AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL ‘IHIMAERA’ CONCERT TO BE FUNDRAISER FOR CHRISTCHURCH
Proceeds from the Friday 4
March Ihimaera concert, featuring King Kapisi, Warren
Maxwell, SJD, Lupin (Victoria Girling-Butcher), LA
Mitchell, Unitone Hi Fi, Ruia Aperahama, Horomona Horo, Ariana
Tikao, The Twinks (Milan Borich and Tim Arnold ex-PLUTO), Teremoana
Rapley, Charlotte Yates and Kirk Torrance, will be
donated to the NZ Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.
When 12 of New Zealand's top recording acts take to the Genesis
Energy Stage in Manukau this Friday, they want to look out into a
full auditorium. This performance of Ihimaera, one
of the opening acts of Auckland Arts Festival 2011, is being turned
into a fundraiser for the people of Christchurch.
With the support of writer Witi Ihimaera, producer Charlotte
Yates, and the venue management and ticketing agency involved in
the concert, a long-standing part of the Festival's programme,
Festival organizers are donating 100% of the box office for the
March 4 concert.
Audiences coming to other events at the Festival, which opens on
Wednesday, will have plenty of other opportunities to donate to
Christchurch, in the Festival Garden in Aotea Square, and at the
other two performances of Ihimaera, which are not run as
benefits.
"Auckland Arts Festival's links to Christchurch are very strong,
both through the arts community, and on a personal and individual
level," says Chief Executive David Inns.
"Like all New Zealanders, we have been shocked by the terrible
events taking place in Christchurch, and like others, since last
Tuesday, have been looking for ways to help."
Tickets for the fundraiser performance will be sold for $27.50*
($10 with a valid Student IDand organizers say they hope the
special price for a concert which previously had a top ticket price
of $57.50, will ensure everyone has the opportunity to get
involved. (*Booking fees may apply.)
The original inspiration behind the concert, writer Witi
Ihimaera, says:
"The concert will be our way of saying we love you, we want to
support you, and we are all one iwi.
"What an honour to be able to help in this way, with a concert
dedicated to all our family, friends and those from overseas who
are grieving over this terrible tragedy. Our way will be to sing
for them, and I hope that they will be able to hear us down there
because we'll be singing our hearts out."
"The Ihimaera concert is itself a celebration of New
Zealand storytelling, history and creativity, performed by artists
from around the country," says Auckland Arts Festival Artistic
Director David Malacari.
"This fundraiser performance is a practical way of helping
Christchurch but also an opportunity for Kiwis to get together and
share their sorrow for what has happened to Canterbury, and express
their solidarity through music."
"Since last Tuesday, we have received messages of support and
concern from artists who are on their way to Auckland for the
Festival, and expect many of the international acts will want to be
involved in fundraising during their time in New Zealand."
One of the headline New Zealand productions in Auckland Arts
Festival 2011, Ihimaera is a stellar concert of 12 songs
with lyrics by Witi Ihimaera and music by a who's who of Kiwi
artists. Kirk Torrance (Outrageous Fortune) provides
a linking narrative between the songs. Ihimaera is an
Auckland Arts Festival commission, produced by Charlotte Yates with
support from Auckland Airport, Creative New Zealand, ASB Community
Trust, and Te Puni Kōkiri. The Ihimaera CD is available now
on the Universal label.
Tickets to the March 4 benefit are on sale through Ticket Direct
(Phone 09 976 9777 or 0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz)
and at the box office of the Genesis Energy Theatre, TelstraClear
Pacific Events Centre.
Auckland Arts Festival
Ihimaera Fundraiser for Christchurch
Friday 4 March at 8pm
Genesis Energy Theatre
TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre
770 Great South Road
Manukau
Tickets cost $27.50 full price, $10.00 student price (valid
Student ID required)
Purchase tickets through Ticket Direct: Phone 09 976 9777 or
0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz or
at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre box office.
Key Points:
- All proceeds (100%) from ticket sales for the March 4
Ihimaera concert will be donated to the NZ Red Cross 2011
Earthquake Appeal.
- Only GST and applicable ticketing charges will be deducted from
the ticket price.
- Special ticket prices of $27.50* full and $10.00* student apply
only to the benefit concert on March 4. (*Booking fees may
apply.)
- $10 from each Ihimaera CD sold on the night will go to the
Appeal. CD's cost $25 each.
- The other two performances of Ihimaera on March 3
(Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall) and March 5 (Genesis Energy
Theatre, TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre) are not benefit
concerts and the usual ticket prices apply.
Media Enquiries:
Rachel Lorimer
Senior Publicist
Auckland Arts Festival
021 436 503
09 374 0317
rachel.lorimer@aucklandfestival.co.nz
About Auckland Arts Festival
Auckland Arts Festival is the region's biggest celebration of
arts and culture. The biennial Festival, which began in 2003,
will celebrate its fifth birthday in 2011 with a dazzling line-up
of more than 75 separate events involving over 500 artists -
concerts, productions, arts exhibitions, and programmes of
seminars, workshops and family activities.
The Festival's hallmark blend of serious, innovative work and
broad appeal events, plus an accessible ticketing policy, ensure
that it is a celebration for the whole region. Major Festival
events take place all across the city - in West Auckland, The North
Shore, and South Auckland and in the central city - as well as
site-specific sculptural works that respond to our unique
geography.
Since its inception, Auckland Arts Festival has built a
reputation for presenting top quality work from around the world,
including a spectacular fireworks display by pyrotechnic artists
Groupe F, theatrical masterworks by Japanese company Ishinha, and
the legendary Robert Lepage's company Ex Machina, and sell-out
cabaret sensation La Clique. The Festival prides
itself on developing and presenting the very best in New Zealand
work, including the magical 2009 theatre piece, The
Arrival, which has become an international success story,
The Songmaker's Chair, by Albert Wendt, and the Michael
Parmenter retrospective, Commotion.
Auckland Arts Festival is governed by the Auckland Festival
Trust, a board chaired by Victoria Carter. Trustees are Rick
Carlyon, John Judge, Roger MacDonnell, Toni Millar, Jim Moser,
Ilona Rodgers, Heather Shotter and Fred Ward. The Festival's
executive team is Artistic Director David Malacari and CEO David
Inns.
Sponsorship is crucial to presenting an event of this
size. Major Sponsors and Funders for 2011 include Core
Funder: Auckland Council; Gold Sponsors: New Zealand Post Group,
TV3 and Colenso BBDO; Key Funding Partners: Creative New Zealand,
ASB Community Trust, The Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, THE EDGE and
Heart of the City; Silver Sponsors: Westpac, Auckland Airport, The
Radio Network and Stoneleigh; Bronze Sponsors:
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Formica, Wilson Parking, Russell McVeagh
and OGGI.
David Malacari - Artistic
Director
David Malacari has over 30 years experience in the cultural
sector in various roles with some of the region's leading theatre
and dance companies. David worked for the Adelaide Festival
for over 12 years, and directed and produced festivals of
Australian performing arts in India, New Horizons (1996),
and London, Heads Up (2000). He has written work for
cabaret, presented film and book reviews, produced and directed
corporate documentaries, and toured extensively as a lighting
designer and production manager with many companies including The
Sydney Dance Company and the Aboriginal Islander Dance
Theatre. David joined the Festival in late 2004, and was
Festival Director for three Auckland Festivals; 2005, 2007 and
2009.
David Inns - Chief
Executive
David Inns joined the Festival in 2009 when the position of
Festival Director was split into two roles; Artistic Director and
Chief Executive. David has more than 25 years experience in
senior arts administration roles, internationally and within New
Zealand. He was Chief Executive of the New Zealand
International Arts Festival Trust (2002-2009), Executive Director
of the Taranaki Arts Festival (1998-2002) and Technical Director of
Assembly Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the annual Edinburgh
Festival (1995-2002). He was part of the team which secured WOMAD
for Taranaki and was the event's Technical Director. David
has a background in teaching and a lifelong involvement in and
passion for the arts.
Victoria Carter LLB - Chair,
Victoria Carter has a law degree and over 25 years
experience in communications, business and public relations. As
an Auckland City Councilor in 1998, Victoria helped get the
Festival restarted, and has been an active Trustee since 2001. An
Accredited Director of the Institute of Directors, she is a
Director of JUCY Rentals, Kidicorp and Auckland Racing
Club. Victoria is an enthusiast for the vital
contribution a Festival makes, economically and culturally,
and in many other ways to create a livable city.
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