We’re excited! The Fringe Festival programme is out in Wellington and it’s looking good. The cool kids gathered at Meow Cafe last Thursday to celebrate what looks to be another great year. A chance to see emerging talent, check out something new and maybe even be amazed!
Whether you’re looking for comedy, dance, music, theatre or visual arts, there’ll be something for you at the Fringe Festival 2012. The excitement kicks off on the 10 February and runs through til 3 March.
Wellington fashionistas will have a chance to see some home grown talent when Wellington Fashion Week hits the capital this year. The inaugural event will run from the 18th – 22nd of April at Massey University and will incorporate the 2012 Wellington Young Designer Awards.
In a fashion first, everyone has the chance to be involved with tickets available which give full access to the fashion expos and events on the calendar.
Four new designers – Taylor Boutique, Nicola Screen for Goodness, Kelsey Genna, and philippa&alice – have now signed on, joining established Wellington favourites Ashley Fogel and Hermione Flynn on the roster.
With more details set to be released in the coming weeks, Wellington Fashion Week is fast taking shape as an event not to be missed, with the creative capital finally getting a chance to show off it’s fashion talent.
The McCaulay + Maestro team will be there bringing you all the action from the runway, the expos and of course the celebrations.
Tickets are on sale now at www.iticket.co.nz with more information available at www.wfweek.co.nz.
Written and directed by Arthur Meek, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated young playwrights, Dark Stars is an exciting solo play starring Jonathan Council, who portrays a version of his own life journey. In seeking his big acting break, Council is propelled by misfortune to a tiny island in the Pacific where he unearths the forgotten story of Australasia’s popular Black Minstrel, Irving Sayles.
Dark Stars weaves together the stories of two African-Americans living a hundred years apart in an examination of racist humour and the price paid for lusting after fame at the expense of dignity. Sayles was an entertainer with one of the largest minstrel companies in the mid Western US providing audiences with stereotypical presentations of African American culture. After the Civil War in 1888 and aged just 16, he fled to Australia. He subsequently became a well loved figure on the Australian stage moving to New Zealand to continue his career in vaudeville until his untimely death on a Christchurch street in 1914.
“This work has been a true collaboration with Jonathan”, Meek tells us, “He wanted to bring to life the story of Irving Sayles who was a hugely talented comedic entertainer whose humour was self-deprecating and racist, a product of the segregated world he lived in”.
Dark Stars at The Basement, Auckland on February 10th and 11th before heading to Wellington as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival and then on to Adelaide.
Sparkle, star dust, twinkle dust or shiny things, whatever you may call it, Reuben Patterson has a gigantic way in bringing the glitter into art, literally. Those that were around on Friday evening may have noticed the commotion outside of Gus Fisher gallery. The evening was to present Reuben Patterson’s Bottled Lightning and Christine Hellyar’s Hotton and Cotton: The McGregor Museum Revisited shows.
Despite turning up an hour and forty five minutes late, I was surprised and relieved with the amount of art goers still around. Turning up alone has its cons, the crowds always seemed slightly intimidating and you may feel a tad out of place, but I wouldn’t say it came without pros either. Alone it gave me more time to absorb everything. May I say, standing in a room full of Patterson works made me feel like a 5 year old child with endless helpings of party poppers and glitter. And I couldn’t help but gravitate towards glittery shoes like a magpie towards a shiny bottle cap. All was with amazing colour, incomprehensible size, texture and shine.
Christine Hellyar’s work located in a room across the main foyer presented a large load of wool and wood displayed in an impressive entanglement. Her installations not only covered walls but incorporated use of ceiling space. While walking into the room proved to be slightly difficult with the stagnant human presence, Hellyar’s works continue to emit hard-work and effort with her overly large knitting. Her works consisted of mostly white, black and red, and each piece came across as perfectly placed in a sterile and systematic order around the room. Bringing order to disorder of knitting, I couldn’t help but feel the strange decay that couldn’t really exist in those lifeless ‘things’.
January, a tough month to have exhibitions anywhere. After the festive season, few galleries experience low sales where others just aren’t getting the foot traffic that they are used to. However, Whitecliffe College of Art and Design manage to entice plenty to come, they kick start their year with a Masters Graduate show held in their Parnell cluster studios located on St Georges Bay road.
Within the hour of being there, I personally felt that many of the graduates delivered a strong sense and understanding of their surroundings, in which made me think of mine. My culture, my sense of being, sense of existing, interaction, and the lack of. Works that caught my attention were creations by Aurelia Zatta, the art consisted of concrete brick like objects placed perfectly in rows and columns in the center of the room, I soon discovered each brick were made out of the paper pulp of National Geographic magazines. Paintings by Lisa Chandler were also a favourite of mine, as it brought attention the chaotic atmosphere of human existence, yet showed appreciation in the serenity of space.
Another great set of Kiwi talent is showing New Zealand to the world. LAMBS, the hottest new Kiwi short film will appear in the 34th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival – the world’s premiere short film event. This is the 24th year the Festival has run an international competition with LAMBS selected to compete from 5,701 worldwide submissions! LAMBS tells the story of Jimmy, a big-hearted fourteen year old boy facing a difficult decision – stay in his abusive home to protect his younger siblings, or leave to start a new life of his own.
Written and directed by Wellington filmmaker, Sam Kelly, the script for LAMBS came out of research for a feature film he is writing, and time spent meeting ‘at risk’ youth from Welly. “These children have been prosecuted for offences ranging from burglary to aggravated assault. There were similarities in many of their lives, often facing neglect, abuse, drugs, and gang affiliations. I felt disturbed that children in my developed country were in survival mode, yet moved by the courage and heart that many of the kids showed“ says Kelly “and in the character of Jimmy I found a moving dilemma”.
Shot just outside Wellington, in the Porirua’s Cannons Creek. Casting Director, Yvette Reid, spent six months casting the film almost entirely from non-actors. Reid and Kelly scoured schools, supermarkets, boxing clubs and netball courts to audition over 300 people for the film. The lead role of 14 years old Jimmy was a challenging role to cast, needing both a tough exterior and emotional openness. After auditioning kids from Porirua and Wainuiomata schools, Waka Rowlands instantly stood out with his naturalism, belief in the situation, and emotional access. Waka’s performance as Jimmy has impressed New Zealand casting directors, and promises bigger things.
Robert Sarkies’ latest feature film, Two Little Boys, has been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival. Nice work! Two Little Boys will screen in the Generation section and will be judged by two juries: a young person’s jury which awards the prestigious Crystal Bear to the best feature film in the programme, and an international expert jury which awards a cash prize to the best feature film in the programme. O
New Zealand Film Commission CEO, Graeme Mason, said today “It’s wonderful to start the New Year with further international A-list festival endorsement of our filmmaking talent. The Generation selection compliments the film’s youthful energy and recognises the fresh perspective Rob offers with this film. I congratulate Rob, Vicky, Tim and all the cast and crew on the film’s selection.”
Two Little Boys is Rob’s third feature (Out of the Blue, Scarfies), and is based on the novel of the same name by brother Duncan Sarkies. The film was produced by Vicky Pope (Trouble is My Business, Choice Night, The Graffiti of Mr Tupaia) and Tim White (Out of the Blue, No. 2, The Boys are Back, Sleeping Beauty).
The film is comedy about Nige (Bret McKenzie - Flight of the Conchords) and his recently estranged best mate Deano (Hamish Blake - Hamish and Andy). The film follows Nige and Deano’s riotous misadventures as they struggle with their imploding long-term friendship which has been put under pressure by an unfortunate incident involving a hot meat pie, a ginger cat and the untimely death of a Scandinavian soccer star.
We’ll get to see it in New Zealand from March 15th. For now, check out the webisodes or follow the story on Facebook.
