Beyond the stage: 2024 Festival impacts
The biennial Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts made its much-anticipated return to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in early 2024.
Over seventy events, engaging more than five hundred artists and crew, showcased acclaimed international talent, world premieres, and iconic contemporary arts experiences. For 2024, the Festival extended into autumn with Light Cycles by Moment Factory at the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā which was experienced by more than 31,000 people alone. In total, more than 68,000 tickets were issued with an overall attendance of 470,000 including to free events.
Article Magazine
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Jazz @ Fringe
It’s always an exciting time when our friends at the New Zealand Fringe Festival bring artists across multiple disciplines into the spotlight to showcase new ideas and works in development. This year, a number of familiar #WellJazzFest faces are taking the stage with new and evolved projects, bringing a mix of genres, storytelling, and experimentation to the stage.
Here are a few shows you might enjoy from the extensive Fringe programme. -
Meet the Makers: Lucy Marinkovich and Lucien Johnson
Lucy Marinkovich and Lucien Johnson have collaborated on numerous projects, including Strasbourg 1518 which was commissioned by and premiered at the 2020 New Zealand Festival of the Arts. Their latest work, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes will be performed at Te Auaha 6-8 March as part of the 2025 Fringe Festival.
I caught Lucy and Lucien during their production week in Dunedin to chat about the show before it makes its way to Wellington.
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Interview with Jenny Pattrick
Jenny Pattrick is well known for her historical fiction novels, all ten of which have been bestsellers in New Zealand. The 88-year-old author has turned her pen to playwriting with her first full-length play, Hope, opening at Circa on 25 January. Brought to the stage by the creative team behind Prima Facie, Hope is set in the very near future and delves into profound ethical questions about life, death and the morality of fighting for those we love.
