05 Feb 2010

This content is tagged as Interarts .

NEWS

SchoolFest offers students access to international and local artists

The New Zealand International Arts Festival continues its outstanding SchoolFest education programme during this years Festival.

"We have a strong commitment to make the New Zealand International Arts Festival an educational environment for New Zealands artists and technicians of the future, and we invite schools throughout New Zealand to consider SchoolFest for their 2010 assessments and curriculum," says Education and Community Co-ordinator, Craig Ireson.

The SchoolFest educational programme offers students unparalleled access to the outstanding line-up of national and international artists in the Festival through discounted tickets, educational resources and packages.

In 2010, SchoolFest features an extensive variety of workshops including sessions with three-time Grammy Award winner jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis, renowned conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and monks from the Shaolin Buddhist Temple.

The SchoolFest workshop series gives students an opportunity to go behind the scenes and meet with artists, including New Zealand director Anna Marbrook and members of the cast and technical team of Mark Twain & Me in Maoriland; the Druid Theatre Company from Ireland, Circus Cirkör from Sweden, the crew behind the UK hit show Dancing on Your Grave, as well as singer-songwriter Don McGlashan, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and conductor René Jacobs, and American Jazz funksters Yellowjackets.

Students will have the opportunity to attend a rehearsal with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Wellington Youth Orchestra, and an open master class with Award-winning Australian choreographer Shaun Parker.

Students can learn about the design and technology of APOLLO 13: Mission Control and find out about the inspiration behind the 1970s NASA mission control room replica.

New Zealand Post Writers and Readers Week is back in 2010, and SchoolFest includes four thought-provoking sessions designed to get students excited about writing and reading, and the popular Festival review competition.

SchoolFest is supported by the Lion Foundation and the Major Events Development Fund.

ENDS