Auckland Arts Festival unveils programme for 2021

Tom Sainsbury hosts The Tom Sainsbury Love Hour at The Auckland Arts Festival. Photo / Supplied

One of the first arts festivals affected by Covid-19 in New Zealand is rising from the ashes with a brand new programme that celebrates local talent.

The Auckland Arts Festival has unveiled its programme for their 2021 festival, with 73 events set to be staged between March 4 and 21 next year.

The festival, which features spotlights comedy, music, theatre, dance and digital art, will be made up of 100 per cent New Zealand artists as a result of border closures.

The decision comes after travel restrictions saw numerous shows in the 2020 festival cancelled before the level 4 lockdown. Gathering restrictions cancelled the rest of the festival.

It's a situation organisers hope to avoid next year.

The festival's new artistic director Shona McCullagh said there is a 'Plan B' in place in case of new lockdowns, but they are focusing on live events for now.

"Our priority is to ensure the safety of our audiences and our artists, but at the moment, we're too excited about the idea of a live performance festival."

Estère - Into the Belly of Capricorn. Photo / Supplied

As part of the festival "phoenix out of the ashes", one of the events cancelled as a result of lockdown, Estère – Into the Belly of Capricorn, will return for 2021 as one of the opening acts of the new Civic Club setting being introduced next year.

Dubbed a "once in a lifetime experience", the festival will be placing the audience on the stage at The Civic Theatre and building a new platform over the seats, reversing the perspective of performances and giving audiences a unique new experience.

McCullagh says the unique opportunity is the result of no international acts coming in, giving the festival the chance to take over The Civic for the whole festival.

The opportunity means that the festival will be able to "elevate and uplift" the artistry in New Zealand.

"As someone who has toured all around the world with various companies, it always strikes when performing to full houses internationally, what we have at home we don't sometimes acknowledge as being at the standard as we see international artists coming in, and we absolutely, categorically are at a world class level," McCullagh said.

Highlights from the festival lineup includes 'Heavenly Bodies', which will see acrobats descend from the roof of The Civic Theatre, while Snapchat star Tom Sainsbury will be chatting to local stars as part of 'The Tom Sainsbury Love Hour'.

As part of the festival's Polynesian Panthers 50th Anniversary programming, Che Fu and his band The Kratez will be performing his album 'Navigator' at the Auckland Town Hall, in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

Che-Fu will be performing his album Navigator. Photo / Supplied

Julia Deans, Anna Coddington, Reb Fountain, Moana Maniapoto, and Delaney Davidson with Shayne Carrter are among the musical acts that will be performing during the festival.

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra will be offering two events, with the debut of 'Shoulder to Shoulder', celebrating female composers, and they will be performing John Williams' Oscar-winning score to 'E.T.' in an Australasian first.

McCullagh said that the festival will also feature the most free events in the event's history, with 25 spread out across March.