AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2013 ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Auckland Arts Festival Chair, Victoria Carter, today announced
the appointment of Carla van Zon as the Festival's next Artistic
Director. Ms van Zon will take up her new role in late March
2011, and will develop the programme for the 2013 Festival and
beyond.
"Carla brings a wealth of experience and skill, and strong
connections with arts practitioners and performers, to Auckland
Arts Festival," said Victoria Carter.
"Her experience includes three years leading Creative New
Zealand's International team, which has strengthened her
connections with arts groups in Asia and the Pacific Rim, and six
years as Artistic Director of the NZ International Arts
Festival.
"The calibre of the candidates for the Artistic Director
position was extremely high, including several very good overseas
applicants, and reflects the excellent international reputation
that Auckland Arts Festival enjoys.
"Outgoing Artistic Director David Malacari will leave the
Festival in a strong place after putting together three fantastic
Festival programmes for Auckland, and leading the organization as
both Artistic Director and Chief Executive for four years."
Carla van Zon, who grew up in West Auckland, said she was
looking forward to building on the successes of Auckland Arts
Festival and to working with Aucklanders to further develop a
festival that reflected the newly amalgamated Auckland, and
the city's place in the Asia Pacific region.
"I'm really looking forward to returning to Auckland - my home
town - and am excited to be taking this terrific festival into the
future. David Malacari has done great things for Auckland Art
Festival, not least his exceptional 2011 programme," she said.
Contact:
Victoria Carter
Tel (09) 529 1121 w
Mob 0274 377 018
Carla van Zon - Biography
Carla van Zon joined Creative New Zealand, the Arts Council of
New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, in January 2008 to manage and lead the
newly formed international team. In her role as Manager
International, she oversaw the development of an international
strategy, and from this has developed an international programme,
the goal of which is to assist New Zealand artists gain
international success. She and her team manage projects as
diverse as New Zealand's presence at the Venice Biennale to
welcoming international presenters to see work and meet artists in
their home context.
Previously Carla was the Artistic Director of the New Zealand
International Arts Festival. Involved in the Festival since 1989,
Carla took on the role of Artistic Director, in April 2000 having
successfully led the Festival as Executive Director since 1996.
The 1996, 1998 and 2000 Festivals thrived with Carla in the role
of Executive Director when she led it into the black for the first
time, earning the Festival the Dominion Gold Award 2001 for
outstanding contribution to the Wellington economy.
An Aucklander born and bred, Carla has an MA in Dance and Arts
Administration from George Washington University in the USA and a
broad range of professional experience in the arts, including
working with a variety of theatre and dance companies such as Taiao
and Douglas Wright Dance Company, the Aotea Centre, the New Zealand
Film Commission, producing new New Zealand work and Co-Directing
the New Caledonia New Zealand Season in 2007 for the Governments of
New Caledonia and France.
She has travelled widely throughout the world and is passionate
about arts and cultural exchange as a way of gaining greater
understanding between people.
She was made an Officer of the Order of New Zealand for services
to the arts in 2001.
About Auckland Arts Festival:
Auckland Arts Festival is the region's biggest celebration of
arts and culture. The biennial Festival, which began in 2003,
will celebrate its fifth birthday in 2011 with a dazzling line-up
of more than 75 separate events involving over 500 artists -
concerts, productions, arts exhibitions, and programmes of
seminars, workshops and family activities.
The Festival's hallmark blend of serious, innovative work and
broad appeal events, plus an accessible ticketing policy, ensure
that it is a celebration for the whole region. Major Festival
events take place all across the city - in West Auckland, The North
Shore, and South Auckland and in the central city - as well as
site-specific sculptural works that respond to our unique
geography.
Since its inception, Auckland Arts Festival has built a
reputation for presenting top quality work from around the world,
including a spectacular fireworks display by pyrotechnic artists
Groupe F, theatrical masterworks by Japanese company Ishinha, and
the legendary Robert Lepage's company Ex Machina, and sell-out
cabaret sensation La Clique. The Festival prides
itself on developing and presenting the very best in New Zealand
work, including the magical 2009 theatre piece, The
Arrival, which has become an international success story,
The Songmaker's Chair, by Albert Wendt, and the Michael
Parmenter retrospective, Commotion.
Auckland Arts Festival is governed by the Auckland Festival
Trust, a board chaired by Victoria Carter. Trustees are Rick
Carlyon, Roger MacDonnell, Toni Millar, Jim Moser, Ilona Rodgers,
Heather Shotter, Fred Ward, and Richard Waddel. The
Festival's 2011 executive team is Artistic Director David Malacari
and CEO David Inns.
Sponsorship is crucial to presenting an event of this
size. Major Sponsors and Funders for 2011 include Core
Funder: Auckland Council; Gold Sponsors: New Zealand Post Group,
TV3 and Colenso BBDO; Key Funding Partners: Creative New Zealand,
ASB Community Trust, The Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, THE EDGE and
Heart of the City; Silver Sponsors: Westpac, Auckland Airport, The
Radio Network and Stoneleigh; Bronze Sponsors:
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Formica, Wilson Parking, Russell McVeagh
and OGGI.
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