Nelson Arts Festival Begins

Sixty performances in five venues and community events that will draw in excess of 25,000 people. The Nelson Arts Festival is headed into its 16th year bringing the best of music, theatre and dance from New Zealand and further afield to Nelson for a whirlwind eleven days.
 
The shows begin on Thursday 14 October, but the real opening is on Friday 15, when the annual Nelson Masked Parade will see thousands of school children, community groups and families meandering through the city centre, watched by a crowd of around 15,000.
 
“After the parade everyone stays on to dance, eat and party in the streets,” says Nelson City Council festival creative director Annabel Norman. “A few years ago we had to work hard to get the carnivale atmosphere happening, but now people know it’s a time to lower their inhibitions under the cover of masks.”
 
Meantime hot Wellington band Zirigidum will have ‘christened’ the Granary Festival Café with a Thursday night dance party, the raunchy circus comedy Ooh Baby Baby will be opening at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal and the Argentinean tango peso medio will be strutting and sashaying at the Suter Theatre.
 
Tickets have been selling well since the programme was launched in early August, with a dozen shows that are close to selling out.
 
“Popular shows this year include Miranda Harcourt’s Biography of My Skin, Don McGlashan in a line up called the Bellbirds that debuted at Womad, Hollie Smith, Helen Medlyn and the interactive seats at APOLLO 13 Mission Control,” Annabel said. “There are also three Page and Blackmore Readers and Writers’ shows that have sold out – Pecha Kucha, Wonky Donkey and The Thinking Brunch.”
 
The Nelson Arts Festival has developed its own distinct style over the years, with the community events marking it out as a festival with something for everyone.
 
“All week we’ll have school kids singing, playing music and doing kapa haka at Westpac Red Square in the city centre,” Annabel said, “then we wrap up on Labour Day Monday with the Bluebridge Family Finale featuring Pet Art Wear and our own Nelson World Ukulele Orchestra.”
 
New to this year’s festival is Oi You! An urban art installation at Founders Park showcasing 20 works by local young people and working artists from Nelson and beyond, along with big reproductions of works by street art icon, Banksy.
 
Another new event is the Sonic 1903 Live Zone, being staged after the Masked Parade to give young people a safe party with zero alcohol. Organisers have worked with police and other agencies to avoid the late night drunkenness that followed last year’s parade and carnivale.
 
The Nelson Arts Festival is produced by the Nelson City Council as a celebration for locals and an attraction for visitors. It opens on Oct 14 and finishes on Oct 25.
 
Ends