Biking and storytelling fuse together in roaming performance around Rotorua

Biking and storytelling will join together in a unique performance which is set to tour around Rotorua's inner city.

Imagined World's performance duo, made up of story teller Tanya Batt and musician Peter Forster from Waiheke Island, are performing in Rotorua during Labour Day weekend.

Jill Walker of the Travelling Tuataras says the duo will perform in a local school next Friday , and on Saturday will have a day of roaming their pop-up show Belle on a Bike by bicycle across the inner city.

She says the show will have a specific bike theme, contributing its own unique magic to both Labour Day weekend and the buzz generated by the Rotorua Bike Festival's opening weekend.

Their visit has been organised by local artists the Travelling Tuataras, with funding support from the Civic Arts Trust.

Jill says they were inspired to invite the duo to Rotorua because, as the Travelling Tuataras, they are passionate artists and advocates for arts and performance, including these happening in outdoors environments.

"We want to inspire more performance storytelling within the city and recollect how much storytelling festivals previously held in Rotorua were enjoyed by the community."

On hearing that Imagined Worlds' story performance repertoire included an outdoor roaming pop-up show delivered through pedal power, they saw a visit from the duo as being inspiration for performance storytelling, she says.

Tanya Batt says their school performance is a thank you to local children from St Michael's Catholic School for their mahi towards the Rotorua Bike Festival.

She says their performances will be a mixture of traditional stories from around the world accompanied by music.

"We've heard lots about the makeover of Rotorua's inner city and are looking forward to experiencing it ourselves.

"It's a great chance to take 'performance to the people' and celebrate how inner city spaces can be used creatively."

Tanya says that in her mind the paihikara (bicycle) is one of the greatest things to come out of human imagination.

She says it has been, and continues to be, a pedal-powered revolutionary force.

"The bicycle has been going strong now for 200 years, and people of all ages and walks of life continue to enjoy them - to explore, as a sport, a mode to transport, a rites of passage and recreationally.

"Cycling is a panacea to many of the challenges that face humans - it's a great way to combat stress, kick the fossil fuel habit, exercise and connect with other people and your environment.

"There's plenty to celebrate."