TAFT Considers the Future of Kinetika

TAFT Considers the Future of Kinetika

After a successful competition and event in 2014, the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) is reconsidering the future of kinetika.

Due to the current economic climate and the breakeven outcome of the recent Taranaki International Arts Festival, it has been decided by the TAFT Board that kinetika is now in abeyance till 2017.

In 2014 kinetika received international entries from America, Hungry, Turkey, India, Budapest, Columbia and Germany. It generated the equivalent to 11 full time jobs in Taranaki, generated $1.5m new spending and 99% of visitors rated the event as excellent or very good. Almost 10,000 people visited the exhibition at Puke Ariki last year.

Previously a decision was made to go biennial in May this year after kinetika organisers, sponsors and partners celebrated the continuance of the festival in April. The decision to postpone kinetika to 2017 is seen as a sensible decision in the current economic climate. A decision will be made next year about the dates for 2017.

Festival manager Lisa Haskell says “the second half of this year has not seen a lot of change in the sector we’re currently working in and while it’s disappointing for those who are already busy designing entries, delaying the presentation of kinetika to 2017 is a prudent step for TAFT”.

“The decision has been hard and while there is obvious disappointment for our key partners who have supported kinetika, it will allow us more time to seek alternate forms of funding and determine our next step forward” says TAFT's CEO Suzanne Porter.

“…however what’s more concerning for TAFT is the environment we’re currently operating in. New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) has advised TAFT it will no longer have the management contract for the TSB Showplace from July 2016. Under TAFT’s careful management since 2006, the TSB Showplace has returned a surplus in recent years, allowing us to create and foster new festivals and mitigate the risk which is an integral part of festivals. Kinetika receives no NPDC funding so this loss of revenue coupled with a downturn in the oil and gas/engineering sector has resulted in TAFT reconsidering the future of kinetika.“

The festival is an international competition fusing kinetic art, design, engineering together and culminates in an exhibition showcasing the selected works.

Last year nine concepts were selected and these went on to be fabricated by Taranaki engineering firms: EHL Group, Howard Wright Ltd, Ken Gernhoefer, Meco Engineers, Rivet, Steelfab Ltd, Wells Group with the support of Steel & Tube Ltd.

Kinetika continues to be featured in national publications alongside the other major events TAFT exclusively presents like the upcoming Tropfest NZ, one of our country’s most prolific short-film competition and festivals and the iconic WOMAD NZ.

ends

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