Virtual Countries Travel Blog

The New Zealand International Arts Festival

New Zealand’s beautiful city of Wellington will be inundated with lovers of the arts from 22 February to 16 March 2008, as artists and spectators gather to explore the many treasures of the New Zealand International Arts Festival. The festival takes place every two years and serves as a platform for over 800 artists from 29 countries, representing a broad range of styles in theatre, music, dance and opera, as well as literary and visual arts. The hub of the festival will be located on the charming Wellington waterfront with events staged at various venues in Wellington.

The New Zealand International Arts Festival’s artistic director, Lissa Twomey, has compiled a jam-packed program of top companies and artists from New Zealand and around the world. Tickets are on sale and events that are expected to sell out quickly include the National Theatre of Scotland’s theatre production, “Black Watch”, a fast moving, action packed and thought-provoking theatre production which is based on the experiences of Scotland’s legendary 300-year old Black Watch regiment in war-torn Iraq.

On the lighter side, the Cirque Ici is a circus like no other. The traditional circus setting of tent and circular seating provides the perfect ambiance for Johann de Guillerm to weave his unique brand of magic using his inventions made of fabric, iron, rope and wood in a performance that leaves spectators mesmerized and incredulous.

Visitors to “Body Movies” on the Wellington Waterfront can participate in one of the world’s largest interactive artworks on display throughout the New Zealand International Arts Festival. This larger-than-life art installation is the brain-child of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and features hundreds of photo portraits from well known streets of New Zealand together with portraits taken from the many cities where this work has been shown. These will be projected onto a wall with bright lights placed at ground level that completely wash out the portraits. As passers-by stroll into the lit up area, their silhouettes are cast onto the wall and reveal the portraits underneath. These portraits can be animated depending on what the shadow player chooses to do. This multi award winning art installation, which was inspired by robotics and surveillance equipment, has entertained crowds in over two dozen cities and will be made freely available to the public.

The New Zealand International Arts Festival attracts people with an appreciation for the arts from far and wide, with the man in the street rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, so be sure to get to Wellington to be part of the action.

Pacific