27 August – 20 September 2015 www.artsfestival.co.nz Festival Sponsors and Partners Welcome to Christchurch Arts Festival is a I would like to thank the organisers we couldn’t do it without … Christchurch much anticipated event and this and artists for the hard work they year it promises to be as fantastic have put in to bring the Festival to as ever. us and I encourage festival-goers to CORNERSTONE PARTNERS Arts Festival take every opportunity to enjoy the The Festival has a wealth of rich variety of performances and 2015 entertainment on off er, with a exhibitions on off er. wide range of exciting international shows alongside some really special If you have travelled from out of home-grown stories of our own. town to attend the Festival, welcome Nāia te mihi kau The Festival also embraces the to our city and I hope you enjoy this FUNDING PARTNERS atu a Ngāi Tahu, whole city, giving all the community special Christchurch experience. the chance to engage. The Schools Nāia te uruhau a Programme is an aspect that Aoraki e pāorooro ana. may not be as visible as the more Lianne Dalziel prominent headline acts but it’s Mayor of Ko tātou te ia kawe an incredibly fun and rewarding Christchurch Honorary Festival hāor, ko tātou te ia experience for the more than Patron kawe toto 9000 children who have the chance to be involved. STRTEGIC PARTNERS Ki tēnei te Manawa o Ōtautahi PHILIP CARTER FAMILY E pātukituki nei, Cities will always change, We are very pleased to invite you e whetukituki nei rebuild, reinvent and reinterpret back to the centre of the city as we CREATIVE PARTNER MEDIA PARTNERS themselves. But while most cities return to some of our most beloved Hai orange tonutanga take decades, even centuries to venues including The Arts Centre mō tātou. move through this process, and the Isaac Theatre Royal. Christchurch has been forced to For four weeks in early spring the We of Ngāi Tahu salute undergo this in just a few years. central city will be a hub of creative and greet you all! And now, even without the ground light, warmth and energy. CORPORTE PARTNERS moving, it remains a shifting We thank all of the superb artists We stand beneath our city. The physical, emotional and who have agreed to share their ancestral mountain cultural landscape continues to work with us – we are continuously transform all around us. Aoraki. amazed at the power of your vision This can be disorienting and and your skills. The people are the soul, discomforting, but it is fertile Thanks also to all our many funders, the essence, we endure ground for artists. And the sponsors and supporters who allow whole world knows it – last year us to fulfi l our ambitions to bring Together we make the The New York Times rated the very best artists to Christchurch. heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch one of the world’s continue beating. top places to visit, emphasising Dive into the programme, mark your that a rebirth was happening favourites and don’t forget to try something new. We look forward ACCOMMODATION PARTNERS “with creativity and wit”. to meeting you over our four Sir Tipene O’Regan For the 2015 Christchurch Arts fantastic weeks. Honorary Festival, we celebrate and embrace Festival Patron the city’s new energy and profi le, featuring many artists who call Lauren Semple Craig Cooper Christchurch their hometown. Festival Chair Festival Director VENUE PARTNERS WITH SUPPORT FROM We also present a wide range of artists from around the world, all of Farina Thompson Charitable Trust whom come determined to be a part Festival Patrons and Friends of this unique artistic environment. Greenwood Roche Chisnall Harvey Cameron Murray & Co Dame Adrienne Stewart Robert and Barbara Stewart Trust The Sargood Bequest Cover photography by Dean MacKenzie www.deanmackenzie.com Typeface ‘Shift’ by Jeremy Mickel www.mckltype.com Come and celebrate the opening of the 2015 Christchurch Arts Festival FESTIVAL as Worcester Boulevard is transformed into a visual feast of fire, warmth and light with two outdoor performance pieces and the revealing OPENING of Ngāi Tahu artist Priscilla Cowie’s sculpture Rama Tuna. EVENT Gravitate Eel Mother NEW ZEALAND / SCOTLAND NEW ZEALAND / SCOTLAND An interactive journey created by the Created and directed by Alex Rigg (Ocean All Over, Scotland) and Adam Hayward WHEN communities of Christchurch, where visual storytelling weaves tales of attraction (The Body Festival), Eel Mother uses elaborate – SPECIAL EVENT – SPECIAL EVENT 3 2 Gravitate and allure for the audience’s delight - costumes, live music and physical theatre. transforming, bold and beautiful… Friday 28 August 6.00pm And don’t be surprised to see Eel Mother it will be a journey of magnets, gravity, in unexpected pop-up performances in love and eels. This promenade production Eel Mother various locations around the city in the week is a celebration of all those things that Friday 28 August 6.00pm leading up to the opening event as it makes its cajole, charm and lure us. progress towards the central city. WHERE Directed by Dougie Irvine Worcester Boulevard, adjacent to (Visible Fictions, Glasgow) The Arts Centre Be part of the opening event - Gravitate. FREE Visit the website for full details about how you can be involved. DURATION Gravitate – 60 mins Eel Mother – performance times vary Read more about Priscilla Cowie’s sculptural installation Rama Tuna on page 51. Other days and times vary - for details visit www.artsfestival.co.nz SPONSORED BY SUPPORTED BY “Band of Magicians will restore WHEN your sense of wonder” Wednesday 16 – Saturday 19 September 7.30pm DAILY TELEGRAPH Saturday 19 September Band of 2.00pm WHERE “This isn’t your average Isaac Theatre Royal razzle-dazzle magic show – this is a TICKETS Magicians Prem $84.90 new breed of abracadabra” A Res $74.90 / A Res Child $49.90 HERALD SUN A SOFT TREAD, JAMES GALEA AND B Res $64.90 / B Res Child $44.90 BARBARA MEYER PRODUCTION Family ticket $180 USA / UK / AUSTRALIA Saturday matinee performance only 4 tickets with maximum 2 adults, up to 2 extra child tickets $45 each BOOKINGS ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) James Galea, Ben Hanlin, Brett Loudermilk DURATION and Adam Mada are the Band of Magicians: 120 mins, incl interval the world’s first magic supergroup! This awesome foursome of the magic world packed in the crowds in their Sydney and Melbourne seasons with rave reviews, Ellen DeGeneres has them on speed dial, and now they’re coming to Christchurch. Enter the world of mind-bending illusions and astounding artistry as four of the world’s most talented showmen present a virtuosic – MAGIC THEATRE performance of imagination and ingenuity. – MAGIC THEATRE 5 4 A revolutionary and utterly contemporary magic show, the Band creates increasingly impossible feats that draw on their collective talents, far surpassing what one magician alone can accomplish. This is awe-inspiring entertainment from the finest magic specialists around. FESTIVAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE “A thrilling magic spectacular with a free-wheeling, rock ‘n roll sensibility – perfect for the Festival’s return to the glorious surrounds of the Isaac Theatre Royal.” WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY SPONSORED BY SPONSORED BY SPONSORED BY MATINEE EVENING SPONSORED BY SPONSORED BY “...simple sunlight is transformed into something extraordinary… an experience like no other” THE DAILY STAR Be amazed as Cathedral Square is transformed into a wonderland with Architects of Air’s totally immersive ‘luminarium’; a feat of engineering and filtered light to create a spectacular world of saturated colour. Journey through a fantastical maze of winding paths into chambers filled with soaring domes, geometric patterns and gothic designs. A unique arts experience that has to be seen to be believed. Architects of Air – EXXOPOLIS – Luminarium Designed by Alan Parkinson www.architects-of-air.com WHEN Friday 4 – Sunday 13 September Monday – Friday 11.00am to 5.00pm Last admission Saturdays & Sundays 10.00am to 5.00pm Last admission – SPECIAL EVENT WHERE – SPECIAL EVENT 7 6 Cathedral Square TICKETS $5 at venue Under 3 FREE PRE-BOOKINGS Limited pre-bookings for specific times are available through ticketek.co.nz, but service fees will apply DURATION No set time – May be limited to 20 mins during high demand Accessible to wheelchairs and those with mobility issues. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult Exxopolis (maximum 4 children per adult) ARCHITECTS OF AIR SPONSORED BY IN ASSOCIATION WITH UNITED KINGDOM Photo: Lamar Francois Photo: “…some of the funniest, most brilliant theatre you’ll ever The Daisy be lucky enough to see.” Theatre THE PROVINCE, VANCOUVER RONNIE BURKETT THEATRE OF MARIONETTES CANADA The Daisy Theatre is internationally acclaimed puppeteer Ronnie Burkett unleashed... unscripted, by the seat of Lady Rizo his pants, manipulating and voicing his characters through variety acts, impromptu monologues, musical numbers and audience participation, featuring a cast of UNDER 40 marionette characters. USA Audiences and critics alike fall in love with the ridiculous, tender, outrageous antics of Daisy Theatre characters Uncovering the myth of the diva, Esme Massengill, Mrs. Edna Rural and beloved fairy Lady Rizo peels back her layers ​​for an hilarious child Schnitzel. Variety numbers parody theatrical and intimate show about love and sex. genres from opera, music hall, Las Vegas, French cabaret and vaudeville with characters including lounge singer Backed by cellist and guitarist Yair Evnine , Rosemary Focaccia, marionette ventriloquist cherry-picked standards, R’n’B classics, Meyer Lemon, chanteuse Jolie Jolie, and hip hop song s are stylishly re-imagined. and “Canada’s oldest and worst actress” Bask in the powerhouse vocals and sly Miss Lillian Lunkhead. storytelling of one of New York City’s most “One of the more excellent – CABARET – THEATRE acclaimed contemporary cabaret artists.