Nelson Arts Festival

As we write, our valiant techie team is down at Albion Square pitching a massive marquee in a northerly gale! Blow now and calm down from Thursday is our weather prayer! (That was yesterday – today the sun is shining & the tent is UP!)

Port Nelson Masked Parade Make this the year you get into the action with your very own mask. We’ll be handing them out, or the $2 shop has a fab line in feathered looks. Venice is known for its mask culture and thousands flock there to take part. If everyone coming to watch the parade wears a mask we could be the new Venice - even before global warning!

Director’s Pick from Annabel Norman - Sharon Shannon Band - all the way from Ireland She’s worked with Sinead O'Connor, Kirsty MacColl, Nigel Kennedy, The Waterboys, The Indigo Girls and Adam Clayton from U2. Sharon boldly goes into territory where other traditional musicians fear to tread. A dance remix of her tune Bag Of Cats, held its own in the Irish top twenty for more than six weeks, and her collaboration with Steve Earle, Jackson Browne et al on the triple platinum selling album The Diamond Mountain Sessions was a milestone in the history of Irish music. Everybody smile... here's Sharon! 'Shannon is acknowledged as one of the giants of contemporary Irish music.' Scoop, New Zealand

Catch this One of New Zealand’s most senior and successful artists has a solo exhibition at Catchment Gallery. Micheal Smither’s The Guardians exhibition features paintings and related drawings inspired by the South Island landscape. There’s also a famous abstract image by the artist on display -  Bartok’s Wedding Dance. This screenprint is a translation of Bartok’s piano piece ‘Wedding Dance’ into colour and shape on a time/pitch graph. The Guardians by Michael Smither at Catchment Gallery is on now
 and runs until 3rd November.

Pets in Drag Pet owners are busy working out where to get Rover a cowboy suit or how to keep the Moggy’s fur in a Mohawk. PAW, is a great excuse to exercise your creativity, and make your dog look fabulous. All you have to do is create a stunning outfit for your favourite canine, and turn up at Albion Square 3.45pm on October 22 – it's all part of the Fulton Hogan Family Finale which marks the end of the festival. Co-sponsored by Halifax Veterinary Centre, the competition is free, and offers great prizes. For more detail contact Halifax Vet Centre on 03 5483871 or info@halifaxvet.co.nz

The Pork Pie Guy Even non movie buffs have heard of Geoff Murphy and he’s coming here to film Village of the Idiots with Anthony Donaldson’s Two Minute Mysteries -  a freshly created piece based on the theme of music for detective novels, films and television. Put yourself in the crowd scenes at the Nelson School of Music on Sat 20 Oct, 8pm Festival Bar open 7.30pm

‘Tis the season Celenod come to the festival as part of the New Caledonia New Zealand Season 2007. This initiative is funded by the Government and Provinces of New Caledonia and France through the Fonds Pacifique, aiming to lift the profile of New Caledonia — our closest neighbour. From February to November a line-up of the best artists and athletes from New Caledonia are touring the country and giving New Zealanders an insight into the points of similarity and difference between our countries and our cultures, as well as building enduring links with New Zealand.  You can check out Celenod on http://www.youtube.com

Treat at Woollastons - it’s a sell out but we couldn’t resist telling you about Elena, the mohawked fiddler’s, previous exploits: “I've played the violin hanging from a wire in the Westpac St James Theatre, I've played in a swimming pool, in bus shelters, on mountains, in vineyards, in the streets, on a pier, in concert halls and in cathedrals.” And if you didn’t get Elena tickets you can still experience the Cellars at Woollastons with the fabulous Viva Chamber Orchestra on Saturday October 20.

Blogging with the Mail Have you visited the Nelson Mail’s great festival blog site yet? We love their personal angles on festival shows. Check it out on www.stuff.co.nz - go to Nelson Mail and it’ll all be there for you. From the beginning of the festival the Mail will post their reviews online and will have some shows there that won’t be printed in the paper.  

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