Papaioea Festival of the Arts, the Manawatū region’s celebration of performance, music, writing, ideas and art, is Aotearoa’s newest arts festival. Taking place in Papaioea/Palmerston North and surrounding areas from Wednesday 17 – Saturday 20 2021, the Festival features a beautifully curated program that showcases local artists alongside their peers from across the country.
The Festival boasts an impressive music program, with a line-up of musicians from a variety of different genres and cultures, including Julia Deans, Anthonie Tonnon, The Modern Maori Quartet, Module, Ripple Effect, The Wake Up, as well as a ‘Hyper-Local Music’ night showcasing musicians and bands from Papaioea.
16-20th February 2021
Palmerston North
Tickets are on sale now from www.papaioeafestival.com
Press Release:
The Festival team is working with musicians to empower new kinds of presentation and explorations. A draw-card of the final night of the Festival is a unique three-way collaboration between three culturally diverse musical groups – Niko Ne Zna, Samba ao Vento and the Kodama Japanese Drum Team, which will be a huge, one-off cultural clash-up.
Another highlight of the program is a performance of the new three-part concept album ‘Infinity Forever’ by the acclaimed Module. Composed and written by Lead Creative Jeramiah Ross, this live show includes a full band and an immersive digital environment that includes projection mapping, modular synthesizers, live instrumentation and computer controlled lasers and lights.
In addition, to celebrate the landing of the Mars Perseverance Rover on the red planet on Friday 19 February, Papaioea Festival of the Arts is producing ‘Is There Life On Mars?’, a stage show that will put brilliant local performers in the spotlight. And yes, there will be a lot of Bowie! ‘Is There Life On Mars’ will inspire – and be the catalyst for – the development of future productions for the 2022 festival.
A beautiful transformative, bespoke Festival venue, The Garden, will be built in Te Marae o Hine (The Square) in the central city, which will host a number of the musical performances.
“In developing the Festival we have been thinking ‘hyper-local’”, says festival Artistic Director Kane Forbes.
“How can we produce a world-class event – an event that also has as many local people, local faces, local content and local stories as possible?”
“There is a real appetite for something new, something different, something grassroots, something that plays to our strengths, something that showcases our talents” adds Rachel Bowen, Chair of the Palmerston North Arts, Culture & Heritage Committee.
Papaioea Festival of the Arts will improve perceptions of the Manawatū as a centre for artistic excellence and a place where cultural experiences are of exceptional quality. It will also positively contribute to the reputation of the region as a leading cultural location.
Festival Passes are available as an affordable and ethical Christmas shopping option that supports Aotearoa artists and local industries. Passes and the full Festival program can be found at www.papaioeafestival.com.
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