Auckland Arts Festival 2023

Programme Manager | September 2022 - April 2023

“Welcome to our Festival – the very first to be established in the Asia-Pacific region back in 1948.

More than 70 years later, we joyfully celebrate the return to our stages, parks and streets, as we weave together a programme of international guests with the treasured artists of Aotearoa. More than 50 free and ticketed events reflect, uplift and resonate with our experience of life and the richness of Tāmaki’s diverse peoples.

It’s been a rough ride for us all recently and we’ve needed to face adversity with courage – the lens we place on this year’s Festival. Artists boldly speak up and out, such as in the stage adaptation of Tusiata Avia’s The Savage Coloniser Book and artist Sadiq Ali’s conflict between sexuality and faith in the Scottish circus-theatre work The Chosen Haram. Meanwhile, the children in our community climate action project, Through the Eye of Tāmaki Makaurau, bravely face and reflect upon a future that is uncertain through photography.

Balancing these are works of enormous fun, bliss and beauty – including a magical, sustainable outdoor installation, SPARK Auckland; the lush, brilliant, genre-shifting storytelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; and the powerhouse soul/funk vocals of Japanese/US artist Judith Hill, to name just a few!

My deep thanks to all the AAF rōpū who realise the dreams. Art expands our minds, opens portals to new worlds and perspectives, and reminds us we are not alone. Performances that uplift us and champion who we are, and hope to be, are joyful, profound and transformative. So come one, come all and be together, be uplifted and be inspired!”

Credits

Artist Director - Shona McCullagh

Chief Executive - Robbie Macrae

Kaihautū Māori - Ataahua Papa

Head of Programming - Stefan Greder

Programme Manager - Alice Kirker

Programme Administrator - Pennie Chang