Music News - Auckland Arts Festival 2021 - First Three Shows On Sale
12 November 2020 - 0 Comments
AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL 2021
FESTIVAL REVEAL – FIRST THREE SHOWS ON SALE
Te Ahurei Toi o Tamaki | 4-21 March 2021
The vision and the first three shows for Auckland Arts Festival/Te Ahurei Toi o Tamaki (AAF) 2021 have been revealed.
Taonga Moana, Pumanawa, and Che Fu and The Kratez were all announced last night in a video streamed on AAF’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, along with the Festival’s 2021 theme, Aroha. The video featured a backstage performance of Waka by Che Fu and his father, former Polynesian Panther Minister of Arts and Culture, Tigilau Ness.
The full programme will be released online on Wednesday 25 November 2020 at 7pm. Attendees are invited to RSVP and register for related notifications via the Facebook event page.
After calling its 2020 season short due to COVID-19, Auckland Arts Festival 2021 will feature a 100% Aotearoa collection of more than 70 multi-art shows and events at theatres, galleries and unique indoor and outdoor venues across Tamaki between 4 and 21 March 2021.
The 2021 Festival will be the first of four with new Artistic Director Shona McCullagh (MNZM) at the helm. Arts Foundation Laureate McCullagh founded and led The New Zealand Dance Company as Chief Executive/Artistic Directorsince its establishment in 2012, and joined AAF in March 2020.
“Auckland Arts Festival is committed to playing a key role in the post-COVID recovery of the arts sector in Tamaki and the rest of New Zealand, by proudly committing to a 100% Aotearoa artist-led Festival in 2021.I’m beyond excited about the calibre and breadth of the programme we have been able to curate – we really have been spoilt for choice,” says Shona.
A key shift introduced by McCullagh is thematic programming, and in 2021 the Festival theme will be Aroha. As Ataahua Papa, AAF Kaihautu Maori explains, “Often thought of as just meaning love, aroha is so much more. The word aroha actually encompasses all five senses, as well as the ego and intellect – and we celebrate them all throughout the 2021 Festival.”
All 2021 shows fall into three strands related to the overarching theme of Aroha: aroha ki te taiao – our love and care for our natural environment – air, land and water; aroha ki te tangata – kindness, compassion and goodwill toward people; and aroha ki nga korero – the respect we hold for our stories.
Representing aroha ki te taiao and presented by Voices New Zealand, Taonga Moana is a breathtaking musical, movement and visual homage to the beauty and vulnerability of our oceans, tracing the flight of the godwit from the Arctic to Antarctica. This one-night only performance is conducted by Dr Karen Grylls, with direction and choreography by Arts Foundation Laureate Sara Brodie, and features music by a range of international composers, including New Zealand’s own Warren Maxwell (TrinityRoots, Little Bushman).
Signalling aroha ki te tangata, Pumanawa brings together four brilliant kapa haka who embody the idea of legacy, talent and dedication to a centuries-old way of celebration. This performance by Te Ropu Manutaki, Te Iti Kahurangi, Tuwhitia kia Angitu and 2019 Te Matatini winners Nga Tumanako, will be incredibly powerful and is particularly important as the annual kapa haka competition Te Matatini has been postponed until 2022.
Flying the flag for aroha ki nga korero, is the 20th anniversary concert of Che Fu’s seminal second album, Navigator, which the artist released 20 years ago and will perform at an all-ages show at Auckland Town Hall with his band The Kratez. When Che released Navigator in 2001, he opened a new chapter for New Zealand music – dropping genre-crossing tracks like Misty Frequencies and Fade Away that brought Polynesian sounds and stories to the masses and swiftly took their place as kiwi classics. The show headlines the Festival’s Polynesian Panthers 50th Anniversary programming, which will be announced in full on 25 November.
AAF 2021 proudly showcases the world-class artists of Aotearoa, launching at a time when venues in many other countries are still unable to open. It is an opportunity to champion the crucial role of the arts in providing solace, energy and hope in difficult times.
“The irreplaceable essence of live performance binds and bonds us. We really wanted to capture a sense of gratitude – uplifting and creating a centre-stage platform to thank our world-class artists for their support during lockdown, nourishing our hearts, minds and understanding of the world we live in.” – Shona McCullagh, Artistic Director
“At a time when the performance sector is in flux around the world, we are extremely pleased to be able to confirm Auckland Arts Festival will be back in 2021. A huge thanks to our partners, sponsors and supporters, who play a crucial role in ensuring we are able to deliver a world-class Festival and continue to support the arts in Aotearoa.” – David Inns, Chief Executive
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