AROHA17 Festival of Ideas Starts on Wednesday

AROHA17 Festival of Ideas Starts on Wednesday

Films, Music, Fashion, Dance, Diversity and Style

February 15-25 in various Auckland locations

Bookings: iticket

Full programme is here: mikahakafoundation

This Wednesday at 6.30pm at Event Cinemas, Broadway sees the flamboyant opening of the Aroha17 Festival of Ideas with the Aroha17 Film Festival kicking off a feast of performing arts and culture

Featuring a varied line-up of short films, a new reality TV series, Queens of Panguru and content from here and around the world with a main feature The Unbidden and Aroha17 Awards Finalists - short films from six countries with award categories including diversity, writing and direction.

Advised to “dress to express”, as guests - including stars and sports celebrities - arrive at the red carpet event, they will be dazzled with drag queens, beatboxers, African dance and fashion installations – with performances providing a taste of the Festival of varied events which will follow over the 10 days of Aroha. (The Festival runs from Feb 15-25)

Over the past two years, the Aroha’17 Festival of Ideas has become the space where young people work towards awareness and prevention of suicide, the major issue for youth in New Zealand. This year, dozens of young people participated in The Aroha Project Series 3 supported by Te Puni Kokiri: A series of 60-second personal stories to be launched on Instagram during Aroha ’17. Earlier series are available on Maori Television, TVNZ On Demand and MikaHakaStudio’s YouTube.

The All-Stars GALA fundraiser on February 18 is part of the festival’s focus on youth suicide awareness and prevention. The GALA is an evening of comedy, pop and cabaret starring Mike King, Megan Alatini and Mika Haka and Friends. Profits will be split between King’s Key to Life organisation and Mika Haka Foundation to support ongoing suicide prevention programmes.

A vibrant new addition to the Festival line-up is Andreea Kindryd, described as a “sassy septuagenarian” storyteller with life experiences from acting the Star Trek to meeting Martin Luther King. She says “When I worked on Star Trek, my family had gone from slavery to the stars”

http://www.thebrag.com/arts/andreea-kindryd

Other Festival highlights include a Dance Double Bill which debuts original works by exciting young choreographers Kasina Campbell and Eddie Elliott. The NYC House Party is headlined by cyber-soul artist GypjaQ and will feature original works from spoken word artists Jasper Powell, Liam Jacobson and Mokoera Te Amo, world champion King Home Boy and Ole Maiava and Daren Kamali.

The Aroha17 Festival of ideas also gives opportunities for interactive online engagements, digital new releases of music and films, livestream connections to NYC nightclub action, fashion activations, live discussions, hang-out zones, performances and a general buzz of activity around diversity, creativity and social life, all of which reinforces the serious intent of youth suicide prevention by providing real-life interaction.

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