Festival Show In Hong Kong, 2012

For the first time ever, the World of WearableArt™ (WOW) is to perform overseas at an international festival - the world-renowned 2012 Hong Kong Arts Festival.

The Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) is a major annual international festival in Asia and is the region’s premier cultural event, presenting over 200 performances of music, theatre and dance by some of the best artists from around the world, to an audience of 150,000.

The World of WearableArt™ Managing Director Gabrielle Harvey says she is delighted that WOW® will be showcased off-shore at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

“New Zealand will always be the home of WearableArt™, but over the last few years we have also looked for opportunities to be part of an international festival,” Hervey says. “There is a great synergy between us and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and we believe now is the right time for WOW® to be there. It is a very exciting time for the show, Wellington and New Zealand.”

As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, the Hong Kong Arts Festival will present a unique World of WearableArt™ show on 28 January to 5 February 2012, after the Executive Director of the HKAF, Tisa Ho, fell in love with the concept when she visited Wellington last year.

“I was extremely impressed by the World of WearableArt™ Awards Show last year, and I immediately went back to Hong Kong to work on bringing a taste of it to us,” Ho says. “It is fantastic that a WOW® show will be a part of the 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival. Audiences will be delighted to see this unique extravaganza of wearable art pieces, presented in a wonderfully multi-layered show.

“The scale and splendour of the production is most impressive, and gives an additional dimension to the Hong Kong Festival’s programming in its 40th year,” she says. “I am grateful to the friends in New Zealand who have talked to me about WOW® for several years now, and to Creative New Zealand for assisting with my visit last year."

Hervey thanks the good relationship between the World of WearableArt™ and international events manager Michael Mushalla of Double M Arts & Events for the Hong Kong opportunity.

“We were introduced to international events manager Michael Mushalla by Creative New Zealand, and it was timely that he was able to arrange for Tisa Ho to see the 2010 WOW® Awards Show in Wellington,” Hervey says.

“We are thrilled that Tisa and her team loved what they experienced, and doubly thrilled that she has helped make this opportunity in Hong Kong happen for us.”

The World of WearableArt™ Founder and Creative Director Suzie Moncrieff says that a 70-minute show of the ‘best of the best’ sections from recent award shows will be taken to Hong Kong.

“It has always been my dream to showcase the World of WearableArt™ concept to an international audience,” Moncrieff says. “The performance in Hong Hong will present more than 100 extraordinary garments from the historic World of WearableArt™ collection, as well as key elements of this year’s stunning American Express Open Section, which has a focus on colour and dance.

“There will also be dozens of dance and character costumes, and some extraordinary props designed by WOW® Ltd,” she says. “There will be a minimum of eight performances and an audience of at least 16,000 is expected to attend, which is thrilling.

“We aim to show New Zealand to be a country of creativity and colour, presenting a different side of us from the way that perhaps the Hong Kong and Chinese market traditionally think of us,” she says. “For example, through our South Pacific Section we can show an element of New Zealand’s traditional culture in a more contemporary way.

“It will be a specially-designed show for touring,” she says. “We’ve had to take into account new restrictions, such as limited pack in/pack out times and there will be fewer aerial performance opportunities. We have been really enjoying the challenge of creating something completely unique for the Hong Kong Festival.”

Wellington City Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says it is fantastic that The World of WearableArt™ has taken up the Hong Kong opportunity.

“The show continues to delight, and the growing number of international designers and media involved are testament to its appeal to a global audience,” says Mayor Wade-Brown. “I’m very proud that the World of WearableArt™ team, have achieved a place in the prestigious Hong Kong Arts Festival.

“The World of WearableArt™’s expansion to Hong Kong is a great example of the global market for Kiwi creativity.”

Tourism New Zealand CEO Kevin Bowler says by going to Hong Kong, WOW® and New Zealand will be seen by an entirely new audience.

“Over recent years, WOW® has become a significant event for New Zealand, given the number of international designers who enter, and the corresponding media stories published in their countries,” says Kevin Bowler. “Having WOW® featured as part of the Hong Kong Arts Festival takes the show’s profile to a whole other level, and will undoubtedly help promote New Zealand as a destination for high quality creative events.”

The Hong Kong World of WearableArt™ Show will involve a New Zealand cast and crew of 50 people who have worked on the show in New Zealand. They include; Artistic Director Malia Johnston, choreographers, dancers, models, lighting, sound, riggers, wardrobe/back stage management and stage management, as well as the management required to oversee such a theatrical production.

ENDS

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