17 October 2023 - 0 Comments

Big Fan is thrilled to celebrate its first year since opening with their first birthday series to mark this special milestone. Big Fan has put together an incredible local lineup of artists and comedians as well as a studio open day set for 8th to 11th November.

Incorporating comedy, music and a public studio open day, really embodies what Big Fan is all about. The series will showcase some of Aotearoa's finest established and upcoming artists and comedians, as well as continue to deliver opportunities for the public to check out their world-class recording facilities during the studio open day. The series will kick off with Big Fan’s first ever comedy event, as they expand their offerings beyond just live music. Throughout the series, the team will be giving insights and background into the creation of Big Fan, from first steps to the day they opened the doors, all the way to the celebration of their first birthday.

Since opening, Big Fan has consistently hosted a diverse range of shows, studio sessions as well as initiatives that break down the barriers and help people fulfill their ambitions through music. The world-class recording studios have been used by over 550 creatives to write, experiment and record music - some for the very first time - and the venue has played host to more than 100 shows and events featuring nearly 300 artists - collectively involving almost 900 creatives performing on stage and drawing an impressive 8,500+ fans through the doors. As a multi-purpose not-for-profit music space, it has also successfully delivered four key programmes with 31 core participants and engaged a further 45 creatives. Inspiring both emerging and established artists, Big Fan provides a safe space for people to hone their musical crafts through a number of workshops and seminars.

Joel Little, Grammy Award winner and founder of Big Fan, says: "I couldn’t be prouder of our team and everything we’ve managed to achieve at Big Fan in our first year, and I’m so excited to build on that success in the years to come. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone in the community that has supported us and helped make this first year such a special one, we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Over the past year, the team at Big Fan have helped to create a community that brings people together, supports the role of music in the betterment of people’s lives, and fosters the talents of musicians, songwriters and those who make it happen behind the scenes, regardless of experience level.

Big Fan’s journey began with the Big Fan launch series, offering a first taste of what Big Fan had to offer. The series included a studio open day, and performances from the likes of There’s a Tuesday, Church & AP and LEISURE. Following this, Big Fan announced their Ignite programme, a music industry specific training programme designed to develop and engage rangatahi passionate about music and events - continuing intakes into 2024. Big Fan’s Summer and Winter Residencies offered creatives the chance to flex their inspired muscles in the professional grade recording studios that boast world class, top-of-the-line equipment, all free of charge for five days.

Big Fan have also hosted multiple songwriting camps including APRA SongHubs, bringing together APRA members and international songwriters and producers to write collaboratively, followed by APRA Ipukarea, bringing together Māori, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander songwriters. Big Fan’s own initiative Fan Camp also brought together producers, vocal performers, instrumentalists, and songwriters to write collaboratively with access to professional-grade recording studios for a week. They are now curating their second volume of Fan Camp – where musically minded creatives of Pasifika descent will be given the opportunity to attend the immersive 5-day collaborative songwriting camp in November.

The most recent addition to Big Fan’s initiatives is Big Fan Live, a programme designed to break down the traditional financial and access barriers when putting on a live show. It provides the music venue and covers associated costs free of charge, with all ticket sales going directly to the acts/event organisers. With 18 opportunities from now through to October 2024, Big Fan Live aims to encourage and support creatives looking to grow their live audience in Tāmaki Makaurau.

The team at Big Fan look forward to providing more opportunities for music lovers and future industry professionals around Aotearoa to progress in their musical journey with tutoring, experience and minimal barriers.

“It’s been an incredible first year for Big Fan. We’ve welcomed people from across Aotearoa and around the globe, come to create, collaborate, learn, and perform in this space - whether it was for the very first time or for the thousandth time! These creatives, along with the fans who have come to enjoy live music, have come together to create this amazing community, here in the heart of Morningside. As we look forward to an exciting year ahead, we wanted to take the moment to mark this special milestone with some amazing local talent, as part of our birthday celebrations.” says General Manager, Savina Fountain.

BIG FAN: FIRST BIRTHDAY SERIES

Wed, Nov 8: COMEDY NIGHT w/ Dai Henwood + Guy Williams + Liv McKenzie + Tim Batt + Hoani Hotene

Fri, Nov 10: Molly Payton + Judah Kelley + Lucian Rice

Sat, Nov 11 (AM): Studio Open Day (free & open to all)

Sat, Nov 11 (PM): Who Shot Scott + Fable + Crystal

Tickets for the Big Fan 1st Birthday Series are on sale now at www.bigfan.co.nz

SEE MORE ABOUT BIG FAN HERE!

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