2023 Festival Archive

19-29 October 2023

Wrap Video time! Walk down memory lane with us:


Huge thanks to our friends at Innit Creative for capturing the 2023 Festival magic.

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AFTER DARK II: DUSK CHORUS

Arihia Latham & Ruby Solly

Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
Mon 23 Oct | 7.30pm | 130 min

AILMENTS

Hayley Sproull

Theatre Royal
Sat
21 Oct | 8pm | 60 min

BY WHAKATŪ RESIDENCY SHARING

Suter Theatre
Sun 29 Oct |
12.30pm | 60 min

CAPTURING WHAT CANNOT BE CAPTURED

Karen Sewell

ATELIER Studio|Gallery + Christ Church Cathedral
Throughout Festival | Gallery Weds-Sat 11am-5pm | Cathedral daily 8.30am-5pm

CATHERINE BAGNALL

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout
Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm

CELEBRATION OF HIWA

Paula Morris & fellow contributors

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Sat 21 Oct | 5pm | 60 min
RSVPs essential

CHAII

with JOLA BURNS

Deville Music Hub
Fri 20 Oct
| Doors 8pm, Support 8.30pm, Main Act 9.30pm

COUCH STORIES

NCMA
Wed
25 Oct | 8pm | 90 min

COULD BE BIGGER.

Elisabeth Pointon

Nelson Airport + Refinery ArtSpace Window
1929 Oct (Terminal daily 5am-late, window accessible 24/7)
Artist Talk: Sat 28 Oct 1pm (Refinery ArtSpace)

COUNTER-CULTURE

Olive Jones

Te Noninga Kumu Motueka Public Library
Tues 24 Oct | 6pm | 60 min

DEVILLE MUSIC HUB

DEVILLE MUSIC HUB

Thurs – Sat: 19 – 21 & 26 – 28 Oct

DOUBLE GOER

Foster Group Dance

The Suter Theatre
Tues 24 + Wed 25 Oct | 6.30pm |
50 min

END TIMES: THE QUESTION OF HOPE

Rebecca Priestley

Suter Theatre
Sat 21 Oct | 1.30pm | 60 min

FLORECER

Lucia Zúñiga Cáceres

Cultural Conversations
Throughout Festival | All Ages

FORAGING YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS

Liv Sisson & Valetta Sówka

Moutere Hills Community Centre
Mon 23 Oct | 12pm | 60 min

GATHERED VOICES: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FLETCHER TRUST COLLECTION

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm

GRÁDA

Neudorf Vineyards
Sun 29 Oct | 2pm (Doors 12pm) | 75 min

HERE IF YOU NEED

Kura Forrester

The Boathouse
Fri 20 Oct | 8pm |
60 min

IN THE TEMPLE

Catherine Bagnall & Jane Sayle

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Thurs 19 Oct | 5.30pm | 20 min

JAZMINE MARY

with Young Moon

Deville Music Hub
Thurs 26 Oct |
Doors 8pm, Support 8.30pm, Main Act 9.30pm

JUJULIPPS & INFORDIN

with Fam

Deville Music Hub
Sat 28 Oct | Doors 8pm, Fam 8.30-9.30pm, Jujulipps 9.30-10pm, INFORDIN 10-late

KANOHI KITEA (the seen face)

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm

KĀWAI: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Monty Soutar

Suter Theatre
Sat 21 Oct | 11am | 60 min

KITA

with NEON COWBOYS

Deville Music Hub
Sat 21 Oct
| Doors 8pm, Support 8.30pm, Main Act 9.30pm

LITERARY CITIZENSHIP: A WORKSHOP FOR WRITERS

Caroline Barron

Elma Turner Library
Sun 22 Oct | 3pm | 60 min

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS: DUO ENHARMONICS

NCMA
Thurs 26 Oct | 12.30pm | 50 min

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS: MIKE FORD

NCMA
Thurs 19 Oct | 12.30pm | 50 min

MĀ & THE FLY HUNNIES

with MIHIHEA

Deville Music Hub
Thurs 19 Oct | Doors 8pm, Support 8.30pm, Main Act 9.30pm

MASK CARNIVALE 2023

WHAKATŪ NELSON CBD
Fri 27 Oct | 5-10pm
Parade starts 5.15pm, Carnivale from 5.45pm

Mask Making Workshops

Community Art Works
Sat 7 + Sat 14 Oct | 10am – 12pm

NELSON SUTER ART SOCIETY’S SPRING EXHIBITION

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū
Throughout Festival | Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm

NIGHT VISION

Participating Galleries + Whakatū CBD
Thurs 19 Oct | 5-8pm

PRIDE THROUGH POETRY WITH EMMA | WORKSHOP

Emma Ling Sidnam

Surprise Location
Fri 20 Oct |
4.30pm | 60 mins

PUKAPUKA TALKS

Various Locations
Thu 19 – Sat 28 Oct | Various times

RANGATAHI YOUTH & FAMILY FRIENDLY

Rangatahi Youth & Family Friendly
Throughout the Festival | 19 – 29 Oct

REIMAGINING MOZART

Voices NZ Chamber Choir

Christ Church Cathedral
Sat 28 Oct | 7.30pm | 60 min

RISE OF THE OLIVE

Laser Kiwi

Theatre Royal
Tues 24 + Wed 25 Oct | 8pm | 60 min

SENSORY SELF PORTRAITS

Bailee Lobb

Refinery ArtSpace
19-28 Oct | Thurs 19 Oct 5pm-8pm, TueFri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am2pm 

SENTIMENTAL TUNES WORKSHOP

Karolina Gorton

Cultural Conversations
Tues 24 Oct | 7pm | 75
min

SOUNDPAINTING WORKSHOP

Alvaro Moreno

Cultural Conversations
Mon 23 Oct | 6pm | 120
min

SPANISH LANGUAGE STORYTIME

Cultural Conversations Rangatahi Artists

Cultural Conversations
Thurs 26 Oct |
6.30pm | 60 min

TE PITO

Keri-Mei Zagrobelna

Kiss Me (By Kismet)
19 – 29 Oct | A
fter sunset

TENSE

Written by Donna McLeod, Presented by Te Oro Hā

Te Noninga Kumu Motueka Public Library
Wed 25 Oct |
7.30pm | 60 min

Theatre Royal
Thurs 26 Oct | 8pm | 60 min

Schools Show: Fri 27 Oct | 1pm

THE SAVAGE COLONISER SHOW

Tusiata Avia

Theatre Royal
Thurs 19 + Fri 20 Oct | 8pm | 70 min

THERE’S A CURE FOR THIS

Dr Emma Espiner

Theatre Royal
Sun 22 Oct | 1.30pm | 60 min

TŌRUA

Movement of the Human

Meet at Refinery ArtSpace
Fri 27 Oct | 6pm + 8pm
Sat 28 Oct | 10am + 12pm
50 min

TUNE UP

Kirby Lane
Thurs
19 Oct | 5-8pm

VICTORY POETRY SLAM

Sheldon Rua & Talia Stanley

Poetry Workshop: Victory Community Centre
Mon 23 Oct | 11.30am | 120 min

 

Performance: Victory Boxing
Mon 23 Oct | 4pm | 60 min

VISUAL ART AND CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL AUDIO DESCRIBED TOUR

Starting at Refinery ArtSpace
Sat 28 Oct | 2.30pm-5.30pm

WHISPERS IN THE STREETS

Klaasz Breukel + Level 5 NMIT Arts & Media students

Whakatū CBD + NMIT G Block Atrium
19-29 Oct
| Tues-Fri
 9am5pm (NMIT)
+ Bollard takeover Sun 22nd – Sun 29th

WRITING FUNNY STORIES: SCHOOLS’ WORKSHOPS

Leela Chakraborti & Rajorshi Chakraborti

Elma Turner Library
Wed 18 Oct | 1.30pm | 75 min

Te Noninga Kumu Motueka Public Library
Thurs 19 Oct | 9.30am | 75 min

Curatorial Statement

2023 Nelson Arts Festival Team

Lydia Zanetti

(they/them/ia)
Executive & Artistic 
Director

Annie Pokel

(she/her/ia)
Head of Creative & Communications

Rose McGrannachan

(she/her/ia)
Head of Business & Operations

Kerry Sunderland

(she/her/ia)
Pukapuka Talks Programme Manager | Development Manager

Olivia Flanagan

(she/they/ia)
Access Coordinator | Programme Coordinator

JR Richardson

(he/him/ia)
Technical & Production Manager | Head of Sound

Michelle Lafferty | Elephant Publicity

(she/her/ia)
Festival Publicist

Antony Hodgson

(he/him/ia)
Head of Projection | Deputy Technical & Production Manager

Maria Anderson

(she/her/ia)
Audience Experience Coordinator

Wendy Clease

(she/her/ia)
Head of Lighting

Natalie Gilberd

(she/her/ia)
Marketing Coordinator

Sam Cole

(he/him/ia)
Mask Carnivale Project Manager

Sylvan Thomson

(he/him/ia)
Tamariki & Rangatahi Programme Coordinator 

Rosie Pidd

(she/her/ia)
Mask Parade Coordinator

Small but mighty team from around Aotearoa

Festival Technical Team & Crew

Nelson Festivals Trust

The Trustees have combined experience in governance, business, central and local government, and arts promotion and management. 

The Trustees would like to thank all previous Board members for their contribution, advice and support of the Trust and the Festival: Brent Thawley, Zoe Palmer, Johannah Kātene-Burge (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Tama), Debbie Hannan, Sarah Sharp, Caroline Marshall and Pic Picot. 

Ali Boswijk (Board Chair)

A broadcaster by profession, Ali (she/her/ia) has been involved with arts in Nelson since moving to New Zealand in 1996. She ran the Nelson Bays Arts Marketing Trust, is a former Deputy Mayor of Nelson City Council, and the former Head of International and Business Development for WOW. She is now Chief Executive of Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce.

Cynthia Greep

Cynthia (she/her/ia) is from Tasman and works nationwide as an employment relations / HR consultant with an emphasis on dispute resolution. She is a trained NZ mediator across a range of forums including employment. Cynthia supports the Trust with HR and Contractor oversight and is experienced in operational and strategic HR matters. Her work as an HR Specialist at NZ School Trustees has given her wide experience across the education sector and a strong understanding of governance.

Johny O'Donnell (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri)

Born and raised here in Te Tauihu, Johny (he/him/ia) draws his identity from Hokianga in the Far North as well as Irish, Scottish, and Pākēhā ancestry. He has a background in communications and runs his own strategy and consulting firm OD&Co which is based here in Whakatū Nelson. Johny has extensive experience in economic and community development, including delivering regional initiatives such as the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy and Project Kōkiri.

He is passionate about the potential of arts and culture in Te Tauihu, particularly championing and supporting the growth of Ngā Toi Māori. He was involved in the creation of the city's arts and creativity strategy He Tātai Whetū and has been supporting the development of an iwi-led approach to Toi Māori in the region. As a massive Nelson Arts Festival groupie, he excited to give back to the festival that gives so much to Whakatū Nelson.

Gemma Laing

Gemma (she/her/ia) is a born and bred Nelsonian with a passion for the arts, and a life-long interest in dance. Having run a dance studio until 2016, she has been involved in sourcing and preparing entertainment for many community, sporting and cultural events, and taught both performing arts and dance in numerous schools. With a diploma in performing arts, she has coached competitive dancers to the world championships. Currently she works in the events industry running nationwide dance events, competitions and showcases.

Gemma has also worked on the Fringe Festival, International Arts Festival, Cuba Street Carnival and WOW, as well as the opening Entertainment for the All Blacks test matches and Bledisloe Cup.

Her board experience includes being the current vice chair of the First Years Community pre-school board and she is a member of the national dance board -Street Dance New Zealand.

Sarah Yarrow

Sarah (she/her/ia) has over 20 years experience in local government focused on community wellbeing, arts and the environment and was involved in arts management with the Salisbury International Arts Festival in the United Kingdom. Sarah has a professional interest in good governance and is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors.

Sarah is a founding board member of the Nelson Festivals Trust and was part of the group that assessed and recommended how the Festival could be moved successfully from council to community governance and management. She has had a life-long involvement in the arts, growing up in a family heavily involved in the am dram scene in provincial New Zealand.

Luke Acland

Luke (he/him/ia) is a lawyer and partner of one of Nelson’s oldest established law firms Rout Milner Fitchett. The firm specialises in corporate and commercial matters and Luke is primarily the litigation partner with emphasis on employment/industrial and general commercial disputes. Luke was a Nelson City Councillor for two terms before joining the RMF partnership and he currently holds various governance roles including the boards of local charitable orgainsations and school board of trustees. Luke has been involved in the performing arts from a young age and obtained an undergraduate degree in art history. Luke has recently taken up fishing after relentless pressure from his children and it’s good fun.
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