The 2011 Auckland Arts Festival

I am so excited for the upcoming Auckland Arts Festival because they have been very consistent in delivering shows, events and exhibiting art that will make you contemplate, smile, laugh, and recall your yesteryears. The Auckland Arts Festival has a line up of thought-provoking and equally enchanting theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts and special events.

The Festival has something for everyone from every taste, generation, genre or personality. Running from 2nd until the 20th of March 2010, the festival highlights some enchanting Water Puppets from Vietnam, the dazzling Manganiyar Seduction from Rajasthan, a new production Smoke & Mirrors from the producers of last year’s hit La Clique, and a passionate Latino retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, La Odisea by Bolivia’s pre-eminent theatre company.

Theatre, dance, music, arts and even a Festival Garden are the things to expect in this 19-days Festival. This is the time when our world of reality will come alive with creativity, the Arts and the endless possibilities of our imagination. There will be spectacular cross-genre productions from New Zealand and around the globe. For more information of the different productions, click here.

There will be new contemporary works in dance and a musical showcase world-class classical, contemporary, opera, cabaret, jazz and cinematic music.

Auckland Arts Festival also features visual arts of different kinds of sculptures, paintings, ceramics, installations, performances, videos, photography and design exhibitions. They will be staged throughout the city, featuring works by local and international artists. The Festival Garden is also worth checking out.

Events are mostly held at the Aotea Centre but there are some events that are held in different venues around the city and you are required to purchase tickets for some of the shows. Details for your ticketing concerns are available here.

For those who would love to take their families, there is a Family Day, on Sunday 13 March – a dedicated party of music, workshops, storytelling, concerts and arts activities for children and their parents at the Aotea Centre. Most of them are free. Check out the website of the festival for their other free events.

They also have a lot of photos from previous festivals and upcoming events which you might be interested. The Festival’s Flickr album contains a wealth of entertaining photos that will stir your imagination and encourage you to come in this yearly affair.

Photo via Flickr: Examining Art by Cobalt123

Video via Youtube: Auckland Arts Festival 2011