14 Feb 2025
The Taranaki Arts Festival team is reimagining the way arts are brought to the region. Over the past two years, it has moved from a biennial format to a four-festival model – with Spiegel Fest, Right Royal Cabaret Festival, Reimagine Festival, and Winter Fest.
After multiple festival cancellations and COVID interruptions, the need for a fresh approach was clear. The four-festival model aims to engage diverse audiences and demographics while still delivering high-quality arts programmes to local communities. Each festival includes key elements, such as school programmes and regional initiatives.
Josie Hunter-Annand, Artistic Director, is hopeful the four-festival model will enable more connection and conversations with audiences to help shape future programming.
“The long-term aim is that the Taranaki arts festivals build and develop on its national and international presence, continuing to provide social and economic benefit to the region and providing experiences that would not otherwise be available or accessible to our communities,” says Josie.
Winter Fest 2024 concluded in June of last year, marking the end of the first year under the new model. Of the four festivals, Winter Fest is arguably the most traditional, appealing to dedicated, long term attendees.
The festival programme featured 29 performances and events, including two regional shows, 34 talks, a programme for schools with two performances and eight workshops, as well as two free events. Altogether, the events sold slightly over 7,000 tickets, with more than 15 percent purchased specifically for rangatahi.
Josie says audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the festival's success.
“The survey feedback highlights the need for people to celebrate and contribute as a community, with the arts proving to be a successful outlet for this,” she says.
An impressive 95 percent of attendees recognised the value of the events and reported being highly engaged. This includes feedback from rangatahi who attended the school programmes, many of whom shared their excitement and appreciation for the opportunities the festival provided. For some, it was their first time experiencing live performances, sparking new interest in the arts.
The festival’s commitment to accessibility ensured that people of all ages and backgrounds could participate and engage with the arts. Survey results further highlighted this success, with 99 percent of respondents rating the festival as excellent, very good, or good. Moreover, 100 percent of those surveyed stated they would encourage others to attend future events, showcasing the festival's strong community impact and appeal.
The four-festival approach is planned for the upcoming Right Royal Cabaret Festival in June, as well as all festivals in 2025. While the feedback shows that the social, financial, and environmental capital has been incredible for the region, the team acknowledges there’s still work to be done. They’ll complete a thorough analysis of all four festivals to evaluate outcomes and refine the model for the future.
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