Boutique hotel opens doors to festival

Pitsch Leiser.

The Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival has a new home thanks to the continuing partnership with Porters Boutique Hotel.

Lowmac Properties, owner of the new 5-star Porters Boutique Hotel, has provided the festival team with the use of a retail space for five months at no cost. Situated in the former Red Cross shop in Te Mata Rd, the new location is just a stone's throw from the Havelock North Village Green, the central venue for the Festival.

Odette Bowyer, the newly appointed general manager of Porters Boutique Hotel says they are delighted to support the Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival in this way.

"The festival is the perfect fit for Porters. The inaugural event was a huge success and we can't wait to open our doors in December to people visiting Hawke's Bay and for future Festivals," Mrs Bowyer said.

The redeveloped Havelock North Village Green will once again be home to a magnificent Spiegeltent, which will form the hub of the festival. Additional venues, including the Century and Municipal Theatres in Napier and the Blyth Performing Arts Centre will make this year's festival a truly Hawke's Bay-wide event.

With only five months to go until the festival kicks off, planning is well under way for the 2016 event. "We have a talented team working hard to bring the very best of local, national and international performances to Hawke's Bay," says festival director, Pitsch Leiser.

Mr Leiser said the festival team was incredibly grateful for the support of local and national businesses with setting up the new office. This includes broadband from NOW, photocopying and printing services from Hawke's Bay Technologies and carpet, upholstery and window cleaning from Hawke's Bay's Alfa One.

"Every little bit helps," says Mr Leiser. "It lets us concentrate on the business of bringing the very best of arts and culture to the people of Hawke's Bay."

The Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival will run from October 4 " 16. For more information see hbaf.co.nz.