The festival ran across an epic ten days of large and small events, indoor and outdoor, free and ticketed.
Our region saw performances from local, national and internationally acclaimed artists " performances that delighted, challenged, and captivated our community.
The festival Kaupapa aligns with the Trust Tairāwhiti Wellbeing Framework, He Rangitapu, He Tohu Ora.
The Trust Tairāwhiti hub, Te P?tahi and Te Ara i Whiti " The Light Trail were still being talked about weeks after the event!
Over 12,000 attendees enjoyed 70 extraordinary performances and 21 shows and exhibitions.
The 10-day event had a physcial footprint of 248km from Wairoa to Tikitiki and superb visitation from around Aotearoa.
Given Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival was the first regional arts festival since lockdown, the news of the events spread far and wide.
Despite a reduced scale and duration, the attendance across festival events was very positive and only slightly less than the larger scale event in 2019.
Incredibly, 61 percent of ticket buyers were under the age of 45, which is "unusual within domestic arts events and a testament to the intergenerational whānau focus," said CE of the festival, Tama Waipara.
He said the themes this year of connection, illumination, and creativity,"echoed across the festival thanks to"the support of Trust Tairāwhiti and our beautiful community."
"Trust funding was integral in enabling attendees to enjoy more easily accessible ticket prices.
"This year has been full of uncertainty and adversity so the opportunity to gather together and connect with each other through the arts was more poignant than ever. Bring on 2021!"
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