NAU MAI KI TE AHUREI TOI O TĀMAKI. INSIDE DISCOVER MORE THAN 70 SHOWS & SPECIAL EVENTS, CURATED ACROSS THREE ‘AROHA’ THEMES... He mata rau ō te kupu ‘aroha’ He nui te pōhēhē ko “love” nahenahe Often mistaken to mean only “love”, te whakapākehātanga o te kupu the interpretation of the word “aroha” is “aroha”; heoi anō rā, kapia ana e ōna multi-faceted and includes compassion, mata rau ko ētahi tikanga rau. empathy, sympathy, affection, caring, benevolence and kindness. E kapi ana i te aroha ko ngā rongo e rima o te tangata, ko te kiritau, ko te Aroha encompasses the five senses, hinengaro anō. Koia tonu ko te hau the ego and the intellect. It is the ora, ko te mauri auaha o te wairua. He breath of life and the creative force of mea tohu i ngā painga o te ao tukupū, the spirit. It highlights the abundance ko tāna he tō mai i ngā painga katoa of the universe and seeks to draw out o te tangata, kia noho ai ko ēnei hei the best in people, encouraging our mea arataki i a tātou. He wāhi nui positive traits to lead the way. In this mārika tō ngā mata rau o te aroha i rapidly changing world, the many facets ēnei rā, i tēnei ao e hurihuri kau ana. of aroha are more relevant than ever. Aroha ki ngā kōrero Aroha ki te tangata Aroha ki te taiao respect for our stories show kindness, compassion, goodwill towards people caring for our natural environment – air, land, water PAGES 4—25 PAGES 26—69 PAGES 70—79 Tēnā koutou katoa. AAF plays an important role in supporting These sub-themes will be explored and few countries in the world to be able to the Auckland and national arts ecosystem expressed through a huge range of music, do so as I write. Feast on this opportunity, Nau mai ki te Ahurei to recover in the wake of the pandemic – theatre, dance, comedy, film, visual arts, leap off the couch and treasure the Toi o Tāmaki 2021. replenishing work for not only our artists, circus, kapa haka and talks that create irreplaceable essence of live performance producers and companies but our venues, connections across Aotearoa. Get involved – one that can never be replicated. Welcome to your festival – a programme crew, media and arts managers too. with our community participation projects As we New Zealanders recalibrate our designed to unify, uplift and inspire you, as we bring the city alive, celebrating the We have proudly commissioned relationship to the rest of the world in your whānau and your friends through diversity of voices, cultures and genders world premieres of several new works, the midst of massive change, the arts are a world-class, all-Aotearoa curated that are the people of Auckland. resuscitated some that had to be cancelled a powerful connective tissue that can collection of events that celebrate in 2020, and are providing work for more 2021 sees a massive increase in free nourish, replenish and refill our hearts, the timely theme of AROHA. than 1,000 artists through the 72 events events, supporting our access for all minds and understanding of each other. He aroha whakatō If love is sown that form our 100% Aotearoa festival. kaupapa. We want everyone to feel Please join with us to actively demonstrate welcome and represented, and to see Diversity transforms to unity when we share He aroha puta mai love will be received your appreciation as we champion every seat filled – thank you to the powerful arts experiences – so prepare Our Festival vision champions our finest artists and storytellers and sponsors, donors and funders who help your calendars, friends and whānau to drink change-making, the environment, significantly reduce our carbon footprint. us achieve this. Many of your favourite deep and be nourished by the incredible ambitious ideas, powerful voices and venues will be enlivened across this vast calibre of artists who we are lucky enough My vision as AAF Artistic Director sees inspirational experiences that open city, and we continue to celebrate and to have call our beloved Aotearoa home. the introduction of annual themes, to our eyes, our hearts and our minds. champion te reo Māori with our Toitū sharpen focus to our programming and Like a phoenix from the ashes, we proudly Te Reo programme, this year woven present to you Auckland Arts Festival 2021. He toi tupu, He toi ora Grow and nurture the arts, I’m so privileged to guide Auckland Arts deepen our connection and relevance throughout our activities with the guidance Whanake te toi, sustain their wellbeing Festival programming in its 13th year, to you, our audience. The 2021 theme of our Kaihautū Māori, Ataahua Papa. Aroha nui, following a tumultuous 2020. I want of AROHA weaves us together as a i ahu mai te toi i Hawaiiki Develop that which has to thank the extraordinary team led by community, celebrating a shared love of We are so blessed in New Zealand to be Ko te Ahurei Toi come from Hawaiiki our Chief Executive David Inns, who ngā kōrero (our stories), te tangata (the able to come together and experience o Tāmaki! Behold the navigated the shutdown of AAF 2020, people) and te taiao (the environment). the excitement of live events – one of the Auckland Arts Festival! and continues to steer us into the future. Shona McCullagh Artistic Director | Kaitohu Toi MNZM, ARTS FOUNDATION LAUREATE Shona’s portrait and back cover image photographed by John McDermott. #AAF2021 #AKLFEST CONTENTS 2 TOITŪ TE REO AAF.CO.NZ EXPLORE THE PROGAMME 3 4 Aroha ki ngā kōrero / 50 A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD respect for our stories 50 EDITH AND GEORGE: IN OUR SEA OF ISLANDS 6 POLYNESIAN PANTHERS 51 DIGITAL STAGE ARTWORKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY 51 ‘AMUI ‘I MU‘A – ANCIENT FUTURES 7 THE DAWN RAIDS – EDUCATE TO LIBERATE 52 #TĀMAKIBEATS 8 CHE-FU & THE KRATEZ: 54 ACTIVITIES IN THE SQUARE RETURN OF THE NAVIGATOR 55 KIA ORA, TĀMAKI! 10 LOVE TO SAY GOODBYE 56 THE CIVIC CLUB 10 POUWĀTŪ: ACTIVE PRESENCE 57 THE TOM SAINSBURY LOVE HOUR 11 EDUCATE TO LIBERATE – 58 ESTÈRE – INTO THE BELLY PANTHERS MURAL OF CAPRICORN 12 STRASBOURG 1518 59 CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOCIETY I ngā tau e rua nei, kua poho kūkupa katoa For the past two years, Auckland Arts 14 TROPICAL LOVE BIRDS 60 JULIA DEANS te hui Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Makaurau i tana Festival has been proud to honour our 16 THE ARTIST 61 REB FOUNTAIN & THE BLACK QUARTET whakatinana i tōna ngākau titikaha ki te reo commitment to te reo Māori through the 18 SING TO ME PRESENT THE BOY NEXT DOOR Māori mā roto mai i te whakatutukihanga delivery of programmes under Toitū Te Reo, 20 THE HAKA PARTY INCIDENT 62 THE DIXON SIX: DIXON NACEY & FRIENDS o ngā hōtaka i raro i te maru o Toitū Te our language plan that upholds the mana of 21 SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS 63 HEAVENLY BODIES Reo. Koinei tā mātou rautaki reo e whakaū te reo as a treasure and as an integral part 22 JACK AND THE BEANSTALK 64 GITBOX REBELLION nei i te mana o te reo Māori hei taonga, of our daily lives here in Tāmaki Makaurau. 24 THE GRIEGOL 65 CHELSEA JADE / DERYK hei wāhi matua hoki o ngā rā katoa o 25 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL With the aim of ensuring that te reo 66 FRENCH FOR RABBITS ō tātou ao i Tāmaki Makaurau nei. IN CONCERT Māori is seen and heard every day, we 67 HINE! Nā runga i tā mātou whai kia kitea, kia rangona have integrated it into all aspects of the 26 Aroha ki te tangata / 68 ANNA CODDINGTON – BEAMS anō te reo Māori i ia rā, i ia rā, kua tuia te Festival – from the theme of aroha, to show kindness, compassion, 69 SPELL ON YOU goodwill towards people reo ki ngā wāhi katoa o te hui Ahurei - mai the naming of the opening and closing 70 Aroha ki te taiao / anō i te kaupapa matua o te aroha, tae atu events as well as our te reo programmes. 28 TE TĪMATANGA caring for our natural ki ngā ingoa kua tapaina ki ngā kaupapa 29 AROHA ART PROJECT environment – air, land, water Through the platform of the arts, te reo whakatuwhera, whakakapi anō i te hui nei, 30 TAKU TAU KAHURANGI: will resound all across Auckland, starting AN AOTEAROA LOVE STORY 72 TAONGA MOANA – ā, tae atu anō ki ngā hōtaka reo Māori. with the opening event Te Tīmatanga 32 VOICES AT THE END A LOVE LETTER TO THE OCEANS Mā roto mai i te waka o te ao toi, ka rangona and rounding out with the closing Kia ora, 34 SHOULDER TO SHOULDER 74 MY NAME IS MOANA te reo Māori huri i Tāmaki Makaurau, tīmata Tāmaki! celebration. Kapa haka, poetry, 36 LEVEL UP: 75 RAIL LAND AN INTERGENERATIONAL DISCUSSION HE OWHA MATARUA – mai ana i te kaupapa whakatuwhera, i Te music, Māori artists, waiata sing alongs 76 36 SIVA AFI FESTIVAL / WĀHINE TOA AFI HAUNTOLOGY OF INHERITANCE Tīmatanga, ā, tae noa atu ki te kaupapa and kōrero will bring the taonga that is 37 WĀHINE TOIKUPU 77 THE AIR BETWEEN US / whakanui hei whakakapi ake, ki Kia ora, te reo front and centre for audiences to A FIGURE EXHALES 38 SUBTLE DANCES Tāmaki! Mā te kapa haka, mā te toikupu, mā enjoy, participate and engage with. 78 THE THRUM OF THE TIDE 40 LEGACY VOGUE BALL 79 KA MUA, KA MURI te pūoru, mā ngāi ringatoi Māori, mā te waiata 42 PŪMANAWA Te Reo Māori – connecting the 79 NEW MOON FOLK BALL tahi, mā te kōrero anō e whakatairangahia 44 TEKAU! | CELEBRATING 10 YEARS past, present and future.