Evento returns for wacky 21st birthday
In less than three weeks, Manawatu’s wearable arts extravaganza will celebrate its 21st birthday and after a year’s worth of planning it’s time for action.
Feilding High School’s Evento: Wearable Art Awards return on July 29 for an evening of music, dance and wearable art, all created by secondary school pupils.
From humble beginnings in the high school hall, the show has grown in popularity and is now held in the Manfeild Stadium in front of an audience of 2000 people.
The show’s architect, Amanda Street, said ticket sales were under way and, for the first time, they were available on the internet.
‘‘It’s a move with the times. I hope it will make life easier, being just one click of a button,’’ Street said. ‘‘Increasingly, online is how people buy things.’’
While each piece of the puzzle was beginning to fit into shape, there was never enough time in the day, she said.
‘‘Four weeks to go – and it feels like four minutes. The weeks just fly. There are not enough hours in the day.’’
This year’s theme is nature, which was sure to stretch entrants’ imagination toward the offbeat, the wacky and often outrageous costumes we’ve come to expect, Street said.
Three past entrants will also play pivotal roles this year. Iwalani Lawton, a professional dancer in Australia and the face of Evento in 2012, will be the performance judge. Holly Norris, a professional designer and illustrator, will create the programme and Hannah Exton will photograph the costumes.
‘‘You could say that with Iwalani and Holly, we’ve gone international.‘‘
Evento started as a fundraiser for Feilding High School by the parent teachers’ association. The wearable arts concept was a way for pupils to turn their sewing skills into a performance.
But the success of the event soon escalated and outgrew the school’s hall. So did the demand of entries – it wasn’t long before other schools around Manawatu, Rangitikei and Whanganui asked to be included.
The event moved to the Feilding Civic Centre, but eventually ended up at Manfeild in 2010. The move allowed the show to develop the entertainment value – experimenting with lighting and staging to create a more daring presentation, Street said.