31 January 2023

Off Centre, Full Festival Programme Released


Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre is today releasing the full programme for Off Centre, a festival to celebrate the centre’s restoration and the diverse creativity it supports.

With well over 50 programmed events crammed into a single weekend, 3-5 March 2023, Off Centre is bursting with music, comedy, theatre and vibrant entertainment. The great food and unique shopping offered by The Arts Centre’s retailers year-round will be complemented by a special festival mākete on both the Saturday and Sunday.

The full programme is a quintessential ‘Arts Centre’ line up – celebrating local talent, inclusivity, community, and cultural diversity, and offering something for everyone in a shamelessly eclectic mix. The weekend extravaganza includes kid’s activities, street performance, circus, spoken word, theatre, dance, classical music, local bands, and some well-known names in the New Zealand music industry. There are even workshops where you can learn to juggle, write poetry, or improve your sketching. Most events are free and family friendly.

Six headline acts represent the very best of contemporary creative talent in Aotearoa:

  • Tiny Ruins: multi-award-winning Hollie Fullbrook and her indie-folk band bring together a rare blend of eloquent lyrical craft and exquisite musicianship, in concert in The Arts Centre’s beautiful Great Hall
  • Toi Toi Opera: colourful site-specific operatic scenes for everyone to enjoy
  • th’Orchard Dreamers Reprise: story-telling in song featuring Mark Vanilau, Solomon Smith and th’Orchard crew’s first ever single 'Burn It All Down'
  • The Tony Chestnut & Richard Rhythm Comedy-Thon: Brynley Stent, Rutene Spooner and friends bring us a wild night of top-notch comedy
  • A Baby Called Sovereignty: a journey with local wāhine through impressive indigenous sound, movement, text, and visual arts led by Juanita Hepi
  • The Revolver Club: two astounding cabaret evenings with Shay Horay and the team

The festival nods to the past and the future of The Arts Centre as it continues to be a much-loved Christchurch community resource and visitor destination. For fun-loving and nostalgic locals, Lumière Cinemas is bringing back late-night screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for two nights only. Those interested in new ventures can sign up to tour the on-site Health Technology Centre under development, which exemplifies The Arts Centre’s understanding of the potential of creativity beyond, and in collaboration with, the arts as traditionally construed.

Arts Centre Director Philip Aldridge says Off Centre recognises years of patience and hard work after the earthquakes ravaged the heritage site. “The construction work is complete, the fences are coming down and people can once again walk through the centre of the site from east to west. It’s a significant occasion and we’re putting on a party to celebrate!” Mr Aldridge says he is particularly grateful to Leighs Construction for their restoration work and support as principal sponsor of Off Centre.

Indoor events will be ticketed, and all outdoor shows will be free to the general public, encouraging people to explore the freshly-opened site and wander from activity to activity during the festival.

Tickets are on sale now. Some free events still require booking due to space limitations so please check The Arts Centre’s website (www.artscentre.org.nz) for specific events you want to attend.

Off Centre is sponsored by Leighs Construction, along with the Christchurch City Council and Christchurch Casino. Specific performances are sponsored by Anderson Lloyd, Powell Fenwick and Dame Adrienne Stewart.  

To arrange interviews, contact:

Shelley Erskine, Engagement Manager: 027 365 1396

shelley@artscentre.org.nz

 

More Details :

Venue: Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre, 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch.

Open daily: 3–5 March 2023.

Festival weekend:

Friday night (6pm to late) includes the free public opening event (6-7pm), which will be a unique multi-artist performance in its own right and a taste of what is to come over the next two days. At the opening, people will walk between the beautifully restored heritage buildings – expect surprises.

Saturday (10am to late) and Sunday (10am to 6pm) will see a vibrant entertainment schedule, with multiple events each hour. A special festival mākete, 10.30am to 4.30pm both days, complements The Arts Centre’s usual high-quality food and retail offerings.  

There are 88 events in the programme: 60 events are free; others range from pay-what-you can to $60 per person.

Festival details www.artscentre.org.nz/whats-on/off-centre/

 

About the festival name:

Off Centre will showcase the diversity of the arts and artists from another angle. The celebration provides a platform for artists and creatives to present new work and to restage previous successful work. The festival enables artists to fine-tune scripts, further finesse performances and design elements, and expose new audiences to the ideas of some of our most exciting creative minds.

This is a one-off festival to celebrate the restoration. It signals The Arts Centre’s intention to be bold, fun, and inclusive.

 

Thanks to our sponsors and supporters:

Principal Sponsor: Leighs Construction

Festival Sponsors: Christchurch Casino, Christchurch City Council

Performance Sponsors: Anderson Lloyd, Dame Adrienne Stewart, Powell Fenwick

Festival Supporters: Adgraphix, Phantom Billstickers, Printers Inc, Star Media