Never seen by the human eye…
The Arts Festival aims to bring shows to Nelson that you wouldn’t normally see here. In 2011 we present three shows that have never been seen anywhere before. Three premieres, possibly a record, and they are:
Fabulous Arabia: the quirky Lawrence Arabia teams up with Mikey Fabulous (of the Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties) plus a whole bunch of others of similar pedigree. Three part harmonies, brass, funky rhythms…
The Butcher’s Daughter: one of the three plays in a Night of Theatre (Sold Out)
Metamorphoses: from talented locals, Body in Space, comes a performance inspired by Greek legends, set in and around a pool of water.

The Technical Director’s choice
Techie guru Antony Hodgson spends most of his year in a yurt at Onekaka, and saw performance poet Ben Brown last summer at his local, the Mussel Inn.
"My partner and I had walked down the road to hear Lyttelton Band The Eastern, with their upbeat country rock sounds. We didn’t know that Ben Brown was to open for them. He was a blast of fresh air, a great presentation style with considered and, at times, hard hitting, text. He reminded us that we don't live in a perfect world and we must be conscious of our actions and prejudices while enjoying our time here to the maximum. Ben Brown sure made the night one we remember well."
Antony will definitely be in the room to hear Ben again at the Granary Festival Café, Sat 8 Oct 5pm. Get a Readers and Writer’s concession and see 14 shows for $60.

High-heeled Docs
Actress and blues and jazz singer Colleen Davis plays Slue-Foot-Sue in The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill. This info on her ‘Favourite Things’ comes from the NZ Herald.
Lou Guerin tulip bag - a leather and silver bag was made by Lou Guerin, the father of my friend and jewellery maker Alice Guerin. Lou's jewellery and leather work have a gothic architecture to them that really gets me.
Vintage faux leopard fur swing coat - one of several amazing finds from my favourite vintage store in New Zealand, Ziggurat on Cuba St in Wellington. I don't normally go for faux fur's plasticy weirdness
(let alone the dead animal weirdness of real fur), but the cute A-line swing cut stole my heart and the fur is abnormally lush faux.
High-heel Doc Martens - I love the absurdity of wearing Doc Martens with a heel.
The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill on the Eve of Killing His Wife; The Festival Tent, Sat Oct 15, 7.30pm

Head for the Red
You might think the festival doesn’t start til October 7 – we have news for you! To get in before the school holidays, Westpac Red Square starts next week. From Monday 3 until Friday 7 Oct the region’s school kids will be strumming, singing and kapa haka-ing their talented little lungs out. Top of Trafalgar Street, 11am-2pm. Grab a coffee, have a sit in the sun and listen in. It’s a heart warmer and a tonic!

Whoopsie
We had a wee lapse in our last newsletter, incorrectly naming Vincent Ward as a poet! Actually he’s a film director and nothing whatever to do with the Arts Festival. It’s the clever and witty Vincent O’Sullivan who will be reading his poems at Woollaston Estates on Labour Day Monday. If you’ve never been to this event, put it in your diary. That’s if you like a glass of wine, a sunny lawn, a perfect view over Tasman Bay, a picnic lunch and some excellent poetry in the company of like-minded others. Visit our Facebook page for your chance to win books by Vincent O’Sullivan and support act, local poet Louise Wallace.

SEE YOU AT THE MASKED PARADE, 5.30 PM FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER FOLLOWED BY BATUCADA SOUND MACHINE AND MIDNIGHT YOUTH ON THE CARNIVALE MAINSTAGE.

The Nelson Arts Festival is produced by the Nelson City Council as a celebration for locals and an attraction for visitors This year's arts festival is part of the Game On Festival, which showcases the region to our rugby visitors.

ENDS

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