Launch of Nelson Arts Festival

Out of town media, sponsors, artists and invited guests gather at the WOW museum on Friday night for the launch of this year's Nelson Arts Festival programme.

City Council Festival Director Annabel Norman says the festival (October
11-22) has traditional elements it is known for such as the Port Nelson Masked Parade, a different take on sculpture with the new Manifest Exhibition, a theatre, dance and music programme packed with out of town talent, a few local treats and some shows that have been specially devised for this festival.

³There are some changes this year that we are really excited about,² she said. ³We¹ll be back at Albion Square alongside the Suter with the sculpture, but we are offering completed works rather than a symposium and we¹ve attracted some of the big names in New Zealand such as Jeff Thomson, Alan Coleman and Chiara Corbelletto.

The Deutz Lighthouse festival café and club will be our venue for cabaret, we are using the School of Music for shows such as the European gypsy group Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentlemen and we¹re building a theatre inside the Trafalgar Centre for our headline international show, Corporacion Tango from Buenos Aires.²

Ms Norman said local talent would be on show with Grant Smithies staging another of his legendary dance parties, Viva Chamber Orchestra performing in the fabulous Cellars at Woollaston Estates, local musicians and DJs in the early evening at the Deutz Lighthouse, an evening of ŒTelling Poems¹ and children¹s story tellers and musicians.

³We are very thrilled to have two shows created just for the festival - one is a Œsuper-group¹ called The Village of the Idiots¹ with musicians from some of New Zealand¹s top bands including Toby Laing and Jo Lindsay from Fat Freddie¹s Drop and Nigel Patterson and Tim Jaray from The Black Seeds,² she said. ³On a completely different part of the musical spectrum we have Ipurangi, at the cathedral, with Maori instrument exponents Richard Nunns, Brian Flintoff and Waimihi Hotere.²

This year¹s festival runs for eleven days, finishing with the Fulton Hogan Family Finale on the Monday of Labour Weekend, with Pet Art Wear (PAW), diggers on display, storytelling and a big singalong with the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra.

The festival is offering the successful Œfriends¹ packages¹ again this year with savings of up to $60 for people who commit to four shows.

³The Nelson Arts Festival has driven the recovery of this region¹s reputation for spring arts holidays,² Ms Norman said, ³we are thrilled with the new sponsors on board this year and the support from Nelson Spring that is growing the festival so we can all reap the benefits it brings - from the creative to the commercial.²

The Nelson City Council produces the Nelson Arts Festival as a celebration for the local community and an added visitor attraction for Nelson. More info and bookings at www.nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

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