In 1967, Aretha Franklin dropped her smash hit version of Respect and the world was never the same.

A soundtrack for a generation, Respect became a declaration from a strong, confident woman - as potent then as it is today.

The passing of the late great Aretha Franklin in 2018 signalled the end of an era but Aretha’s legacy of song lives on. Join Annie Crummer, Bella Kalolo, Ria Hall and Jackie Clarke as they sock it to you and pay tribute to the legendary Aretha Franklin. This is a night at the inaugural Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival you won’t want to miss!

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr Fahrenheit Publicity on siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz or +64 22 126 4149.

“Our creativity as a region provides connection for all New Zealanders.”

– Tama Waipara, Festival Director

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.