Arts festival future in the new normal

CONNECTION: In an online Performing Arts Network of NZ seminar earlier this month, Tairawhiti Arts Festival artistic director Tama Waipara discussed approaches to this year's festival. The online hui also involved Barbarian Productions' artistic director Jo Randerson, Auckland Arts Festival CE David Inns, and Tawhiri executive director Meg Williams.File picture

Whether or not the Tairawhiti Arts Festival proceeds in the same scale and form it did last year is probably the most significant challenge for organisers, said artistic director Tama Waipara in an online performing arts seminar earlier this month.

The hui was organised by the Performing Arts Network of NZ (PANNZ), in partnership with Auckland Live.

The Tairawhiti Arts Festival kaupapa of this place, its people and connection will remain the same, said Mr Waipara.

“Like many other regional festivals due to occur in the near future, we are focused on understanding what the frame of that environment will be.”

He suggested discussion around level-based expressions of what business as usual would look like at level zero and at level four.

“We're working hard to understand how our kaupapa is expressed at all those different levels. Some things remain unchanged and others — particularly those around venues and live performance and gatherings — who knows what they'll look like in October.

“Our primary focus is making sure our staff and our team are looked after, that our contracts are secure, which, in this current climate of, ‘Do I have a job? Do I have kai? Do I have money coming in?', is a primary concern and one I know the other festival directors and organisations would share.”

While last year's inaugural Tairawhiti Arts Festival extended broadly across the region, it could be adapted to work within restrictions presented by the Covid-19 environment.

“When you're not moving about physically, it presents all sorts of possibilities virtually,” Mr Waipara said.

Alert Level 4 restrictions have resulted in a devastating time for Maori and Pacific artists, many of whom do not have recurring funding or large infrastructure.

“We're OK, but many aren't — so when you're in an industry that's in flux on a constant basis, and you're trying to put kai on your table and work with venues and festivals, it's quite a bracing reality when those avenues are drying up or being paused or being reviewed. My thoughts go out to our iwi whanui who are doing it hard and who are simultaneously providing the innovation needed at a time like this.”

“How can these artists be supported to provide creative solutions to the times we're in,” he asked.

In the short term, Tairawhiti Arts Festival organisers are starting small and starting local but are looking at projects and ideas that have a widespread point of connection, he said.

“One of the things about our kaupapa is it celebrates connection, it celebrates the fact that there are artists from Te Tairawhiti all over the world doing amazing things who have this puna, this source, at home from which they have drawn their talent or their connections or that vibrancy — that excellence Tairawhiti is known for.

“To me, this provides opportunities to find creative ways to further deepen those links. How can we create more opportunities for people to connect back home. What opportunities are there in the backyard as well?

“We've had to, like many organisations, accept a smaller cut of the pie than previously, so it's about making sure the kai is sustainable for everybody, I suppose. Rather than a 16-day festival, we may be looking at a more humble offering, but our focus will be on how we can assist, support, be part of the connection and the need for recovery.

“There are things we're doing short-term, projects we're working on that have digital outcomes.”