Lights, camera ... Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival!

PREPARING FOR THE LIGHT: Crew member Simon Holden installing artist Chevron Hassett's light sculpture for Te Ara i Whiti. Picture by Liam Clayton

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is kicking into high gear as the Friday launch date grows closer and the sculptures of Te Ara i Whiti are made ready to light the riverbanks.

“It's pretty active and buzzy,” said Tama Waipara, the festival's chief executive officer and artistic director.

He is happy the festival is going ahead at all, considering the outbreak of Delta Covid-19.

“There's a real sense of relief. But we're still keenly aware of what's happening across the rest of the country.”

Three shows with question marks over their heads have now been confirmed as part of the festival.

Ka-Shue, Whakapaupākihi and Sunshine Soul Sessions were subject to Alert Level 1 restrictions but can now go ahead due to an increased number of people being allowed in venues — meaning they can go ahead at Alert Level 2.

Te Ara i Whiti (The light path) will have a cap on the number of people visiting and they will need to scan in.

“We ask for people to be respectful, be kind and also be mindful that while we might be at Level 2, we still want to make sure people have an enjoyable and fun time.

“That means wearing masks and scanning in, and making sure we have really good contact tracing across all our events.”

Although there have been small soft openings and quiet karakia, the city comes to life when the lights of Te Ara i Whiti go live on Friday night.

The multi-media installation of light sculptures, projections and artworks celebrates Te Tairāwhiti's place in the world as the first to see the sun.

Te Ara i Whiti is about the idea of striving for excellence and reaching towards the light, said curator Melanie Tangaere Baldwin.

From Friday, galleries and exhibitions all over the city will open for the public.

Both HB Williams Memorial Library and Tairāwhiti Museum are hosting events throughout the festival.

The library has a talk by author Dr Monty Soutar called Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E! – Writing Māori History in the 21st Century, another talk about the history of the stained glass that has been in the library since 1993 and a special reading of Robyn Kahukiwa's book Taniwha.

Also in the library is Through the Eye of the Len, an exhibition of photos showing the effects of climate change, The images were taken by 18 students from Whangara School who were let loose on the world with digital cameras in hand.

Tairawhiti Museum has filled its walls with new art in Sarah Gordon's Weathered Beauty show and Julia Rae's Worlds of Wonder, along with a collection covering 45 years of work from Gisborne Printmakers Group.

Alongside the library and museum, numerous smaller galleries are opening their doors with fresh shows for the festival.

Hoea! Gallery, Tūpara Gallery, Te Kupenga Net Trust, Maia Gallery, Toi Ake Gallery and Mark Kopua Indigenous Art Space have new displays.

This Sunday sees the first reading, at te Lawson Field Theatre, of the home-grown musical Whakapaupākihi, combining kapa haka and theatre.

Written and composed by the Tuari siblings, it tells of the feats and history of three East Coast ancestors, Taua-i-te-rangi, Mahaki-ewe-karoro and Hauiti, performed in Te Reo Māori.

• Visit for all the exhibitions, workshops and performances.