Beyond the stage: 2024 Festival impacts
The biennial Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts made its much-anticipated return to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in early 2024.
Over seventy events, engaging more than five hundred artists and crew, showcased acclaimed international talent, world premieres, and iconic contemporary arts experiences. For 2024, the Festival extended into autumn with Light Cycles by Moment Factory at the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā which was experienced by more than 31,000 people alone. In total, more than 68,000 tickets were issued with an overall attendance of 470,000 including to free events.
Article Magazine
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Moss Patterson on Home, Land and Sea
Conceived by renowned Māori choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Chief Executive and Artistic Director of The New Zealand Dance Company, Home, Land and Sea is a new ballet for six dancers from the Royal New Zealand Ballet and six from the New Zealand Dance Company.
The work is a poetic response to Aotearoa’s complex history, our evolving national identity, and the ongoing search for belonging. Set to an original score by New Zealand composer Shayne P Carter, Home, Land and Sea draws on the elemental relationship between land and sea to explore the tensions, grief, and beauty that lie at the heart of our shared story.
On a sunny Friday, Moss and I took a pair of long blacks to the park and settled in to talk about his new show, collaboration and what makes Aotearoa dance unique.
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Jo Randerson's Secret Art Powers
Jo Randerson’s new book is a creative non-fiction exploration of the power of art and creativity to create change, which Bret McKenzie has described as a ‘must-read for anyone in the arts.’ As a career artist, writer, theatre-maker and comedian, Jo’s experience in this field, as well as their thoughtful, academic rigor, makes them the ideal person to explore this topic.
I went to Brooklyn’s Vogelmorn Community Centre where Jo’s Barbarian Productions have their base, to catch up with Jo over a cup of tea.
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A chat with Benson Wilson on his opera journey and latest role
Benson Wilson, winner of the 2016 Lexus Song Quest and most recently the Ryman Healthcare Dame Malvina Major Foundation Mina Foley Award , returns home to make his NZ Opera principal role debut as Schaunard in La bohème by Puccini. Hannah caught up with Benson during a break from rehearsals to chat about his journey to opera, his homecoming and just what music means to him.
