Ms Donson is delighted to have cracked the hundred in a festival programme that continues to capture the imagination of people in Whanganui. In recent years the festival has attracted overseas enquiries and visitors, a direct result of the festival being the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
Presenters from across the Whanganui district, as well as Taranaki, Tauranga, Auckland and Golden Bay, will feature in the line-up.
La Fiesta opens with a special musical concert to be held at Whanganui Collegiate School on February 13. Distinguished musicians Ingrid Culliford and Lisa Boessenkool perform music for piano and flute composed by women during "Woven", a celebratory programme to celebrate the launch of the festival.
One of the focal points of La Fiesta is its celebration of International Women's Day (IWD) commemorated annually on March 8, and which marks its 110th anniversary year in 2021. IWD was established in 1911 and is officially sanctioned by the United Nations as a day to reflect on women's progress and to continue challenging for change.
Celebrated as a national public holiday in almost 30 countries around the world, IWD continues to be an important day for political mobilisation and consciousness-raising around gender equality.
The Whanganui Zonta club will host its annual IWD breakfast event on Friday, March 5 with special guest speaker Steph Lewis, MP for Whanganui and Stratford. The Whanganui District Council is hosting a special afternoon tea celebration on Monday, March 8 [IWD] to honour mana wahine, especially those who have contributed at a political level, or who are future leaders of our diverse community. Ingrid Culliford returns to the festival programme with Winifred Livesay to perform a special International Women's Day concert, "Just the Two of Us", at Christ Church in the evening, with a classical programme featuring music composed predominantly by women, including songs by Clara Schumann.
"La Fiesta continues to provide opportunities for our community to meet incredible people going about their ordinary lives in truly remarkable ways, demonstrating their can-do attitudes, courage, and profound wisdom. Men are welcome to participate in festival activities too," says Ms Donson.
For more information about the festival programme contact the Women's Network ph [06] 345 6833 or email: womnet.whanganui@gmail.com The La Fiesta programme is also available online: visit the Women's Network or La Fiesta NZ Facebook pages, or the official festival website: http://lafiestanz.com
