A round of applause for the Arts Festival
Take a bow all those who played a part in making this year’s “Applaud” Christchurch Arts Festival such an outstanding success.
Wow, there can be few superlatives left, raved the newspaper reviewer, after a sell-out concert by the Soweto Gospel Choir. Wow, gasped the crowd watching the juggling and acrobatic feats of the circus, Nomade. And festival fans at the many other high quality and diverse acts on this year’s programme chorused similar plaudits.
For Deputy Mayor Carole Evans, who attended a number of the events, this year’s festival is the best ever.
“For example at the Soweto choir, it was just wonderful to see how our community responded. It was a wonderful celebration,” she says.
Audience numbers for events across the festival have reached record numbers. More than 6000 people attended shows and exhibitions on the festival’s first day, July 20, says director Guy Boyce.
“The numbers continued to build over the run of the festival and a number of shows have sold out,” he says. “On the creative side, all the presenters have exceeded our expectations.”
For Mr Boyce, the personal highlight was Cuban jazz sensation Omar Sosa.
“It was a risk for us to bring in a musician such as Omar because the style of music is unknown here. But the near capacity audience was thrilled by his performance, and many people are saying this was their festival high point.”
The curtain falls on the festival this Sunday after nearly three hectic weeks of showcasing the arts to Christchurch audiences. On Friday night Scottish superstar Eddi Reader performs at the Isaac Theatre Royal and the final Saturday features the closing night gala concert, Timeless Land, in the Town Hall.
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