Following last year’s successful launch, Hamilton’s Toi Waahine Festival returns to The Meteor Theatre from 18 to 28 September 2019.
The arts festival celebrates the creativity, ideas, and actions of women from the Waikato and beyond.
For this second year the festival features a range of arts and community events, live performances, workshops, exhibitions, and panel discussions. All events focus around honouring diversity, sharing stories, and exploring issues New Zealand women face now, and in the future.
With a diverse line-up of artists from across NZ participating in the festival, Toi Waahine is set to be an inspiring showcase of women’s strength and creativity. Touring shows’ Soft N Hard from Wellington’s Barbarian productions, Auckland’s Kahurangi Carter’s Aroha is a Maaori, and Olivia Hall (Wellington) and Carrie Rudzinski’s (USA) How We Survive fill the line-up along with an array of local acts.
“The Toi Wahine Festival is about equality,” says Festival Assistant Hannah Mooney. “It was important to us when programming the festival that local voices could be showcased along with the touring acts.”
Local creator and Toi Waahine veteran Cian Gardner brings the highly anticipated premiere of her new one-woman-show, Sorry For Your Loss to the festival for select shows running 18 September to 25 September.
“It’s awesome to have Cian back for the festival this year,” says Festival Director Deborah Nudds. “Last year she was part of our Emerging Voices event and developed that showcase into a touring theatre work. And now she’s back with a new full-length one-woman show supported by CNZ.”
A devised piece, Sorry For Your Loss is a fresh new take on the everlasting journey of figuring out who you are. Written and performed by up-and-coming artist Gardner and directed by Laura Haughey, the show tells Cian’s story of growing up, and explores the effects of having a sometimes-there-mostly-not Dad.
“It wasn’t until I performed a preview of the show a couple of months ago that I realised how much impact my story has on other people,” say Gardner. “Because it’s my story I always took it for granted, I never expected it to move and inspire people in the way it has.”
Other local voices are being showcased in a variety of events including Fempoclaypse (a cabaret evening), the multi-arts Mana Wāhine and panel discussions Spinning Yarns and Tall Tales in collaboration with Nimbus Media and The Voices of Women – He Maangai Waahine in collaboration with Kelli from the Tron.
“Mana Waahine, Spinning Yarns and Tall Tales and The Voices of Women – He Maangai Waahine all feature some awesome local speakers/performers,” says Mooney.
Mana Waahine (Sept 25, 7:30pm) features The Birth of the Voice by Waimahi Hotere, accompanied by Horomona Horo. Followed by readings from ‘Queenie Queenie Nga Hine Ariki Nga Hine Kahurangi’ by poet Jude Roberts and fellow poet Maria Huata will perform some of her spoken word pieces. Nalani Wilson Hokowhitu will read her contemporary ancestral narrative Ka Makana and the evening will close with a musical performance from Vox Dawn.
Spinning Yarns and Tall Tales (24 September at 7pm) will be MCed by local writing workshopper Shelly Davies featuring panellists; Jan Maree Franicevic (comedian and MC), Cian Gardner (theatre creator), Dr Allison Barrett (author) and Fiona Collins (play and screen writer). Bringing yet more local voices to The Meteor stage, The Voices of Women – He Maangai Waahine panel (Sept 26, 7pm) will include founder of NZ’s first Maori Women’s Refuge Ronnie Albert, wellbeing app creator Mihi Smith and Inclusive Aotearoa Collective founder Anjum Rahman with local radio personality Kelli Pike (Kelli From The Tron) MCing.
“We really hope there’s something for everyone,” says Nudds. “It’s been a massive undertaking! We are so inspired and humbled by the support we have recieved about the kaupapa of Toi Waahine”.
For full details and tickets, events, and the festival check out – https://www.toiwahine.co.nz/ or The Meteor website http://themeteor.co.nz/events/