Archive for the ‘Building audiences’ Category

Artists and arts organisations around the country, already opening their doors to disabled audiences and gallery visitors, are profiled in a practical guide called Arts for All: Ngā toi mo te katoa.

Published by Creative New Zealand in partnership with Arts Access Aotearoa, this practical guide provides low-cost and long-term ways to increase access to the arts, market events to the disabled community and build new audiences. Among the organisations profiled are Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Touch Compass Dance Trust, Fortune Theatre, Te Papa, City Gallery Wellington, Jolt Dance Company, The Court Theatre, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and WOMAD.

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As a follow-up to the truly excellent 21st Century Arts Conference in Wellington at the end of June, Creative New Zealand has teamed up with The Big Idea to connect us in online conversation with experts in branding, online marketing and arts patronage.

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A glass of wine at a book launch is as natural a combination as fish and chips on the beach, and there are many who feel passionately about both.

Last year New Zealand Book Month held an event in Auckland which promised free beer. Oh the wrath received from cultural curmudgeons; that such a thing should be thought of. But New Zealand Book Month is a campaign for all Kiwi tastes and palates so, once again, Kiwi beer is on the menu for 2009.

Boutique breweries across the country have taken up the challenge of beverage with books: Auckland’s Epic Beer, Nelson’s Founders Brewery, Hawke’s Bay Brewers, and the Twisted Hop in Christchurch are just a selection of the brews that can be found with books at this year’s events.

To sample beer and books concurrently try:

– Off the Radar at the Nelson Arts Festival. Thursday 22 October, 6.30pm for a complimentary tasting of organic beer from Founders Brewery. Tickets through http://www.everyman.co.nz

– Crest to Crest book launch in Christchurch at the Twisted Hop Brewery. Tuesday 27 October, 5.30pm.

– The 10pm Question Experience Dessert and conversation with Kate De Goldi, 29 October, 8.00pm. A special 10pm cocktail available or fabulous Kiwi beers Epic or Moa.
For further information on upcoming events see http://www.nzbookmonth.co.nz

An opportunity that’s too good to miss: cultural tourism and the Rugby World Cup 2011

Crowds at the Auckland War Museum; photo by Nicole Scheid (flickr @*Nicci*)

It’s the third largest event in the world. A tournament lasting 44 days, at 14 venues, involving 20 teams, plus 60,000-70,000 international visitors and 2,000-3000 international media – all with time on their hands between matches. Not to mention a ‘stadium of 4 million’ – that’s us – Aotearoa New Zealand: the host nation.

The Rugby World Cup 2011 is an amazing opportunity for New Zealand to showcase itself to the rest of the world. It’s also an opportunity that’s too good to miss for the cultural sector.  It’s a chance to show the world that New Zealand has more to offer than a wonderful landscape and adventure tourism.  It’s an opportunity to show that we have a rich and diverse culture, that our arts are among the best in the world and that our history is just as interesting and engaging as anywhere else.  Research shows that for many international visitors New Zealand is a ‘must-see destination’ – one day.  The Rugby World Cup is the catalyst that will get them here – it will turn the desire into action.  For those who don’t come this time, the TV exposure is an opportunity to create a lasting impression of what New Zealand has to offer.

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Not only a great event in its own right, the Export 33 Parklife Invitational Rail Jam is a clever way to build audiences. As an organisation, you can’t always expect people to come and see you, sometimes you’ve got to take what you’re doing to the people. And that’s exactly what The Remarkables and NZSki are doing – trucking snow off the mountain and right into the city centre, giving people a taste of some the best freestyle skiing and snowboarding around.

The August 7 event is free for the whole family with busting tunes from Sunshine Sound System and P. Diggs. Now that’s one heck of a party and a brilliant promotion to get people skiing and snowboarding!

How are you taking your ‘mountain’ to the masses?

Photo: Nick Hyne wows the crowd at the 2008 Parklife Invitational. Image courtesy of NZSki.com.