Art in the heart of the south
Newell teamed up with theatre veteran Jonathan Tucker earlier in the year for Shakespeare in the Park and having been in the game for more years than he’d care to admit, Tucker says he has seen a shift in audiences over the years.
A former teacher, Tucker sees the mass exodus of students every year who head off to university, an effect felt by many.
‘‘Our audiences are grey now, youth are not coming to the plays.’’
Enter creative mastermind Jade Gillies.
Gillies has a baby too. His is called The House Series.
Every month, The House Series brings some sort of show to Invercargill – from the latest funky band to a National Theatre Live screening, he’s got the bases covered.
But Gillies is a man with a plan and, like Newell, thinks the answer lies in creating a next generation of audiences in Southland, audiences which have had the idea of arts woven into their consciousness to the point it’s mainstream for them.
That lies in creating a habit, and starting when young.
Gillies has created a scholarship programme of sorts with The House Series – everyone and anyone with a vested interest in arts can sponsor a high school student to go to the year’s line up of performances, the idea being it opens up new opportunities for people who wouldn’t usually have access to arts.
He’s got about 14 students involved so far and says the feedback’s been good, but there was still a long way to go before he knew whether the programme was truly having its desired effect.
‘‘I think when they do take that step they’ll like it,’’ Gillies said.
Artists generally agree participation in the arts is more likely if it is something people have grown up exposed to.
Do you remember your Nan telling you about the first time she went to the movies? What about your mum telling you about the hilarious pantomime shows she enjoyed as a child?
Gillies knows he might have a bit of battle on his hands trying to change the well-established habits of Southlanders but he reckons there are enough arts-based events to get a bit of momentum going.
‘‘There’s a lot going on . . . it’s just getting more people to participate.’’
For Newell, Gillies and Tucker, art is more than simply trying to get people through doors.
They are passionate – art is ingrained in their hearts and souls. And they want to share that joy with others.
That is what drives them to keep going time after time.
But they do recognise there is a definite changeability with art. Some would argue that is what makes art so enjoyable – it’s unpredictable. Audiences don’t always know what to expect. But that can be part of the fun.
Take New Zealand artist Dane Mitchell for example. His 2009 work, Collateral, was quite literally a pile of rubbish. No, I’m actually serious. As per instructions sent to Waikato Museum, a pile of rubbish was tipped over into the exhibition space and boom – there was his art installation.
Subjective, yes. Thought-provoking, perhaps. Enjoyable for the average Joe Bloggs, possibly not.
The changing face of arts and how audiences consume art has evolved rapidly with new technologies not only being used to distribute art, but those mediums themselves turning into art.
And it’s this changing face that has southern artists thinking about audiences and adapting how they approach their work to tap into new audience groups. It’s a change that is affecting all forms of art – from rock bands to gallery owners.
Once again, Newell knows what’s up. ‘‘Speaking to people in their language, it’s about pressing the right button.’’ The Southland Festival of the Arts runs from April 26 to May 21.