There’s a multi-tattooed runner on the cover of the 10th Tauranga Arts Festival booklet. He has a determined look on his face; the wind is sweeping the hair from his forehead and, yes, he’s running between the myriad of festival events on offer in this year’s celebratory festival.
The Tauranga Arts Festival hits the town and its surrounds every two years – sharing the alternate calendar space with the Garden & Art Festival. Started in 1999 the Tauranga Arts Festival is a Labour Weekend highlight – 18th October to 29th October – 10 days of unmitigated creative interest.
There is a Writers Programme over Labour Weekend and then the 28th and 29th, and importantly there is the Taylor Bros. Sponsored Schools programme with special matinees and student friendly prices. Check out the website for the Taylor Bros schools programme taurangafestival.org.nz/schools contact the festival office for bookings info@taurangafestival.co.nz
ARTbop’s recently invited and appointed Contributions Editor, Marcus Hobson, will be attending some of the events and there should be reviews and interviews appearing on our website and facebook pages. Watch out for Marcus a tweet maestro.
If you’re down here on Wednesday 18th October at 7am and come down to the Tauranga Waterfront you’ll be part of the official opening – everyone is invited and it’s free. You’ll be part of Takiri Ko Te Ata – A Chorus Dawn the work of Teraania Ormsby-Teki and Ria Hall who have created “a special waiata” – there will be school and adult choirs and you can find a lyrics sheet at taurangafestival.co.nz
Quick text summary of events but you’ll get through to the Tauranga Arts Festival website at the end of the page.
THURSDAY 19th October 2017
Pss Pss at 6pm and Friday 20th October 1pm and 6pm Addison Theatre, Baycourt Clowning circus and theatre – performed over 600 times in over 50 countries. An hour of pure happieness. Don’t miss it.
TROLL At 7.30pm and Friday 20th October 7.30pm X Space Baycourt a lo-fi wi-fi fable Trick of Light Theatre (Aotearoa) Storytelling, music and puppetry combine in an uncanny tale
THAT BLOODY WOMAN at 8.30pm and Friday 20th October 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace a rock musical about one of our feminist activists. A woman who led the charge to get NZ women the vote. “One third cabaret, one third musical and one third rock concert” Warning: heavy use of smoke, strobe and haze effects during this performance.
FRIDAY 20th October 2017 ROYALE RIOT at 8.30pm Totara Street Mount Maunganui – a night of beat and rockabilly
SATURDAY 21st October 2017 ANZ COMMUNITY DAY 10am to 2pm Tauranga CBD The Strand will be closed the streets will be cleared and it will be all go – go – go markets, poetry live entertainment…
1.30pm to 2.30pm at the X Space, Baycourt free entry to the Basant Madhur and the Sargam School of Indian Music
CUDO at 7pm Addison Theatre, Baycourt urban contemporary dance enhanced with sound and music.
THE BALLAD OF BACKBONE JOE at 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace. Internationally acclaimed trio The Suitcase Royale, dark humour, visual trickery, rag’n’bone music
MILES CALDER & THE RUMOUR at 8.30pm Totara Street Mount Maunganui A Wellington folk rock band
NIGHT OWL CINEMA at 8.30pm Mt Drury, Mount Maunganui
SUNDAY 22nd October 2017
MILES CALDER & THE RUMOURS at 4pm Waihi Beach Hotel – Wellington Folk Rock Band
MISS JEAN BATTEN at 7pm and Monday 23 October at 7pm X Space Baycourt Flaxworks Theatre Aotearoa – a one woman show set in the VIP suite of the Hotel Australia, Sydney
THE MAORI SIDESTEPS at 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace The newest and naughtiest contemporary Maori showband
MONDAY 23rd October 2017
VOICES NEW ZEALAND at 2pm Addison Theatre Baycourt Salut Printemps is a concert welcoming spring.The music skips from Debussy and Poulenc to ….
BUSH GOTHIC at 3pm, Carrus Crystal Palace – Darker, stranger, Australian folk that destroys all preconceived notions of Australian folk music.
TUESDAY 24th October 2017
WILLIAM YANG, THE STORY ONLY I CAN TELL at 6.30pm X Space Baycourt Four Tauranga migrants join with William Yang to tell their stories
MISS JEAN BATTEN at 7pm Te Puke Litt Park Theatre Flaxworks Theatre Aotearoa – a one woman show set in the VIP suite of the Hotel Australia, Sydney
OTTO & ASTRID – EUROSMASH! At 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace Berlin’s self-appointed Prince & Princess of art rock and europop
WEDNESDAY 25th October 2017
CHEESE at 1pm X Space Baycourt Dancing Milkmaids amazing animals and epic journey from grass to milk
THE CREAMERY at 7pm X Space Baycourt, artisans compete to wi your favour and create the finest slice of cheese – the third part of Java’s Artisan Series. This culinary investigation into the culture of cheese delights the senses and feeds the soul.
THE FLOATING THEATRE at 7.30pm and 9pm and Thursday 26th, Friday 27th and Saturday 28th 7.30pm and 9pm (two shows per evening) Tauranga Waterfront an ingeniously designed theatre that sparkles with projected, reflected and dynamic imager inside and out – an intimate theatre performance
HUDSON & HALL Sat 8.30pm and Thursday 26th October 1pm and 8.30pm Addison Theatre, Baycourt immersive theatre where we meet two of New Zealand trail-blazing TV personalities at a pivotal point of their relationship. Long before Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules there was Hudson & Halls.
THOMAS OLIVER at 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace A distinctive blend of roots, soul, folk and electronic music. Thomas and his band create a live show that will take you with them from delicate and introspective to bold and triumphant.
THURSDAY 26th October 2017
THE ORCHID & THE CROW at 7.30pm X Space Baycourt A life affirming musical comedy about family, faith and survival (Australia)
SARAH SPICER AND THE BLUE RIDERS at 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace A collective featuring star performer singer/songwriter Sarah Spicer – expect atmosphere and real emotion
FRIDAY 27th October 2017
SUNNY RAY AND THE MAGNIFICENT MOON at 6pm and Saturday 28th October at 1pm X Space, Baycourt Sunny Ray will delight audiences aged four years and over, guaranteed to have the audience giggling all the way to bedtime.
CONTRAST Footnote at 7pm Addison Theatre, Baycourt A double bill of exceptional new dance work from Footnote New Zealand Dance
DON JUAN 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace – they tell the story of Don Juan with you. They greet you at the door, bring you and give you a drink……
SATURDAY 28th October 2017
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT at 7pm Addison Theatre, Baycourt On March 28 1864 Henare Taratoa wrote to Sir George Grey outlining the code of conduct under which the Battle of Pukehinahina should ensure….the Rules of Engagement is the inspiration for Ria Hall’s show and debut album.
BIG DADDY WILSON & BAND at 8.30pm Carrus Crystal Palace a melange of blues, spiritual, roots, soul and reggae
WRITER’S PROGRAMME: There is an extensive and topic diverse readers and writers’ programme. Saturday 21st, Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd October and then Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th October – check out the little yellow book!
EXHIBITIONS & GALLERY EVENTS
TOI-OHOMAI – until the 27th October 2017 10am to 2pm weekdays M Block, Windermere Campus – a suite of exhibitions by current students
ARTHOUSE REVOLUTION 19-29 October Red Square, Tauranga arthouserevolution.nz
TAURANGA SOCIETY OF ARTISTS 25 -29 October Elizabeth Street Community Centre Tauranga taurangasocietyofartists.org.nz
ART OF TECHNOLOGY Goddard Centre, Downtown Tauranga 19 October – 5 November artoftec.co.nz
GRAHAM CROW “DOWN UP” 12 -28 October 2017 10am to 2pm Zeus Gallery, Chapel Street Tauranga zeusgallery.co.nz
Exhibition: Down – up by Graham Crown October 12 – 28 |
Graham Crow’s exhibition of new works titled Down Up will wow audiences at Zeus Gallery on Marsh Street from 12 to 28 October 2017. All are welcome to attend the opening event, where they can meet the artist, on Thursday 12 October at 5.30pm. Maungatapu-based Graham Crow is a favoured name on the Tauranga art scene and is known for his bold and dynamic approach to colour, surface and light. Following on from the successful exhibition Blue Shift, shown at Zeus Gallery in 2016, Down Up is a new collection of minimalist abstract works inspired by thumbnail drawings from a sketchbook Crow was using in 2007. Where: The ZEUS Gallery When: October 12 – 28, Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturdays 10am – 3pm Futher Info: click here |
MICHELLE ESTALL “LEGEND & LEGACY” to 30 October 2017 10am to 3pm The Incubator, The Historic Village, 17th Avenue, Tauranga
Half of the work on display is inspired by Maori Legend, purakau. When: October 7 – 30, opening hours click here Where: The Incubator, Historic Village Further info: Check out Michelles Facebook page |
And just past Bethlehem is the still rural area of Te Puna. You’ll find Design on James a short drive from the main road – all tarsealed and worth the trip. |
The work of Susan Harrison-Tustain is internationally recognised. |
SUSAN HARRISON-TUSTAIN “GilDED EDGE – A Celebration of Gold and Colours” 21-22 October 10am to 5pm, Design on James, James Road, Te Puna A gold coin donation to Medecine Mondial susanart.com