Come & join us for happy hour EVERY DAY from 3-6pm. Enjoy lovely views & food
Issue 1143 Circulation 9000
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA
4 February 2025 | Proudly locally owned and operated
Waitangi Weekend Arts Show
Page 6
The hungry shark
Page 8
Kids Drawing & Art Competition Page 15
theinformer.co.nz
(07) 866 2090 info@theinformer.co.nz
@theinformernz
MAKING PERFORMING ARTS FLOURISH
Pages 3 & 28
www.theinformer.co.nz
3A Reweti Drive (opposite Mobil) www.basker.co.nz info@basker.co.nz Phone: 07 866 0645 Hours 8.00am to late
How do we assess a successful performing arts on the Coromandel Peninsula? BY PAULINE STEWART
P
eople love music and live music is at the forefront of choice. People love drama, comedy, pathos – it does not have all the colour, graphics, and action dimensions of a big screen movie but there are other dimensions of involvement and participation in live theatre that are equally thrilling. Every aspect of the per-
forming arts except for the big commercial concerts, requires a huge input of volunteer time and expertise. Those who do the hard yards of creating the content, those who actually are the performers and those who work to bring the living art to the people are the force behind what makes the performing arts. A feasibility study done recently by He Mana Toi Moehau Trust/Creative Cor-
omandel regarding the kind of Community Arts Facility needed for the future in Mercury Bay, is commendable. However, the calibre of performing arts and the creativity and passion required to have performing arts does not rely on the success of that ever eventuating. Neither do trusts and agencies receiving funding to promote other people’s productions and events. Often the people trying to produce
something receive no outside funding. For the performing arts to succeed in smaller communities, there has to be committed and talented volunteerism partnered with sheer grit and indeed, somewhere to perform and present. There are also those bursts of self-sacrifice and passionate belief that enable huge undertakings to become a reality. Continued on page 2
The Coromandel Informer – 4 February 2025 | 1