National Library: Flying Nun poster collection

As part of Music Month 2021, the label's 40th Anniversary and their huge project to correctly catalog their Flying Nun collection The National Library has selected, framed ad displayed 7 unique posters supporting band gigs and albums from the 1980s. 

Posters include Look Blue Go Purple, The Alpaca Brothers, The Clean, The Bats and the Outnumbered by Sheep bfm student radio compilation.

These are displayed in the downstairs public entrance and are a magnificent document to one of our most memorable and significant periods of music and recording.

for more info go to www.natlib.govt.nz

WOMAD RETURNS IN 2022

Photo: Mckenzie Jennings-Gruar

WOMAD, the world’s festival, is delighted that following New Plymouth District Council’s announcement of a host city agreement with WOMAD International, New Zealand’s premier international festival will return to its home of the last 18 years in the stunning Brooklands Park in Taranaki in 2022. The festival dates of March 18-20 have been confirmed.

After a year off in 2021 due to the global pandemic, 2022 will be an extra special year with all the features that have made WOMAD NZ an award-winning festival along with a raft of new ideas and exciting developments to celebrate its return.
Getting WOMAD NZ back up and happening has been a priority for Director of WOMAD International, Chris Smith.

Smith, who has been in New Plymouth for the festival for the last 14 years comments, “2021 was such a difficult year around the world, but this partnership agreement has been central to the decision to bring the festival back in 2022.  WOMAD means so much to the people of New Plymouth who welcome our artists into their community and the festival brings a significant investment into the regional economy – We simply can’t wait to be back here in March.”

Now in a five-year direct partnership with the New Plymouth District Council, the three-day WOMAD festival will continue to be produced by TAFT (Taranaki Arts Festival Trust) who have presented the festival in New Plymouth since 2003.

Chairman of the TAFT Board Charles Wilkinson adds, “TAFT is thrilled to continue to deliver WOMAD to the thousands of people who attend each year.  2022 will see the WOMAD NZ festival carry on business as usual for our festival teams and volunteers. We are looking forward to welcoming back WOMAD audiences for our 17th anniversary year.”

New Plymouth District Mayor, Neil Holdom said, “This is awesome news for music lovers, local business and visitors as the country emerges from our Covid bubble. WOMAD is part of our district’s DNA.”

Smith adds, “We are intending to deliver the international line-up that WOMAD NZ fans expect, through the richly diverse talent already here in New Zealand and hopefully supported by a number of artists from overseas if circumstances allow.”

WOMAD NZ 2022  is set to be a glittering celebration of our Aotearoa/New Zealand cultures and the diversity of our magnificent world as always.

www.womad.co.nz 

www.facebook.com/WomadNZ 

www.twitter.com/WomadNZ 
www.instagram.com/womadnz 
www.youtube.com/channel/WOMADNZ 
https://open.spotify.com/user/womadnz 

The Art Of The Record Exhibition

The NZ Music Commission are presenting, an exhibition of album artwork by NZ artists and musicians to celebrate the art of recorded music, coinciding with the 21st anniversary of NZ Music Month. This exhibition’s purpose is to celebrate the Art of the Record - the album format itself, and the insight its design provides to the artist and the music. 

The exhibition is touring to four centres and open free to the public during May 2021. To be eligible, both the album cover art and music needed to be by New Zealanders, and from albums released over the 21 years since NZ Music Month launched.  

The exhibition was initially conceived to be displayed in parliaments Bowen House gallery space. This space has since closed and the exhibition was refocused on getting the works to more places and people. As an organisation the NZ Music Commission embrace the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strive to create a diverse and equitable environment for the creation and sustainability of the New Zealand music industry and associated business. 

As such the artworks chosen have been curated from many sources, including Tui finalists and winners of Aotearoa Music Awards as well as potentially lesser known artists and acts. These are a stunning visual representation of music and album art that speaks to the viewer about where we are from. 

With the works only spanning since the year 2000 the NZ Music Commission have endeavoured to find something for everyone to enjoy through either the genre of music, to the art style of the pieces. 

 The NZ Music Commission have gathered many original paintings, photographs and sculpture, which are on loan for the duration of the tour. 

The tour starts in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland at Monster Valley on Karangahape Road 1 May.  The show then travels to Te Auaha Gallery on Pōneke Wellington’s Dixon Street for 10 May; the 17 of May sees us open in The Pūmanawa Gallery in Ōtautahi Christchurch’s historic Arts Centre and finishes the month in Ōtepoti Dunedin in the Golden Centre.