June 19, 2013

2013 CHRISTCHURCH ARTS FESTIVAL PROGRAMME UNVEILED 

The full programme for the 2013 Christchurch Arts Festival has been released featuring more than 50 events spread across five weeks from 22 August to 22 September.

Four top events for the Festival were announced in May, and today the rest of the programme was unveiled with offerings including theatre from Germany, Britain and New Zealand; dance from Ireland, China and New Zealand; a fantastic music programme; two opera works; classical music; inspiring writers and even two shows for babies and toddlers.

Festival Director Philip Tremewan said the programme brings exciting weekends filled with shows and activities to “take you out of winter and reinvigorate your senses for spring.

“Kick up your heels, move to music, be astonished by circus and cabaret performers and enjoy quality theatre – we’re really excited to bring Christchurch a Festival to amuse, enliven and invigorate.” 

The 2013 Festival follows a similar structure to the 2011 Festival which also ran across a series of weekends. “We still face challenges with venue availability,” Mr Tremewan said. “And by spreading the festival across a longer time period, and centring the core events around the weekends, we give everyone a chance to come and see more.”

Three world premieres feature in the Festival – new play Gifted, which tells the story of when Frank Sargeson met Janet Frame; a collaboration between Mike Nock Trio and NZTrio; and Strike Percussion’s new work created with John Psathas, Between Zero and One.

Three major visual arts projects run for the duration of the Festival, which each reflect on the effects of the Canterbury earthquakes.

For the youngest audience members, Scottish Opera’s BabyO returns and they’re also bringing SensoryO for toddlers.

It’s high-energy action and heart-stopping acrobatics in two very different shows – from Montreal Les 7 Doight de la Main brings urban acrobatics and circus moves in Traces; while seductive cabaret CANTINA turns up the heat and takes audiences into an intoxicating world of scorching passion and desire.

The Festival’s theatre programme offers plenty from the gravity-defying Leo, from Germany to the gloriously grim and wickedly funny Edinburgh Festival hit The Animals and Children Took To The Streets; and two New Zealand actors are centre stage in two different solo shows – I, George Nepia and On The Upside Down of the World.

Three dance pieces feature in the 2013 Festival. Joining the China/Christchurch dance collaboration Fault Lines is Black Grace’s Vaka, while Ireland’s Ponydance performs Anybody Waitin’ in the CBD Bar.

The Fletcher Building Festival Club at the Arts Centre will be the hub for the music line-up – choose from eclectic indie rockers Calexico (USA), Die Roten Punkte’s wild rock’n’roll cabaret ride Super Musician,  Lawrence Arabia, The Eastern’s new show No Depression as well as Adam Page, Bella Kalolo and Fly My Pretties.

Two great song-writers feature – Kurt Weill in Totally Weill featuring Christchurch favourites Delaney Davidson and Naomi Ferguson, and Jacques Brel in The Words and Music of Jacques Brel with Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Jon Toogood, Julia Deans and Tama Waipara. Julia and Tama also team up with Annie Crummer in The Hard Road.

New Zealand Opera brings Don Giovanni and everyone can join in the community opera, Noyes Fludde – no auditions required.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra perform Mozart and Stravinsky in three concerts, while soprano Jenny Wollerman and pianist Michael Houstoun explore the emotional spaces between darkness and light through a series of songs.

The New Zealand Guitar Quartet, the Lazarus String Quartet, Michael Houstoun and the Goldner String Quartet with Piers Lane all feature, in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Alongside this packed programme of theatre, music and dance sits a programme of ideas with writers sharing their thoughts and inspirations.

And on the final Festival weekend, Christchurch’s Hagley Park will play host to the ultimate ‘band in the park’ concert. Christchurch Brass starts with a lone military musician and gradually builds as seven brass bands join in to create the biggest massed band ever seen in the city.

Christchurch Arts Festival takes place from 22 August to 22 September 2013. Find out more and book tickets at www.artsfestival.co.nz

The full programme can be downloaded here https://www.dropbox.com/s/fzeotihdxwtk5gk/CAF2013_Programme.pdf