Trust’s new strategy, which looks ahead to the next 30 years, and is working alongside artistic director Zanetti to deliver the strategy.
And, in other ways, the seeds sown in the early days continue to blossom, with Eelco Boswijk Senior’s daughter-in-law Ali Boswijk heading up the Nelson Festivals Trust board.
Over the past three decades, the festival has developed a reputation for being audacious, awe-inspiring and, increasingly, accessible. It delivers big, bold and beautiful events.
And if you ask any of the team from years present and past, ‘What has been the key to the Nelson Arts Festival enduring success and longevity?’, they will tell you it is creativity, collaboration, constant reinvention, staying current and being courageous.
This article is, of course, only a snapshot of the past 30 years, and captures only a fraction of all the amazing people involved in the festivals to date. We will keep updating and growing our archive, and would love to hear from YOU, too.
If you would like to share your memories or photos from the 29 Nelson Arts Festivals to-date with us, please send them us via this form:
As you know, 2024 marks the 30th Nelson Arts Festival – a big milestone birthday for us, and we are celebrating in a multitude of ways, from sharing photos to an oral history project (more on this below). As the pou (pillars) of our Festival are, and have always been, our artists and YOU, our community here in Whakatū and Te Tauihu (and beyond!), we’d love to invite you to contribute to our celebrations – and a move towards a bold vision for the next 30 years of unmissable arts experiences.
As part of our celebrations, we’re digging deep into the archives and are interviewing a group of amazing humans who have been involved with the Festival since its very beginning, and have helped grow and shape it – from the igniting sparks in the 1980s and the first festival around WoW until today.
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua |
Looking to the future with our hearts filled with the past
Paraphrasing this beautiful whakataukī which reminds us that the past, the present and the future are intertwined, and that the first 30 years of Nelson Arts Festivals will guide us into the Festival’s future.
Please follow along in the coming weeks as we’re sharing Oral History podcasts, share favourite memories of festival team members past and present, and invite YOU to contribute your most-enjoyed festival moments and photos with us.
This festival is for and with you, arts lovers, please celebrate our milestone birthday with us!
A warm welcome to our amazing MAI Producer Intern Georgia Pani Nicholls (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa) who has joined our team this week. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Georgia back in Whakatū from Ōtautahi after she performed at the Festival last year, DJing alongside Jujulipps.
Over the course of the next months, Georgia will be involved with all parts of planning, producing and magic-making as we prepare for our 30th year of delivering 11 days of unmissable arts experiences come October. Our biggest thanks go to the amazing folks at Toi Māori Aotearoa for making this internship possible – the MAI Programme, funded by Creative New Zealand, aims to develop future Māori arts managers, professionals and producers, to support the Māori arts infrastructure, and establish pathways for emerging Māori who wish to embark on a career in the arts.
“I was born and raised in Ōtautahi to a family of music enthusiasts. Constantly around the sounds of blues, soul, funk, R&B, and early dance, music became fundamental to my upbringing and would remain a crucial influence in my life until this day,” says Georgia.
“Despite having no musical training, I managed to find myself involved in the worlds of DJing, electronic production, and event production. I found that DJing and dance music spoke to me on a visceral personal level, but recognized that the current state of Aotearoa electronic music sorely needed healing.
I think that being involved in a festival such as the Nelson Arts Festival will provide a wealth of practical experience, develop my skills in producing a project to help run a festival and building relationships that will go beyond these 20 weeks. I am so thrilled to be a part of the MAI internship programme and really can’t thank Toi Maori anymore for this opportunity.”
We feel hugely honoured to have been selected as a host organisation this year, and to have Georgia work with us!
Piki mai, kake mai – tūtaki mai ki a Georgia!
2024 marks the 30th consecutive year of the Nelson Arts Festival – and a move towards a bold vision for the next 30 years of unmissable arts experiences. In support of the future of the organisation, the Board of the Nelson Festivals Trust are very pleased to announce the appointment of Ruth Roebuck as General Manager.
Roebuck (she/her/ia) brings extensive commercial experience, internationally and here in Aotearoa, to this role. Having most recently worked in the profit-for-purpose and charities sector spending four years as General Manager for the Spirit of Adventure Trust and three years as Manager of The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū, Ruth is well versed in navigating the ever-changing landscape of the non-profit sector, and the challenges of balancing strategic goals and organisational sustainability to profitable growth and audience development.
Ruth will report to the board and has responsibility across the Trust while working alongside Artistic Director Lydia Zanetti (they/them/ia).
Zanetti started with the Trust in 2021 and has very successfully held both the Executive and Artistic Director roles since the beginning of 2022. They have led the team to deliver two hugely successful Festivals with over 110 events, increased festival partnerships and revenue streams, and attracted new audiences through progressive and diversified artistic programming as well as initiatives to increase event accessibility.
Zanetti is pleased to now concentrate on the Artistic Director function while Roebuck will lead the Executive Director aspects. With this recent appointment and structural change, Nelson Festivals Trust has a unique collective expertise across the gambit of skills necessary for strategic growth – resourcing the organisation to further develop in its vital role as part of the regional, national and international ecosystems, and continue to give back to the community of Whakatū and Te Tauihu.
“We are very aware of the importance of the Arts Festival to the Whakatū Nelson community and as an activator for the city and region. As the team prepares for the festival in its thirtieth year, it is great to have the structure in place to support Lydia as Artistic Director and for them to have total focus on the programme. We have recently undertaken a strategic review to ensure that we are in the best position to deliver for the next three decades, and this new structure and appointment of Ruth is key to making that happen.”
Ali Boswijk, Chair of Nelson Festivals Trust (she/her/ia)
Download our full media release here.
Save the dates:
Our 30th Nelson Arts Festival will take place from Thursday 24 October – Sunday 3 November 2024, with the programme launching in late August.
Opportunities to join the 2024 Nelson Arts Festival team: we are currently advertising for two roles, and are also looking for an intern via Toi Māori Aotearoa.
Programme Coordinator:
The Nelson Festivals Trust are looking for a dynamic, warm and highly organised Programme Coordinator to join our team for the Nelson Arts Festival 2024.
The Programme Coordinator will work closely with the programming team to facilitate the logistics and administration of the festival. Serving as the primary point of contact and leader of artist manaakitanga, the successful candidate will ensure a seamless and supportive experience for our artists, from initial outreach to post-Festival off-boarding.
Applications close on Thursday 14 March.
Tamariki & Rangatahi Programme Coordinator:
We are also looking for our new Tamariki & Rangatahi Programme Coordinator to join us for 2024.
Highly organised and an excellent communicator, the Tamariki & Rangatahi Programme Coordinator will work closely with the Programming team to co-ordinate the planning, delivery and reporting of the education programme.
While this fixed term contract is a crucial role in our team, it does not require many hours outside of the immediate Festival period – for the right person, we think this role could be combined with the Programme Coordinator role advertised above.
Applications are open until Thursday 14 March.
For full job descriptions and to apply for these roles, please contact Rose McGrannachan via info@nelsonartsfestival.nz.
MAI Programme | He Taurima o Toi Māori – Toi Māori Intern
We’re thrilled to be one of the host organisations for the second round of the Toi Māori Internship programme by Toi Māori Aotearoa.
Toi Māori Aotearoa invites applications for the 2024 MAI Internship Programme for a 20-week placement from 29 April 2024 to 13 September 2024: this internship will offer valuable experience in a professional environment – the perfect platform for those looking to gain the relevant knowledge and skills for a career in the arts.
Find all details and apply here: https://www.maoriart.org.nz/mai-calling-for-interns.html
Ngā mihi o te tau hou pākehā e hoa mā – here’s to an arts-filled/fueled 2024!
We can’t wait to celebrate our 30th Festival with you come October – don’t forget to save the dates now: 24 October – 3 November 2024.
To get everyone excited for the arts goodness to come, we’re thrilled to share a joyful trip down memory lane for our 2023 Mask Carnivale with you all – captured by our friends and Festival partners Innit Creative.
Ooft it was such a joy to bring back this beloved event – we’re already excited about the next one!
What was your favourite moment or experience at the Carnivale, arts lovers?
2024 will be our 30th anniversary and we’re so excited to create it with our community, our partners and funders and – of course! – our artists at the festival heart!
Save the dates now: 24 October – 3 November 2024!
Before we sign off for a well-deserved break after a big, big year, we’re proud to share and celebrate some amazing stats from a big, big festival year:
We’re so grateful to our amazing community for showing up for our artists and celebrating them alongside us, for coming out to enjoy the arts experiences that we pour so much love, careful planning and intention into, for bringing your friends and whānau, engaging in our content and sharing your feedback with us.
The Nelson Arts Festival is for you, Whakatū – and with you, because without our community, our annual 11 days of unmissable arts experiences would not be what they are. Thank you.
We’re so thrilled to bring our 2023 Pukapuka Talks back into your ears and minds with our podcast series.
First up: Lotta Dann (Mrs D) and Guyon Espiner in conversation with our local community and arts champion Matty Anderson in Wine O’Clock Meets The Drinking Game!
This powerful kōrero took a sobering look into how the way we consume alcohol is not only up to personal choice, but also shaped by government, media and big business.
Have a listen HERE, arts lovers.
Wow.
While it may take us a few days to find the right kupu to express all the feels about the magic of the past 11 days, we know one thing already: YOU, our amazing community, audience and artists, make this Festival what it is. Thank you for sharing your creativity, joy, curiosity and vibrance with us, and making all these arts experiences truly unmissable. Thank you, Whakatū.
We look forward to sharing all the photos, give shout outs to our amazing festival partners who help us make it all happen, and celebrate all our wonderful artists in the coming weeks – the Festival dates may be official over for 2023, but the Festival feels will still linger for a long time.
2023 Festival Survey
We’d hugely appreciate if you could please share your thoughts on your festival experience this year – your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us shape our future festivals.
Please tell us what you loved, what went really well and what could go better, and go into the draw to win a sweet Festival goodie bag of inspiring pukapuka by our Pukapuka Talks authors, 2x double passes to 2024 Festival events of your choice, and an awesome Carry the Arts tote bag.
The survey will be open until next Friday, 10 November. Thank you!
Homai te pakipaki, a big round of applause for our 2023 Parade Winners!
School Groups:
First Prize / Kim Merry Surpreme Award Winner: Appleby School
Second Prize: Upper Moutere School
Community Groups:
First Prize: Sambassadors
Second Prize: MYNTies (Multicultural Youth Nelson Tasman)
Zestiest Costume:
Wild Onesies
We’re proud to announce Kat Beyle and Keren Oertly as our 2023 By Whakatū Residency Programme recipients!
Kat Beyle is a documentary photographer originally from Chile. Now based in Whakatū after extensive travels, Kat loves community-based work and is passionate about creating documentaries and connecting with people from diverse cultures and realities. She is the founder of Wiphala Studio – Photographs with a social conscience, inspired by her South American roots.
For her residency, Kat is working on APRICITY | The Warmth of the Sun in Winter – a photo documentary about permanent residents living in campgrounds around Whakatū. “I aim to connect with several residents in different campgrounds, capturing portraits of them and their homes, while also interviewing them about their personal stories and reasons for choosing to reside in campgrounds. This is a work in progress, and I am incredibly grateful for every person who has been involved in this process, opening the doors of their homes and sharing their stories with me,” says Kat.
Born in Huiterangi, Switzerland, Keren Oertly is a visual artist based in Whakatū, exploring the intersections between craft and community practice to test collective forms of making and storytelling in relation to place. Keren has a BFA (Hons) from Central St Martins College of Art and Design, a Master of Fine Arts from Ilam School of Fine Art (Sculpture) and recently completed the Furniture Makers Programme at the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Wakapuaka.
For Keren, the By Whakatū Residency offers space for a research and design study into public art furniture for social spaces. Through design research, drawing, modelling and community art sessions with tamariki at Hira School, Keren seeks to develop and test accessible, socially-oriented, placemaking objects that celebrate a festival atmosphere and embrace senses of connection and belonging – for a prototype festival seat 🪑 🪑 , a public sculpture for the community to enjoy.
You can find out more about these amazing artists, their practice and processes at our By Whakatū Residency Sharing on Sun 29 Oct, 12.30pm in the Suter Theatre 💙
Drum roll, please 
We’re so thrilled to present Whakatū Nelson’s most joyful street party for the whole whānau: the beloved Mask Carnivale is back on Friday 27 Oct! 
There’s SO MUCH to discover, see, participate in and enjoy from 5–10pm.
Take a look at this line-up that street party dreams are made of 
Featuring Drum & Bass icon Optimus Gryme, one of the most exciting voices in Aotearoa pop music with Theia 
, exceptional dance from Tōrua 
, a stage full of our incredible local Pasifika talent in collaboration with Nelson Tasman Pasifika Community Trust and Pasifika Arts and Culture Committee (PACC), roaming musicians 
, performers and compliment givers 
, balloons 
and brilliant musical talent, party beats 
and chill zones – and of course, the mask parade itself! 
Definitely not a night to be missed, Whakatū – bring your whānau, friends, neighbours, and come on out to see our CBD transformed into the free street party of the year!
It is our intention as an organisation to provide greater accessibility to the Festival as a whole.
As we learn and grow our knowledge in this space, our programme continues to expand to be more inclusive to different needs – as does the way we deliver our events.
This year, we are thrilled to host three New Zealand Sign Language Interpreted events at the Theatre Royal – huge shoutout to our collaborators from Platform Interpreting New Zealand for their mahi, knowledge and support for these amazing events:
The most outstanding theatre experience of the year, The Savage Coloniser Show, plus comedy excellence in Hayley Sproull’s Ailments, and an inspiring kōrero with the incredible Dr Emma Espiner in There’s A Cure for This.
Also in the Access Programme are three audio described events/experiences, in addition to a Touch Tour and a recorded Audio Described tour of Bailee Lobb’s exhibition at the Refinery ArtSpace, SENSORY SELF PORTRAITS.
You can search our events via their accessibility code on our All Events page, or find the NZSL interpreted and the audio described events listed HERE.
You can book your tickets for the NZSL interpreted events via our website, or if you have any questions, please reach out to our Access Coordinator Olivia: access@nelsonartsfestival.nz
Follow in the footsteps of our 2022 recipients: Te Oro Hā and Alvaro Moreno, and become our 2023 By Whakatū Residency Artist!
We want to support local artists through time and resources, help them meet new audiences, and to tell local stories to the community (and the world!).
We’re proud to again gift a paid residency to an incredible artist from our region, to progress their mahi or trial new ideas as part of the By Whakatū Residency Programme 2023. This will culminate in a sharing at the end of the Festival – to talk to what you’ve been playing with, share a work in progress or workshop ideas live with an audience.
KEY DETAILS
- A budget of up to $2,000 NZD (ex. GST)
- Curatorial and producing support from Nelson Arts Festival team (if requested)
- A facilitated sharing/showing at the Suter Theatre with technical support at the conclusion of the residency
- An artist pass for Nelson Arts Festival 2023
Sound like you?
Please fill out the form below if you want to be our 2023 artist.
We’ve tried to keep it simple, but please reach out to artists@nelsonartsfestival.nz if you need any further information on how to answer any of the questions, or if you’d like to submit in a different format (video, audio, or other).
We particularly invite submissions from artists who identify as mana whenua, tangata whenua, pasifika, black, indigenous, people of colour, disabled, neurodivergent, d/Deaf, culturally diverse, of marginalised gender or LGBTQIA+.
Please note this opportunity is only available for people who live in or whakapapa to Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island).
Key Dates for 2023:
- 4 September: Expressions of Interest (EOIs) open
- 18 September, 11pm: EOIs close
- 21 September: Successful applicant notified
- 29 October, 12:30pm: Sharing from residency as part of Nelson Arts Festival
You can find more information about the sharing space and technical support offered by the Festival here.
We can’t wait to engage with your ideas!
The big day is finally here – we are so excited to share our 2023 Festival Programme with you all!
From inflatable sculptures to doppelgängers, Irish Music legends to literary heroes, poetry coming alive on stage to dancers roaming our streets, we are so proud of all the incredible artists and events coming to Whakatū this October.
Without much further ado – here it is, take a look, grab your tickets, let us know what you are most excited about:
He Toi Whakairo, He Mana Tangata. Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.
– Dr Piri Sciascia (1946-2020)
We are proud to host a wonderful line-up of Māori artistic excellence across our whole programme – before we can share them all with you, please give a warm welcome to these very special artists: break-out musical talent Theia, and the incomparable Witi Ihimaera with whom we will spend a very special event celebrating his career and contribution to Aotearoa literature.
WITI & FRIENDS GALA NIGHT
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Witi Ihimaera’s Tangi, the first novel written by a Māori author to be published in New Zealand. Join Witi and six fellow Māori writers at this special gala event to celebrate Aotearoa storytelling: Emma Espiner (MC), Vaughan Rapatahana, Ruby Solly, Donna McLeod, Arihia Latham and Airana Ngarewa.
Truly a very special night to remember.
Theatre Royal | Sunday 22 October | 7pm
All our 2023 Pukapuka Talks events are presented by Go Media.
GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD | Theia x Te Kaahu
Celebrated singer-songwriter Theia presents re-imagined songs from her critically acclaimed alt-pop catalogue alongside dreamy waiata from her award-winning reo Māori project Te Kaahu.
Theia’s lyrics are often raw and confrontational, while Te Kaahu explores cultural identity, environment and spirituality. Bringing together both projects for this Aotearoa premiere tour, this powerful songwriter presents music of soaring heights and devastating depths.
Theatre Royal | Saturday 28 October | 6.30pm
GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD is supported by Tohu Wines.
Celebrated singer-songwriter Theia presents re-imagined songs from her critically acclaimed alt-pop catalogue alongside dreamy waiata from her award-winning reo Māori project Te Kaahu.
Theia’s lyrics are often raw and confrontational, while Te Kaahu explores cultural identity, environment and spirituality. Bringing together both projects for this Aotearoa premiere tour, this powerful songwriter presents music of soaring heights and devastating depths.
Theatre Royal | Saturday 28 October | 6.30pm
GIRL, IN A SAVAGE WORLD is supported by Tohu Wines.
We’re thrilled to make a couple of early announcements for our 2023 contemporary music programme.
Drum roll, please, as we welcome Irish Music legends Gráda to Neudorf Vineyards, and the incredible KITA to our Deville Music Hub!
Gráda
From Sydney Opera House and Ireland’s National Concert Hall to the Upper Moutere: Irish music heroes Gráda reunite to tour their homelands – Ireland and Aotearoa. With over 1,000 cities in 30 countries over 10 years under their belt, Gráda are “to Irish music what Arcade Fire is to Indie – informal, prodigious and full of spirit” (The Washington Post). This will be the perfect way to spend your Sunday and get your boogie on!
Neudorf Vineyards | Sunday 29 October | Doors from 12pm, concert starts 2pm.
GRÁDA are supported by Neudorf Vineyards and Avoca Web Design.
KITA
Despite the overwhelming news of the everyday, remember: Love Lives Here! Pōneke-based KITA meshes folk-soul, guitar and storytelling with thick lush sounds and barking psychedelic drums to bring you a must-see live experience. Off the back of Splore and WOMAD, Nikita 雅涵 Tu-Bryant, Ed Zuccollo (ZUKE) and Rick Cranson (Little Bushman) will blow you away “with [their] massive sound”.
Get ready to forget what you thought you knew about a three-piece band!
Deville Music Hub | Saturday 21 October | Doors from 8pm, Support Act 8.30pm, Main Act 9.30pm
All our 2023 Deville Music Hub gigs are supported by Savage & Savage.
Both gigs will be Pay What You Can ticketing (PWYC) – tickets will be on sale from Friday 1 September 2023.
We can’t wait to see you on the dance floor, Whakatū!
We are delighted to share one of our big Visual Arts events with you already.
The Refinery ArtSpace will be taken over by some colourful, textile sculptures this October thanks to a very special artist from Te-Whanganui-a-Tara: Bailee Lobb and her exhibition, ‘Sensory Self Portraits’.
Think big soft sculptures that you can experience both from the outside and inside as well as soft props to touch and experience soothing support, transforming the gallery into a joyous pool of colours and textures.
‘Sensory Self Portraits’ is an exhibition of playful textile installations exploring the pursuit of self-regulation and sensory support that go with this for autistic artist Bailee.
For our 2023 festival, Bailee will present works from her colour-bathing series, ‘In Bathing, Bask’ alongside a brand new performance and installation work, ‘How do you sleep at night?’ which explores the use of sensory supports for sleep, and working with light, weight, and posture to develop non-pharmaceutical sleep aids.
We are so proud to bring these works to Whakatū.
Sensory Self Portaits | Bailee Lobb | 19 – 29 October 2023 | The Refinery ArtSpace
We are thrilled to announce the return of a much-loved event for the 2023 Nelson Arts Festival:
The MASK CARNIVALE will transform our inner-city streets into a colourful explosion of joy, community and creativity on
Friday 27 October 2023
In 2023, as we journey together around the sun, we find ourselves 8 billion strong and 8 billion divided. And so we look to be part of the momentum – rewilding, regenerating, rebalancing, reinvigorating.
Let’s embrace and celebrate this momentum, with our theme for this year’s Mask Carnivale:
REWILD. REGENERATE.
From reusing waste materials, using natural processes, Where the Wild Things Are or generat(ions) – interpret the theme however speaks to you and help us bring vigour, creativity and wonder
to our newly (re)born Mask Carnivale.
We can’t wait to see what creative masks and costumes you will come up with!
If you’re keen to be part of the Parade or perform during the Carnivale, please register via the button below by 30 September 2023.
