Thirty years of celebrating creativity

In a region so rich in creativity, it should come as no surprise that Nelson hosts the longest running yearly arts festival in the entire country. This year is the 30th annual gathering of not only New Zealand’s most exciting visual, written and performing artists, but also world-renowned acts from beyond these shores. Alistair Hughes takes a look at what’s instore.

Theatre, dance, music, art, and literature in every media will once again set the creative pulse of Nelson racing during October’s final week and into November. But, as is so typical of our wider community, public events, workshops, and forums are also planned to create a welcoming entry point for everyone—whether a dedicated connoisseur of culture or someone out to enjoy a family-inclusive event with live music.

“Warm and inviting is certainly the vibe that we're going for,” says artistic director Lydia Zanetti. “It's such a gift to be able to really think about the place and the people you're curating a festival for. We've consciously pulled together a programme which we think will speak to the people of Whakatū Nelson.”

This is the fourth Nelson Arts Festival that Lydia has curated, and although very mindful of the 30-year legacy the festival team holds stewardship of, they believe holding a world-class event means looking ahead as well. “We’re aiming to pull together artists who are grappling with the challenges, joys, and trepidations of this particular moment in time, but are also perhaps a slight step ahead of where we currently are. So there's always this sense of being pulled forward by the artists and their work.”

New Zealand-born dancer/choreographer Rebecca Jensen is certainly one of those innovators. Slip, her collaborative performance with sound artist Aviva Endean, is an opening act of the festival and designed to encourage taking a different viewpoint on our modern existence.

“A lot of people told me Slip is very humorous, which I love because I think it's important to connect with audiences,” says Rebecca.

“Some feel isolated by dance, so a sense of fun draws people in, even though the production is also grappling with heavier themes like isolation and the complexities in our experience of the world,” says Rebecca.

Rebecca is an enthusiastic multi-disciplinarian. Having trained originally in ballet and holding a BCA in dance, she’s also attended house dance and jiu-jitsu classes and even tried cheerleader training. “I like to go in and absorb as much as I can, keep physical and stay interested. I've also always been fascinated by the sound world, and Aviva is a musician who works with a lot of unusual objects, transforming everyday items into otherworldly sounding things.”

Rebecca is looking forward to staying physical during her first visit to Nelson, hoping to go kayaking during her brief stay.

A vessel of an entirely different kind will be making its debut at the Refinery ArtSpace: the 5.8-metre long, double-hulled Waka of Dreams (Punanga Pohewa). Although travelling all the way from the Far North, this waka will never be borne by the waves as it is the specially commissioned creation of crochet artists Lissy and Rudi Robinson-Cole.

This project grew from the organiser’s original desire to transport the couple’s famous installation, the brightly-textiled Wharenui Harikoa, to Nelson. A full-sized crocheted whare proved too large to find a space for, so the Nelson Arts Festival gets to unveil an original work from the wizards of wool at the Refinery ArtSpace instead.

“Our purpose is to bring some happiness and love to this world, and to celebrate and recognise our beautiful people and tūpuna,” says Lissy. “We use neons, fluorescents, and bright colours because they are loud, proud, and in your face, and bring us immense joy.”

Lissy has only been to Nelson once before, but Rudi apparently made an impression at the festival programme launch party. “He had his neon pink coat on, so I think half of Nelson knows him already.”

Nelson youth will also have a special opportunity to bring some joy to the festival. Glenn Common, co-founder of Rockquest Promotions, is pleased that local youth bands are again performing at Tune Up, the returning outdoor live music event in Kirby Lane. “The students will get to experience playing outside on a large stage,” says Glenn. “Performing outdoors as the sun goes down is very special.” He believes it also allows Rockquest Promotions to build on their existing contributions to the community.

This year’s lineup includes local College acts Tangent, Human Crime, Out of the Flying Pan, Muted, Tizzy, and Wayward. Glenn knows from experience that it is a well-attended gig, benefitting not just the young performers but vendors and the community as a whole. “I would like to think that because it's outdoors, some of that ambience will attract casual walk-ins. And I hope other students who are not necessarily performing themselves yet see what these acts are achieving and become inspired to get involved.”

From outdoor entertainment to a searing courtroom drama which has literally taken the world by storm, the Nelson Arts Festival is hosting Prima Facie, starring former Nelsonian Mel Dodge in the demanding solo role.

“I actually spent my childhood in Nelson, so I'm really excited to be coming back,” says Mel. “I love the cafes and the beach, and the fact that Nelson has this amazing arts festival. There's so much creativity here, a very special place to be.”

Mel plays Tessa, a driven criminal defence barrister suddenly exposed to the flaws of the justice system as a witness. Written by Suzie Miller, a former human rights lawyer who realised she could exert more influence through the arts than in court, Prima Facie went on to London’s West End and won a Tony award on Broadway.

Mel gives an example of Miller’s success in her aim to advocate for change through storytelling: “In Northern Ireland, judges must now watch the video of a live performance of Prima Facie before they can actually sit on the High Court bench.” And here in Nelson, lawyers can gain continued professional development points by attending a Q&A with Mel, her director, and a local defence barrister after the show.

“Even though the play goes to dark places, it also gives a sense of hope and allows the space to have conversations around the content,” says Mel. “This is an example of art changing the world.”

Co-director of the Trick of the Light Theatre company, Ralph McCubbin Howell, is looking forward to showing Nelson that very good things come in small packages. Having just returned from sell-out performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Suitcase Show is now being unpacked at the Suter Theatre.

“The framing narrative is opening luggage at a border control point, and each bag contains a different story with its own style and staging concept,” explains Ralph. “We use puppetry and shadow play, and because of the miniature scale, we're able to try things that would be much more daunting to pull off on a full-scale stage.”

Trick of the Light discovered that ‘small is beautiful,’ and down-scaling meant they could tour a show further and longer. “And the more you tour it, the better the show gets. We love getting to explore new places and performing in front of different audiences.”

During their previous visit to our region, Trick of the Light performed at Founders Heritage Park. “I spent a lot of time coming up to Nelson and to Golden Bay when I was a kid, so I’ve always loved getting to this part of the country.”

Ali Boswijk is chair of the Nelson Festivals Trust, an organisation set up by the council in 2018 to provide community-based support and governance for the festival. Having had a long association with the festival in different capacities, she is delighted with this year’s programme.

“For me, it’s about the range of events and the fantastic performers that we'll be seeing from around the country, as well as from here in Nelson. When you see passionate, brilliant people performing so well, you can't help but be totally engaged. It's really awe-inspiring.”

Ali believes that our region’s unique location has much to do with the creativity it attracts and nurtures. “On the edge of anything is where growth and creativity happens. And we live on the edge of the top of the South, and on the edge of the world. We're unbound by convention here in ways other places aren’t, and creativity is free to flourish.”

The festival’s traditional 'Mask Carnivale' and local performances have always been close to the Festival Trust’s heart. “I love when people take over the streets. If we can transform the city, that’s really impactful and uplifting. Things like this don't just embed themselves overnight. It takes time and has had so much community input over 30 years of existence. That's why it's so wonderful. It's the community’s festival, and we’re thrilled to be involved.”

Nelson Arts Festival
24 Oct - 3 Nov 2024