Stephen Blackburn appointed as WOW Head of Show Production

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 3 February, 2017

Stephen Blackburn appointed as WOW Head of Show Production

WOW adds to senior management team following extensive growth

World of Wearableart Ltd (WOW) has appointed Stephen Blackburn, formerly of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, New Zealand Opera and National Theatre for Children, to the new Head of Show Production role at WOW.

Blackburn’s 35-year theatre background is extensive, making him one of the most experienced theatre production managers in the country. As a designer and production manager Stephen has worked on more than 150 productions in New Zealand, the USA and the UK, as well as having had considerable involvement as a designer for museums and visitor centres in New Zealand and Europe. Most recently was with Capital-E and its National Theatre for Children, where he was the General Manager/Creative Producer for 11 years.

Blackburn was also instrumental in setting up the NZ Association of Theatre Technicians, The Design Guild, and the Guide to Safe Working Practices in the NZ Theatre and Entertainment Industry. He has taught in theatre production and arts administration at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School and in Singapore and the United States.

He is one of the well-known Blackburns from Wellington, a family lauded for their contribution to theatre and opera in New Zealand. His father Ken Blackburn ONZM was a pioneer of New Zealand theatre, being a founding actor with Downstage Theatre and contributing to the Mercury Theatre as an Associate Director. At age 82 he is still acting. Stephen Blackburn’s late mother Vi Blackburn, an accomplished mezzo soprano, was a founding member of the NZ Opera Company in the 1950’s and became a familiar face to regular visitors to the St James Theatre and The Opera House where she worked for over 30 years.

Blackburn says he is very excited to be joining WOW, which he describes as a unique arts and theatre experience with an innate sense of community.

“It is a great privilege to be able to contribute to WOW’s ongoing success as an iconic Kiwi experience,” Blackburn says. “To me, one of the most impressive things about WOW is how its show is of such a huge scale but it still retains a strong community heart - that is very hard to achieve but it comes across in the show and in everything WOW does. There is a responsibility to make sure this value remains.

“WOW’s global reach is also very impressive,” he says. “I was teaching Devised Theatre at the University of Texas last year and the first thing some students said when they heard I was from New Zealand was ‘Have you worked at WOW?’ In theatre design and fashion sectors WOW is now a key part of New Zealand’s brand and the organisation’s strategic vision in this space really excites me.”

WOW CE Gisella Carr says the growth of WOW’s global competition and exhibitions, and the annual staging of New Zealand’s largest and most technically challenging theatrical production created the need for a permanent Head of Show Production role.

“WOW’s different experiences run 12-months of the year,” says Carr. “We are based out of Nelson but we reach all over the world.

“Merging an international wearable art competition that attracts designers from more than 40 countries, with a complex theatrical production involving more than 350 cast and crew requires the most skilled team possible,” she says. “Then, in addition to the annual competition and show, we run an international touring exhibition, recently seen by more than 250,000 people at MoPOP in Seattle, as well as the National WOW Museum - one of the most visited attractions in Nelson. We also present at special events, the latest being at the end of last year where we headlined at the New Zealand Ball in Shanghai, representing New Zealand’s creative sector as part of Kiwi Week.

“WOW is a truly international company with ongoing expansion plans, and we are extremely pleased Stephen is joining our Senior Management Team this month as Head of Show Production,” she says. “Until now, elements of the role have been contracted to specialists but we now need a permanent position if we are to continue our growth. Next year will be particularly significant for WOW as it is our 30th anniversary, so we have plans in place throughout 2018 that Stephen will help activate, as well as other longer term initiatives.”

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BACKGROUND

About The World of WearableArt (WOW)

One of New Zealand’s cultural success stories is the spectacular World of WearableArt created by Dame Suzie Moncrieff in 1987. The World of WOW is alive 12-months of the year. It centres around a global wearable art design competition and includes an annual show in Wellington, year-round exhibitions at the National WOW Museum in Nelson and a travelling international exhibition.

The Competition

At the core of WOW is an international design competition that attracts entries from all over the world. The range of garments produced for each year’s WOW competition is simply breathtaking, as the rules of competition mean that anything that is in any way wearable can find a place on stage, as long as it is original, beautifully designed and well-made. This also results in garments that are constructed from an extraordinary array of materials, pushing the boundaries of expectation.

The Show

Every September and October, the WOW Show bursts into new life, taking over New Zealand’s vibrant capital city of Wellington in an explosion of creativity and fun. The three-week season of 15 shows is completely different every year, attracting 58,000 showgoers from around the world. The 2017 show season runs 21 September to 8 October, with tickets going on sale from 1 March.

The awards show brings to life finalists selected from that year’s WOW competition in New Zealand’s largest and most technically challenging theatrical production, brought to life by around 350 cast and crew.

The Exhibitions

Each year, more than 40,000 people visit the National WOW Museum on Cadillac Way in Nelson to see up close and personal the winning WOW designs from the most recent competition.

WOW’s travelling international exhibition showcases 32 award-winning garments curated to present the best of New Zealand’s creative activity to the world. To date it has exhibited at the Bishop Museum Hawaii, MoPOP in Seattle and from February 18th to June 11th at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Boston.

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