The Tauranga Shakespeare Festival is set to return on Sunday, April 21, thanks to the support of the CRAFT Management Charitable Trust. The festival, which will be held at The Historic Village, will run for a full day and will include a variety of Shakespearean and Medieval activities. The event is free to attend.
The festival was originally created to bring back Shakespeare performances to the community and to provide opportunities for collaboration. Harry Oram, the Creative Director, says that the festival was inspired by the desire to fill a cultural and educational void left by the cancellation of traditional summer Shakespeare performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Oram stated that the festival is a chance to rekindle the community’s connection with classical literature and live theatre. It also provides an opportunity to introduce new talent and innovative approaches to Shakespearean storytelling.
Visitors to the festival can expect to see performances of Shakespearean shows, listen to music from the Elizabethan era, and watch choreographed fights for films and theatre. There will also be crafts and activities available to try.
The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund has provided a $7,500 community event grant to support the festival and ensure it is accessible to everyone without any entry fees. The fund is a partnership between local funders Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, with the main aim of supporting community-led events and those that encourage participation for free or at a low cost.
In addition to the festival being free to attend, there will also be competitions for the Most Creative Costume, Best Copy of Shakespeare’s Image and a Monologue Competition with a cash prize.
Alastair Rhodes, BayTrust Chief Executive, praised CRAFT for their vision to make Shakespeare’s work more accessible and relevant to modern audiences. Nelita Byrne, Venues and Events Manager of Tauranga City Council, also expressed her support for CRAFT’s efforts to engage the wider community with live theatre and the arts.
This year’s festival will also include a partnership with 16th Avenue Theatre to present Macbeth from April 15 to 23. The show will feature one of the largest casts to date for 16th Avenue Theatre.
The Tauranga Shakespeare Festival will take place at The Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue West, Tauranga South, Tauranga 3143 on Sunday 21 April 2024. The festival will include activities such as Maypole Dancing, a variety of Shakespearean and Medieval stalls, games, archery and axe throwing, a poetry workshop, a screening of “Shakespeare in Love”, and a monologue competition.
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