ART STARS HEADLINE 'ARTS AND MINDS' PROGRAMME FOR AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL 2011
From Jack DeJohnette and Sarah Lucas, to Witi Ihimaera and
Chinary Ung, some of the biggest names of the 2011 Auckland Arts
Festival have signed on for the Festival's Arts and Minds
programme, a line-up of over 35 artist talks, workshops and master
classes - most free to attend - taking place during the 2-20 March
Festival season.
The Arts and Minds programme invites Festival-goers
behind-the-scenes of a major multi-arts festival, and the creative
processes of the artists involved. The weekday
In Conversation series of artists talks, held at
lunchtimes in the fabulous Spiegeltent (the Festival Garden in
Aotea Square) feature Festival artists talking about their work,
their inspirations and their process. The extensive series of
Arts and Minds workshops and master classes allow local
arts practitioners to learn from some of the best in the
business.
Auckland Arts Festival Chief Executive, David Inns says the
Arts and Minds programme is an important part of the
breath and depth of an arts festival - a dimension the Festival
brings to Auckland that individual touring shows are not able to
offer.
"A Festival is more than the sum of its parts - the Festival's
special context, community and cross-pollination make it much more
than a programme of work that just happens to be on at the same
time," he says. "Arts and Minds is one of the ways
we enhance the experiences of our artists and audiences, and reach
out to new Festival-goers.
"I'm very proud of this year's Arts and Minds
programme, which has more than doubled in scale since 2009, and
sits alongside our other free programming, and the Education
programme which makes low cost Festival tickets available to
primary and secondary school students."
Auckland Arts Festival Education and Public programmes manager,
Tiffany Harkess, says she is humbled and inspired by the generosity
of the artists involved - and the delight they take in sharing
their practice with other artists, and the general public.
"Arts and Minds provides a context for artistic
exchange, between New Zealand artists and cutting edge performers
who are visiting from around the world, sharing sometimes very
personal creative processes and inspiration for their work," she
says.
"The Arts and Minds programme is part of Auckland Arts
Festival's ongoing commitment to artistic development in
Aotearoa."
Highlights of the master class programme include a special
demonstration workshop session with legendary jazz drummer Jack
DeJohnette, contemporary dance workshops with Gregory Maqoma, and
members of the Maguy Marin Company, and an intensive master class
from acclaimed Irish performer Conor Lovett of Gare St. Lazare
Players. Berlin-based virtuoso early music orchestra, the
Lautten Compagney, will be in residence at The University of
Auckland's School of Music, taking a range of free master classes
and workshops for instrumentalists.
In Conversation highlights include creator of The
Manganiyar Seduction, Roysten Abel, talking to Indian Ink
Theatre Company's Justin Lewis (Krishna's Dairy, The Guru of
Chai), U Theatre's artistic director and musical director in
discussion with Anna Marbrook on the way that Buddhist practice
shapes their art, and O Cambodia composers Chinary Ung
(winner of the Grawemeyer Award) and Him Sophy in conversation with
documentary maker Annie Goldson.
Festival ambassador Te Radar chairs a panel discussion on the
often controversial topic of reviewing, Irish actor/director duo,
Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty, talk to Professor Chris Ackerley
(Otago University) about the process of transferring Beckett from
page to stage, and young members of Massive Company and
UrbanYOUTHMovement discuss their experiences as emerging
artists.
Special Arts and Minds sessions include Witi Ihimaera
and poets from Toi Māori's Words in Motion project sharing
lyrics and poetry; an artist talk from visual arts star Sarah Lucas
(of YBA fame) as part of her Two Rooms Gallery residency; and sneak
peek tours of Q Theatre.
All In Conversation sessions are free and open to the
general public. Workshops and master classes are either free
or low cost, and many are open to observers. The full
Arts and Minds programme follows - visit www.aucklandfestival.co.nz for the latest details.
--- ENDS ---
Media Enquiries: Emma Willis, Assistant Publicist,
Auckland Arts Festival, +64 9 374 0331
emma.willis@aucklandfestival.co.nz
IN CONVERSATION
12.30 - 1.30pm in the Pacific Crystal Palace Spiegeltent,
Festival Garden Aotea Square - FREE
Wed 2 March - Te Radar talks reviewing with a panel of
critics
Self-proclaimed opinionist and sometimes art reviewer, Te Radar,
is joined by a panel of erudite Auckland critics, amongst them
Metro's Simon Wilson and Auckland Arts Festival Director
David Malacari to present a 'how-to-guide' to arts reviewing in
this fair city. Assess Auckland's arts review landscape
alongside these arts experts.
Thur 3 March - Spoken Word with Witi Ihimaera and Toi
Māori
Icon of New Zealand literature and leading indigenous writer
Witi Ihimaera reads from the lyrics he composed for
Ihimaera, a special Festival concert featuring 12 New
Zealand recording artists performing songs inspired by his rare and
moving words. This is a chance to hear Ihimaera's thoughts on
the unique song writing process. Also adding their fresh new voices
to the mix are performance poets Tarah Rudolph Ahikau and Troy and
Luther Hunt from Toi Māori currently touring with the project
Words in Motion.
Fri 4 March - Loin… (Far…) Rachid Ouramdane in
conversation with Dr Nick Rowe
Rachid Ouramdane, a second generation French performer of
Algerian heritage, and a powerfully athletic and intellectually
compelling choreographer is joined in conversation by Dr Nick Rowe,
lecturer in dance at the University of Auckland. Ouramdane creates
interdisciplinary dance-theatre that explores the political,
sociological and psychological impacts of geo-cultural upheaval
while Dr Nick Rowe has researched, created and taught dance in some
of the world's most traumatised communities in Africa, Asia and the
Middle East. In this vital and potent session the pair talk
about the origins of Loin… (Far…), Ouramdane's
semi-autobiographical work which explores colonialism, history and
the damaging affects of war by drawing on testimonies from his
mother and the journals his father kept while in the French Army
during its occupation of Algeria.
Mon 7 March - Massive Company and UrbanYOUTHMovement:
Emerging artists in conversation with Ben Crowder
Massive Company and UrbanYOUTHMovement are performing arts
companies focused on providing professional opportunities for
emerging artists. Alongside projects run by the Young & Hungry
and Play it Strange Trusts, these companies point to a bright
future for young New Zealand artists. Join this panel of creatives
as they share with Ben Crowder, theatre director and teacher, their
perspectives on what it is like to be a young artist in New Zealand
performing arts.
Tue 8 March - Gregory Maqoma speaks about Beautiful
Me
Rising South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma, hailed as a
dance-hero in his home city of Johannesburg, refers to himself as a
cultural cocktail, saying that life in a city like Johannesburg
provides a perfect platform for cross-cultural production,
especially in dance. Meet Maqoma and hear first-hand about
the creation of Beautiful Me - an autobiographical dance
work developed in collaboration with three prominent choreographers
from different cultures and with different dance languages - Akram
Khan (UK), Faustin Linyekula (Congo) and Vincent Mantsoe (South
Africa).
Wed 9 March - Performance/Art: Mark Amery, Emma Bugden,
Sue Gallagher, Tracey Collins in conversation with Ariane
Craig-Smith
What is the role of performance in visual art? Performance art
and performing arts - what is the difference? The re-staging of Jim
Allen's seminal 1974 performance series Contact signals
the strong presence of performance as both theme and method across
several Festival exhibitions. These include performance design
survey Fly-Tower and group show Alicia Frankovich /
Laresa Kosloff / Ruth Proctor at Starkwhite, bringing together
the work of three international artists who address the
relationship between performative body and artwork object. Curator,
art writer and former Playmarket Director Mark Amery, ARTSPACE
Director Emma Bugden and the creative team behind Fly-Tower, Sue
Gallagher and Tracey Collins join Festival Visual Arts Manager,
Ariane Craig-Smith to discuss the relationship between performance
and art.
Thur 10 March - Dance Theatre: Maguy Marin
Compagnie in conversation with Dr Carol Brown
Master choreographer Maguy Marin's seminal work May B
celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2011. This once radical
dance-theatre work undergoes some smart analysis at this lunchtime
discussion as members of Marin's company and Dr Carol Brown, award
winning choreographer, and senior lecturer at the University of
Auckland's Dance Studies programme, assess the ongoing relevance of
the work and its place in the contemporary dance scene.
Fri 11 March - The Manganiyar Seduction: Roysten Abel in
conversation with Justin Lewis
Join Royston Abel artistic director of The Manganiyar
Seduction as he explains to Indian Ink writer, producer and
director Justin Lewis his staging of this incredible performance.
The Manganiyar Seduction is an innovative and astounding
theatre production born from a fascinating musical practice.
Considered the bearers of tradition, it is the responsibility of
the Manganiyars - the largest hereditary musician caste in India -
to keep the musical repertoire and folk knowledge of their caste
alive. Come and hear about the staging of this masterpiece in a new
cultural context.
Mon 14 March - Ngā Hau e Whā - The Four Winds:
Leilani Kake, Luisa Lefao-Setoga, Ema Tavola in conversation with
Kolokesa Mahina-Tuai
Luisa Lefao-Setoga a Samoan mother of four was 6 months pregnant
when video installation artist Leilani Kake filmed her for the
thought provoking installation Nga Hau e Wha - The Four
Winds. In a panel discussion moderated by Kolokesa
Mahina-Tuai, the artist, her subject and Ema Tavola, curator of
Fresh Gallery Otara where the installation is exhibited, examine
taboos in Pacific Island and Maori communities and their impact on
women's bodies and health.
Tue 15 March - O Cambodia's Him Sophy and
Chinary Ung in conversation with Annie Goldson
Contemporary Cambodian composers Him Sophy and Chinary Ung
recollect their experiences during the Pol Pot regime - Sophy spent
four years in a Khmer Rouge labour camp and Ung, living in the USA
at the time, assisted Cambodian refugees, many of them musicians,
to record and perform Khmer music there. The pair share these
experiences with Annie Goldson (QSM), award winning documentarian
and director of Brother Number One, an exploration of the
history of Cambodia and the devastation of the Pol Pot Regime.
Wed 16 March - U Theatre in conversation with Anna
Marbrook
High above the city of Taipei on Laochuan Mountain U-Theatre's
artistic director Liu Ryo-Yu and musical director Huang-Chih-Chun
combine Western theatrical techniques with Zen Buddhist philosophy
to produce a unique theatre of movement and percussion such as
The Sound of the Ocean. In conversation with film
and theatre director Anna Marbrook, the pair discuss the way their
Buddhist practises and understandings shape their art.
Thur 17 March - The Show Must Go On: Cast and
directors speak with Mark Harvey
French choreographer Jerome Bel's restaging of The Show Must
Go On involves a group of locals brought together for an
intensive development period in preparation for performance.
They are a mix of professional and amateur performers of diverse
ages, ethnicities, shapes and sizes. The tour directors,
Auckland based cast, and Jerome Bel enthusiast Mark Harvey from The
University of Auckland's School of Dance come together to
interrogate Bel's process, his conceptual approach to performances
and audiences and the particular flavour New Zealanders bring to
his signature piece.
Fri 18 March Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty Lovett in
conversation with Professor Chris Ackerley
An hour of enlightenment ensues as Professor Chris Ackerly,
Samuel Beckett scholar from Otago University, and esteemed Beckett
interpreters Conor Lovett and Judy Hegarty Lovett tackle the
masterful Irish playwright's oeuvre. Professor Ackerley addresses
Beckett's texts, examining his apparent preoccupation with the
Bible, and with cemeteries in First Love, as well as the
lasting impact of Beckett's father's death on his writing.
The Lovetts, who have considerable experience bringing Beckett's
prose works to the stage, focus on the humour, compassion and
accessibility of Beckett's writing and shift the conversation from
page to the stage. Be sure to join in what will be, without doubt,
an entertaining and intelligent conversation.
Brokentalkers post-show talk
Join the Silver Stars writer Sean Millar and directors
Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan after the Friday night performance,
along with the actors, many of whom point to Silver Stars
as their first appearance on stage, as they share their experiences
of being openly gay in Ireland. Actors explore their motivations
for being involved in such an emotionally challenging project and
Millar, Cannon and Keegan discuss the inspiration for the show and
the creative processes used to bring it to the stage.
When Fri 4 March, 8.30pm
Where Concert Chamber
WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES
WORKSHOP: Shaping the beat with Jack
DeJohnette
An opportunity to engage with innovative jazz percussionist Jack
DeJohnette as he demonstrates, using examples from his extensive
repertoire, how he shapes, moulds and contorts the beat.
When Fri 4 March, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Where Studio One, Kenneth Meyers Centre
Cost $15
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
WORKSHOP: Devised theatre with Massive
Company
A full-day workshop for 15-18 year olds offering a great chance
to experience devised theatre. Led by Sam Scott and members of
Massive Company, participants are presented with the original
provocations used by writer Lennie James when he developed the
script for Havoc in the Garden.
When Sat 5 March 9-3.30pm
Where Aotea Centre
Cost $25
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
MASTER CLASS: Creating dance with Gregory
Maqoma
A fantastic opportunity for experienced dancers to listen to and
learn from Gregory Maqoma, one of South Africa's foremost
contemporary dancers and choreographers, as he describes the
creative impetus behind his work Beautiful Me.
When Sun 6 March 10am-12pm
Where Unitec
Cost $25
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
Where Unitec
Cost $25
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
WORKSHOP: Musical instrument making with Linsey
Pollak
Make your own panpipes ... learn how to tune them and even how
to make one from a carrot! Only 10 places available ... 10 years
and up.
When Sat 12 March, 2.30pm - 3.30pm
Where Herald Theatre
Cost $10
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
MASTER CLASS: Dance Theatre with
Compagnie Maguy Marin
One of the most significant figures in the French new wave,
Maguy Marin has been at the forefront of contemporary dance. At
this session, work with dancers from Compagnie Maguy Marin and
experience Marin's unique dance theatre approach.
When Sat 12 March, 10.30am - 12.30pm
Where Unitec
Cost $30
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
MASTER CLASS: Solo-performance and interpretations of
prose with Gare St Lazare Players
Acclaimed Irish performer Conor Lovett of Gare St. Lazare
Players leads actors with theatrical training in an intensive,
hands-on acting session. Participants must have attended a
performance of either The End or First
Love.
When Sun 20 March, 10.00am -
12.00pm
Where Unitec
Cost $50
Bookings workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND SCHOOL OF MUSIC RESIDENCY WITH THE
LAUTTEN COMPANY
All master classes and workshops are open to observers, no
booking necessary. To participate and find out more about email workshops@aucklandfestival.co.nz
MASTER CLASS: Stylistics for Singers /
Vocal Ensembles with Lautten Compagney* conductor
Wolfgang Katschner and NBR NZ Opera
When Sat 5 March, 10.00am - 1.30pm
Where Studio One, Kenneth Myers Centre, 74
Shortland Street
FREE
MASTER CLASS: Lautten Compagney* Strings
Performance
Solo sonatas, suites and other solo repertoire for violin
(strings) from the early and late baroque with particular emphasis
on historically informed playing techniques and stylistics.
When: Wed 9 March, 9am - 11am
Where: Music Theatre, School of Music, 6
Symonds Street
FREE
MASTER CLASS: Lautten Compagney's* Eduard Wesley -
Oboe
A focus on baroque and classical oboe solo repertoire with
particular emphasis on historically informed playing techniques and
stylistics.
When Wed 9 March, 2pm - 5pm
Where Studio One, Kenneth Myers Centre, 74
Shortland Street
FREE
MASTER CLASS: Lautten Compagney's* Martin Ripper -
Recorder and Flute Consort
Renaissance and baroque repertoire for solo recorder and flute
consort with particular emphasis on historically informed playing
techniques and stylistics.
When Thur 10 March, 12pm - 2pm
Where Music Theatre, School of Music. 6 Symonds
Street
FREE
MASTER CLASS: Lautten Compagney's* Mark Nordstrand -
Harpsichord
Improvising from a figured bass line - baroque basso continuo
implementation. Open to all harmony wise keyboard players.
When Thur 10 March, 2pm - 4pm
Where Music Theatre, School of Music¸6 Symonds
Street
FREE
WORKSHOP: Lautten Compagney's* Peter Bauer -
Percussion
Percussion for renaissance and baroque music with particular
emphasis on appropriate playing techniques and rhythms. Instruments
studied include framedrum, tambourine and castanets.
When Friday 11 March, 2pm - 5pm
Where Studio One, Kenneth Myers Centre, 74
Shortland Street
FREE
WORKSHOP: New Purple Forbidden City
Orchestra (China)
The New Purple Forbidden City Orchestra, a 10 Member orchestra
from the China Conservatory of Music (Beijing) specialises in
playing contemporary music on traditional instruments. Join
this demonstration and discussion with members of the
Orchestra.
When Fri 18 March, 1pm - 2pm
Where Music Theatre, School of Music, 6 Symonds
Street
FREE
SPECIAL EVENTS
Q Theatre Tours
During Festival time, a one-off opportunity exists to get a
sneak peek inside the construction site of Q Theatre, Auckland's
newest performing arts venue. Get in quick as numbers are
limited.
When: 4.30 & 5.30pm
Wed 2, Wed 9, Tues 15 & Thur 17 March
Where: 305 Queen Street
Bookings: http://qsitetour.eventbrite.com
or (09) 309 8324.
FREE
Toi Maori: Words In Motion
Three vocally energised Māori performers take to the stage at
venues around Auckland Central and Manukau to promote, inspire and
encourage creativity in people, particularly those of Māori and
Pacific descent. Featuring poets Tarah Rudolph-Ahkiau, a member of
the South Auckland Poets Collective, Troy Hunt and Luther Hunt and
Indigenous Canadian author Janet Rodgers.
When Wed 2 - Fri 4 March, 2pm - 2.50pm
Where TV3 Festival Garden Stage
FREE
In association with Auckland Arts Festival and Toi Maori
Aotearoa
VISUAL ARTS FREE ARTIST TALKS & PERFORMANCES
JIM ALLEN: CONTACT 2011
Free Performances Sat 5, 12 & 19 March, 6pm
Where ARTSPACE
NGĀ HAU E WHĀ - THE FOUR WINDS
In conversation, Mon 14 March 12.30-1.30pm
Artist Talk, Sat 12 March, 6pm
Panel Discussion, Sat 19 March, 12pm - 2pm
Where Fresh Gallery Otara
FLY-TOWER
Performance Designer and Artist Talk
When Sun 6 March, 2pm - 4pm
Where AUT Conference Centre WA224
HÉCTOR ZAMORA
Easy Listening Artist Talk
When 2 March, 6pm
Where Elam
LETTING SPACE
Artists talk Shopfront,
When Tues 15 March, 7pm
VIDEO LIFE
Free Performance: 5 March, 7:30pm - 9pm ST PAUL St Gallery
Artist Talk 8 March, 5:30 pm AUT Lecture Theatre WE230
Workshop Fri 4 March - Sun 6 March contact ST PAUL St Gallery
for details and application forms
Where ST PAUL St Gallery
NUDS
Artist Talk
When Fri 4 March, 1pm
Where Two Rooms
Media Enquiries: Emma Willis, Assistant Publicist,
Auckland Arts Festival, +64 9 374 0331
emma.willis@aucklandfestival.co.nz