Freebies
When I see events advertised as ‘free’ or to put it more politely, ‘with no admission charge’, you can pretty much count on me to be there.
I live in the “Cultural Capital” of the country and yet my artistic and cultural appetite often goes unfulfilled. How can this be? Quite simply I can’t afford it, and yet, I would consider myself to be your average urban Māori woman who receives a regular wage.
The New Zealand International Arts Festival (NZIAF) is currently on at the moment and because I know how expensive the tickets are so I have to be very selective. I scoured through the programme to find my first choice in entertainment, Māori events. Hmmm … it’s pretty limited, I could only identify two plays and one Readers and Writers event. Surely not in Aotearoa where Māori art contributes significantly towards our country’s artistic portfolio? So I called the (NZIAF) office for some assistance and discovered that I was correct the first time, out of all the events that feature over 360 individual performances and 930 artists, only three events could be considered Māori. I was disappointed to say the least.
As it is, with the ticket prices and the surcharges on top of that I can only afford to go to one paid event but I’m sure it will be worth it. So it was a nice surprise when I saw Ngati Kahungunu/Tuhoe playwright Maraea Rakuraku presenting her new play, The Prospect, at the City Gallery last Sunday and, yes, it had free entry. The script was well performed and the dialogue was scarily realistic. “Hats off” to Maraea and the Writer’s Block team. I have no doubt that her work will be performed under bright lights and in front of packed theatres in the near future whose audience members will all have to buy tickets.
So why were there so many empty seats at this free event? The performance was a Writer’s Block play, so you can pretty much guarantee that it is going to be a quality show, it was free, advertised in Māori arts sectors including our website and happened on the weekend. There are so many performances produced, hosted or featuring Māori and yet there is always a struggle to get our people to support these shows. Why? I say support these great free events while you can, before it’s not an option and becomes a part of an overpriced festival.
Posted in Te Ope O Rehua, Te Ha