Nelson Arts Festival 2025

Nelson Arts Festival 2025

The Nelson Arts Festival is 11 days of unmissable arts experiences in Whakatū! 23 Oct - 2 Nov 2025. We take a look behind the scenes and hear about some of the unmissable events coming to Whakatū this October in our interview series.

Episodes

Artist Spotlight - Yes Yes Yes with Karin McCracken

September 30, 2025 • 7 mins
Ceara chats with Karin from EBKM about Yes Yes Yes, a theatre show for young people exploring healthy relationships, desire, and consent. Combining humor, solo performance, and audience interaction, the show sparks important conversations while entertaining and empowering its audience.
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Artist Spotlight - All the Things I Wish I Could Be with Tom Knowles and Jed Parsons

September 30, 2025 • 10 mins
Shannon talks with Tom Knowles and Jed Parsons (aka Jeff Parsnips) about All The Things I Wish I Could Be, a brand-new Kiwi kids comedy singalong. Packed with original songs, laughter, and heart, the show celebrates imagination, friendship, and the joy of becoming anything we dream to be — perfect for the whole whānau.
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Artist Spotlight - Delirious with Damien Wilkins

September 30, 2025 • 16 mins
Ceara speaks with award-winning author Damien Wilkins about Delirious, his acclaimed novel exploring family, ageing, and life’s biggest transitions. With warmth and humour, Wilkins reflects on the characters and themes that earned the book Aotearoa’s top literary prize.
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Artist Spotlight - Heartbreak Hotel with Karin McCracken and Simon Leary

September 30, 2025 • 13 mins
Ceara chats with Karin and Simon from EBKM about Heartbreak Hotel, their Nelson Arts Festival exclusive. Blending story, science, and music, the show takes audiences on a raw and witty journey through love, loss, and the physiology of heartbreak.
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Artist Spotlight - Takadimi with Manjit Singh

September 30, 2025 • 10 mins
Shannon speaks with master tabla player Manjit Singh about Takadimi, an exclusive Nelson Arts Festival performance. Fusing Indian classical traditions with jazz and improvisation, Manjit shares how rhythm and collaboration shape Takadimi’s dynamic sound.
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Artist Spotlight - Seasonal Agreement with John Vea

September 30, 2025 • 11 mins
Ceara sits down with Ōtautahi-based artist John Vea (Tonga, Aotearoa New Zealand) to discuss Seasonal Agreement, his exhibition at Refinery ArtSpace. Through humour and sharp storytelling, Vea explores the hidden realities faced by migrant workers in Aotearoa, from navigating bureaucracy to sustaining family connections across oceans.
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Artist Spotlight - Ration the Queens Veges with Te Wehi Ratana

September 30, 2025 • 20 mins
Ceara sits down with activist Te Wehi Ratana, whose 2023 Treaty protest at Te Papa sparked national debate. In this episode, he reflects on his 48 hours in Rimutaka Prison and the one-man play inspired by those events — a story of action, aroha, and our Treaty that blurs the line between fact and truth.
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Artist Spotlight - Secret Art Powers - Jo Randerson

September 30, 2025 • 16 mins
Ceara speaks with celebrated writer, performer and director Jo Randerson (ONZM) about their new book Secret Art Powers. Exploring six creative mindsets, Jo shares how the arts can unlock radical change and help us navigate complex times.
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Artist Spotlight - Who What Where Now with Joel Baxendale and Ralph Upton

September 30, 2025 • 11 mins
Ceara chats with Joel Baxendale and Ralph Upton from Binge Culture about Who What Where Now — a family-friendly theatrical adventure at Nelson’s Theatre Royal. Blending puzzles, play, and a bespoke app, the show invites tamariki (and their whānau) to explore hidden corners and uncover mysteries.
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Artist Spotlight - Holding Ground with Moss Te Ururangi Patterson

September 30, 2025 • 16 mins
Ceara sits down with renowned Māori choreographer and Artistic Director, Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) to discuss Holding Ground which pairs two dynamic dance works exploring the body’s response to pressure, imbalance, and change.
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Meet The Team - Janelle Bish, Artistic Director Nelson Arts Festival

August 29, 2025 • 13 mins
Nelson Arts Festival 2025 - Meet The Team - Janelle Bish, Artistic Director Nelson Arts Festival
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