Why an arts festival?
To understand why an arts festival has value, it’s necessary to look at the context in which it exists. In Southland, we wait for shows and events choosing to come here. Venues hope they’ll be hired while the public hope that whatever show comes along will be worth their time and money. It’s a bit of a lottery, really. Sure, the big, popular shows (often supported by television advertising) make it to Invercargill on a regular basis and our own arts community is very active.
However, it’s a sad reality that many smaller arts companies find touring to smaller communities (and Southland is pretty small in the scheme of things) financially unviable.
The arts festival introduces a range of new and different experiences while at the same time builds audiences for those companies who may follow it.
The challenge is to select a programme that offers something for everyone while keeping within certain parameters such as public tastes and preferences, a balance of arts genres and financial resourcing.
If the festival delivers a programme of exceptional events that are well attended, critically acclaimed and don’t blow the budget, we believe we’ve fulfilled the festival’s mission.
It has to be said: we could NEVER achieve any of this without public funding and sponsorship which ensures the festival remains sustainable.
Over the past eight years we have endeavoured to build up a culture in the community whereby the festival is embraced and trusted.
People sometimes take a punt on a show simply because it’s in the festival. Like a trusted restaurant, new items on the menu offer something different for your taste buds. You might discover a new food group, or, even if you don’t like what you’ve tried, your life is enriched in some small way.
While we’re not reaching 100 per cent box office for all our shows yet, the Southland Arts Festival continues to gain credibility and a loyal fan base.
Our challenge is to keep it moving in that direction.
It’s up to the public to grow the festival – the more bums on seats, the more risks we can take and the more shows we can bring. It’s as simple as that! Angela Newell is the creative projects manager at Venture Southland