Auckland Festival

Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Makaurau is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new works and international performing arts events.

Auckland Arts Festival venue at Silo Park on the waterfront in 2018

History

The first Auckland Festival of the Arts was held in 1953, prior to that had been four annual music festivals. A bigger festival was planned due to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The festival continued annually until the 1980s and the last one was in 1982.[1] In September 2003 the inaugural event of the “new” Auckland Festival happened.[2] Subsequently the dates were moved to March and festivals were held in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 before going annual in March 2016. The 13th Auckland Arts Festival will take place 3-21 March 2021.[3] Shona McCullagh is the artistic director from 2021 - 2024 taking over from Jonathan Bielski.[4]

The Festival is run by an independent not for profit trust, the Auckland Festival Trust. It is principally funded by Auckland City Council.[5][6]

Programme

The festivals main objectives are to engage Aucklanders in the arts, to support New Zealand art and artists, and to reflect what is unique about Auckland.[7] Its program features many events including dance, music, cabaret, burlesque, theatre, ballet, visual arts, film, and public forums, occupying most of Auckland's theatres, galleries and concert halls.

Auckland Arts Festival programme international acts and also commission up to six new works each year. In 2017 they presented the new opera The Bone Feeder at the ASB Waterfront Theatre with music by Gareth Farr, based on a book by Renee Laing.[8] In 2021 the festival programme has been greatly affected by travel restrictions because of COVID-19. The programme of 70-plus events now are all from New Zealand.[9]

Festival Directors
Year Artistic Director
2002 Mike Mizrahi & Marie Adams[10]
2003-2004 Simon Prast
2005-2011 David Malacari
2011-2017 Carla van Zon
2018-2020 Jonathan Bielski
2021- Shona McCullagh [MNZM]

Festival staff include chief executive David Inns who started in 2009 working previously at the New Zealand Festival in Wellington. Inns was also was instrumental in the annual music festival WOMAD being inTaranaki, and was the director of the Taranaki Arts Festival from 1998-2002.[8][11][12]

References
  1. Hill, Marguerite (5 Aug 2016). "Celebrations and centenaries, 1930s to 1950s". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  2. "Festival history - Auckland Arts Festival". Auckland Arts Festival. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  3. "Shona McCullagh in conversation with Indira Stewart". First Up. Radio New Zealand National. 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  4. Christian, Dionne (2019-11-27). "Auckland Arts Festival names new head". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  5. "Auckland Festival". Auckland City. 2007. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  6. Russell, Alexia (2017-09-19). "Auckland Arts Festival future secured". Newsroom. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  7. "About Us". Auckland Festival 2007. 2007. Archived from the original on July 20, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  8. "Twelve Questions with Auckland Arts Festival chief executive David Inns". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  9. "Auckland Arts Festival - coping with Covid". Radio New Zealand. 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  10. "Auckland Festival a challenge". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  11. "Festival head seeks to wow". Stuff. 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  12. "Auckland arts job for Inns". Stuff. 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
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