International Visitors come to Auckland Festival, Pasifika and WOMAD Taranaki

Thursday, 23 April 2009

In March 2009 thirty international producers, festival directors, programmers and agents travelled to Auckland to experience New Zealand’s performing arts and to meet with New Zealand artists and producers. Creative New Zealand hosted the visitors as part of its Te Manu Ka Tau – Flying Friends programme in partnership with Auckland Festival, Pasifika and WOMAD Taranaki. 

Guests of Te Manu Ka Tau included Tim Wilson from Western Arts Alliance (WAA), Melanie Fernandez from Planet IndigenUs in Toronto, Di Mills from the Dreaming Festival in Australia, Jonathan Mills from the Edinburgh Festival and festival directors, producers and agents from Australia, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Scotland, France and Germany.

The international delegation also included five Aboriginal festival directors who were supported by The Australia Council of the Arts and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Arts.  Their presence was part of an ongoing partnership between Creative New Zealand and the Australian Arts Council which is working towards developing greater indigenous exchange between the two countries.

Ngāti Whātua welcomed the visitors with a pōwhiri at Orakei Marae and this was followed by a live showcase of New Zealand theatre. Excerpts from Auckland Theatre Company’s Where We Once Belonged and Ship Songs, Indian Ink’s Krishnan’s Dairy and Taki Rua’s Strange Resting Places were performed in the wharenui on the marae.
 

A programme of showcase events was designed to give the visitors an insight into the depth and breadth of New Zealand work.  In addition to seeing full-length performances in the Festival, a series of day time events featured New Zealand dance, classical music, theatre and dance pitches and an indigenous forum highlighting Māori and Pasifika artists.

The Classical music showcase was held at the Baptist Tabernacle and featured New Zealand compositions performed by the New Zealand String Quartet with Richard Nunns, NZTrio and 175 East. Black Grace Studios hosted the dance showcase where Black Grace, Atamira Dance Collective and Shona McCullagh presented works.

Australian producer Robyn Archer facilitated a pitch session, where with just five minutes each, twelve New Zealand performing arts companies presented current and export ready works to the international buyers.   

The programme was concluded with a networking lunch and many of the visitors then went on to attend performances at the Pasifika Festival. Four of the visitors also travelled to New Plymouth to attend WOMAD Taranaki. 
 

We have received extremely positive feedback from our visitors who all felt that they achieved a much better understanding and appreciation of the range of work being produced by New Zealand artists. Several talked about the huge and ostensibly untapped pool of talent that exists in New Zealand.

As a result of this programme, some artists have received international invitations.Taki Rua has confirmed that they will take Te Karakia to the Dreaming Festival in Brisbane in June 09. Discussions are also in place that could see New Zealand work travelling to France, Belgium, Barcelona, Toronto, Korea as well as the Sydney Festival, the Edinburgh International Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.