La Fiesta heating things up

La Fiesta runs from February 10 to March 10 in Whanganui.

The summer heat continues to sizzle amid the downpours of devastation across the country.

Things are about to get even hotter for the Women’s Network as we head towards the opening weekend of our 14th annual La Fiesta festival next weekend.

For anyone who has ever run an event, or who actively works in the event organising space, you know how much work goes on behind the scenes to make everything happen. There are months’ worth of planning, making up event plans and programme templates, as well as all the media liaison and regular communication with event partners. Securing funding support, sponsorship, streamlining social media platforms, and developing all the promotional essentials takes time.

This gets a little easier each year. Like anything, the more we do it, the more familiar it becomes, and as we evaluate and actively reflect on our practices, we get a lot clearer about what works, and how to achieve our aims efficiently.

Sometimes the hardest part can be discerning what feedback to take on board. Knowing which voices to give air time to is probably something we all keep striving to understand in life. It’s easy to get sidetracked by other people’s ideas.

The key part is balancing this all with what feels good for us and for the event. That means being really clear about what needs to be done, and communicating this with clarity and respectful language.

Founding an event, finding people who believe in you, and continuing to grow it year after year takes courage, persistence and dedication. La Fiesta 2023 is the culmination of 15 years of effort.

When I first began talking about starting up this festival back in 2008, some folk thought it would never take off, others couldn’t understand why we needed a festival celebrating women, and some simply thought feminism had gone too far.

Thankfully, my inner voice wasn’t deterred by the doubters. Instead, I continued talking with the women I admired, connected with women I had heard about but hadn’t yet met, and with women who had shown me how the consistent actions of their ordinary, everyday lives had achieved extraordinary things.

That is the essence of La Fiesta. Enabling everyday women to shine and to share their experiences with women just like them. Inevitably, each year there are comments and critiques from men (and some women too).

The festival has never been exclusive to men’s involvement. Men are an important part of the conversation when it comes to gender equality. However, it also needs to be okay for women to have their moment in the sun. After all, La Fiesta is only a month, and it’s not often that women are given permission, or even the opportunity, to step up to the microphone with other women and own their spotlight on the festival stage.

As the festival founder, organiser, graphic designer, chief cheerleader and participant, I feel pretty fiercely about what La Fiesta stands for. It has never had a commercial intent. Its focus is to generate opportunities as well as goodwill across the community. This goodwill means many of our festival presenters make a clear decision to give back to us.

For some this means donating a portion of money back to us that is raised through their activity, event or workshop in the festival because they believe it is a good thing to do. Other see it as a chance to give back 100 per cent. In many cases, the Women’s Network has benefited from ongoing support. Businesses like Dewhirst Law, Space Studio and Gallery, Wisdom Is Yours, and Kate Joblin & Co have become long-term supporters and sponsors. Our partnerships with women’s groups such as the National Council of Women, Zonta, and Rural Women NZ have strengthened through the opportunities that La Fiesta generates.

This support is mighty and it is a testament to their belief in our unique-in-New Zealand celebration of women. The festival has inspired women’s groups across the Tasman and it has attracted national and international visitation because it is the most active women’s festival in the country.

So, from February 10 to March 10, you can find more than 135 opportunities to be a champion, to cheerlead, and to connect with other women and have some fun. All the festival info can be found at the official website, lafiestanz.com, with regular updates and profiles of our event partners via La Fiesta NZ and Women’s Network Whanganui pages on Facebook. Instagram fans, too, can follow us. Or if you prefer the traditional way, pick up our snazzy Festival Guide, which has all the details you need to check out what’s happening and when.

Find these at the i-Site, the libraries, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui Regional Museum, Paige’s Book Gallery, Community Education and a host of places about town. Pick one up during our “drop-in” times, Tuesday 10am-noon, Wednesday to Friday 10am to 2pm, at 75 St Hill St. You are also welcome to email me and I can send you a digital copy: womnet.whanganui@gmail.com