Create. Mackenzie Book and Art Festival

Create. Mackenzie Book and Art Festival

From 17 September until 3 October Create. Mackenzie Book & Art Festival will be bringing authors and artists from around New Zealand to the Mackenzie to discuss and display their works.

 

New Zealand’s Mackenzie Region is an extraordinary landscape steeped in history and culture, full of stargazers and artisans. We have created the Mackenzie Book & Art Festival 2021 to bring people from across New Zealand together to celebrate culture, art and literature in one of Aotearoa’s most extraordinary places.

 

Events are being held in a variety of venues across the Mackenzie Region. They will range from literary presentations and discussions to drawing workshops and a sculpture walk on the foreshore of Lake Tekapo open to all the public for the duration of the Festival.

 

When asked why the small committee decided to establish this significant and exciting festival, the response from one of the organisers, Renee Rowland, was “We love books; we know the power of art, and now more than ever, we want to celebrate and bring our community together in the shared experience of a Book & Art Festival”.

 

“Our festival isn’t just for people who like to read books or appreciate art - books and art are our mechanism to reach many corners of our community: from children who are beginning to read to those who want to write their own book or create their own art.” Said Renee.

 

“The festival events are curated to reflect the landscape and the community: Farmers and entrepreneurs, adventurers and scientists, readers and writers, artists celebrating the renowned light of the clear Mackenzie air. New Zealand has a great line up of literary and art festivals and events, and our aim is for create. the Mackenzie Book and Art Festival to be surprising, unique and memorable – just like the Mackenzie Region. “

 

The festival opens in the Fairlie Theatre with a presentation by Alison Jones the author of the highly acclaimed This Pakeha Life, An Unsettled Memoir.

 

Steve Braunias, Owen Marshall, Grahame Sydney, Bill Manhire and other distinguished literary persons.

 

A sculpture walk on the Tekapo lakefront will feature large installations by established and emerging NZ Sculptors. Including Paul Deans, Ben Foster, Debbie Templeton-Page, Brent Holley, Trevor Askin and Matthew Williams.

 

There will be a photo competition with the 12 selected photos displayed on photo boards in the Twizel town square for the duration of the festival.

 

There will be an exhibition featuring a number of Canterbury artists including Ben Woollcombe, Sally Hope, Henry Hope, Amelia Guild, Anna Guild and Susannah Izard.

 

The Create festival is set to become a bi-annual event and a feature of the New Zealand Arts Calendar.

 

 

For the full festival programme please visit the website https://www.createfestivalnz.co.nz

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