Impact of Auckland Arts Festival timing change yet to be seen

November 11, 2016

Impact of Auckland Arts Festival timing change yet to be seen

Jillian de Beer has doubts about the long term success of an annual Auckland Arts Festival. Photo: Anneke Smith

A change of the previously biennial Auckland Arts Festival to an annual event has received mixed reviews from some in the arts community.

The festival now competes with Wellington’s New Zealand Festival instead of alternating with it, as it has in previous years.

Artistic director of the New Zealand Festival, Shelagh Magadza, said the change to a yearly event for Auckland means the festivals can now “collaborate on the commissioning and presentation of New Zealand work”.

Both the Auckland Arts Festival and New Zealand Festival worked together to share four shows this year - Brass Poppies, No Mans Land, Te Pō and Not in our Neighbourhood.

“You can’t be competitive when both of us have the same goal of promoting artists and the development of their work,” she said.

She did, however, refer to changes Adelaide’s art festival underwent when it became annual in 2012, saying “they did have to change the scope of the programme, you just can’t do as much in an annual programme”.

Artistic director of the Auckland Arts Festival, David Inns, said collaboration is “great for the artists because they get a longer season and more investment to make their work.”

He said this year’s programme was the “biggest” so far and has received great feedback.

Matt Baker’s review on ‘Big Mouth’ in Theatre Scenes, an Auckland Theatre Blog, summarised the festival as an “educational experience presented in a simple yet unique and skilful way”.

There have been 153 reviews on the Auckland Arts Festival Facebook page, with 94 reviews rating the festival 5 stars, and an average rating of 4.3 stars.

Despite this positive feedback, some involved in the Remuera White Night (a part of the Auckland Arts Festival) are unsure the timing change will be of benefit.

Remuera White Night organiser Laura Carr feared having an annual festival would leave organisers and artists “churning stuff out” at the expense of quality art.

“Sometimes art and innovation isn’t a quick process,” said Ms Carr.

Associated curator of the Remuera White Night, Jillian de Beer, said by having an arts festival annually “it becomes more mainstream, it gets dumbed down.”

“I think [White Nightl] will die if it’s every year. I’m actually convinced it will die,” said Ms de Beer.

Despite agreeing with Mr Inns that this year’s festival was “by far the best”, she expressed her concern that the event could lose “intimacy with artists and collaboration with the community.”

This year’s Auckland Arts Festival is running from March 2 to March 20 in the Auckland region. Details of shows can be found here.

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