Arts festival for 1989

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 1

Arts festival for 1989

A big arts festival is being planned for Christchurch in early 1989.

In a letter to the Christchurch City Council, the chairman of the festival committee,, Mr Brian Shackel, said that it was intended to organise the event for February to March, 1989. The scale of the festival would be determined by available funds and the possibility of another festival in 1990 should that fit in best with the plans of Wellington and Auckland, which in recent years have organised international festivals.

Mr Shackel said the committee believed that the future of Christchurch festivals, in so far as attracting overseas artists was concerned, lay in reducing coSts by co-operat-ing with Auckland and Wellington. ‘ The committee intends to make Christchurch musical groups and choirs the focus of the 1989 event, with visiting conductors and soloists to add

an international flavour. “Christchurch can be justly proud of its musical and cultural heritage. It would be a tragedy to see Auckland and Wellington take the limelight ohce •again,” Mr Shackel said. The committee seeks a contribution of $45,000 from the City Council to fund the work of a festival manager, who will be appointed within the next three months, finance permitting. Other local bodies will be approached for support v Mr Shackel said the 1984 Christchurch Festival had been a success, attracting many visiting artists. It had been run on a shoestring budget but times had changed.

“We can ho longer plan or manage a festival Without permanent staff to organise events and venues and to assist with fund-raising and arranging sponsorships in the period between festivals," he said.