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The Pacific Fringe was held at the end of February at the Mangere Arts Centre - Nga Tohu o Uenuku. There’s a variety of acts from the local community and visiting artists and with tickets starting at $2, a colourful and fun time is assured!

The Pacific Fringe was held at the end of February at the Mangere Arts Centre - Nga Tohu o Uenuku. There’s a variety of acts from the local community and visiting artists and with tickets starting at $2, a colourful and fun time is assured! This is followed over the coming weeks with touring shows from the Auckland festival, Havoc in the Garden and Who are you?, both of which include local talent.

Renee Liang chats to Katrina Chandra, Performing Arts Manager of the Mangere Arts Centre.

Why the need to have a Pacific Fringe?

Actually, the Fringe approached us to see if we were interested in trying to organise some events to be on here for the programme - it was a challenge as the Mangere Arts Centre - Nga Tohu o Uenuku is very new and so we're still training audiences to come and see normal performance, let alone what we call Fringe (which is something only theatre-type people even know about apparently - have you ever tried to explain Fringe to someone who doesn't watch theatre?).

What is some of the local talent involved?

We have a local performance artist - Ite 'Uhila - who is doing an amazing piece called Pigs in the Yard which is a critique of British colonisation in the Pacific. He's a deep thinker. It is great to be able to empower this work, which is not one of the more common art practices, particularly among Pacific artists! No pigs are harmed though.

From Lima Dance, we have Hip Hop Monkeys, Pacific Goddess Statues which sing and hilarious Tongan comedy group Sai E along with the play Take That and two very stunning dance duets. Most of the performers are from South Auckland and have a real affinity with Mangere - we had students from Mangere College in today and they loved the performances - I could see they were excited to view performance in this different way (we use all the spaces around the theatre which people might not otherwise be in).

Pacific Punch, a community show, looks like a whole load of fun. Whose idea was it?

Mine. As usual I came up with the name (I named the Auckland Performing Arts Forum for the last 2 years as well).

We have quite a few community variety shows (Showtime Mangere, One Love Aotearoa, Rise Up) so I thought we should have a Pacific Fringe Gala Variety Show but the others said that was too long a title. We like to be able to put on different performers from the local community and there is a huge wealth of talent here!

Your two Festival headliners, Havoc in the Garden and Who are you, are performed by youth, for youth. In what ways does the Mangere Arts Centre plan to reach out to youth?

Reach out! Man, we can't get rid of them! Not that we'd want to :-) There are always youth around the centre either performing in or attending shows, 42% of South Auckland is under 26!

But to answer your question, we have very close connections with the local schools and libraries so we activate those for show promotions as well as utilising social networking media (we have a facebook page and we text quite a lot). I programme with youth in mind but we also try to ensure there is work for their parents to enjoy too.

The most important thing is making sure ticket prices are accessible for youth, if they can't afford a ticket then what's the point?!

There are several actors from Mangere in Havoc and Urban Youth Movement also - having local performers definitely brings local audiences!

Pacific Fringe

A weekend of Performance, Art and Culture featuring Mixed Nuts, Pacific Punch!, Pigs in the Yard, and more!

Part of the Auckland Fringe.
Thursday 24 - Sunday 27 February 2011

Pacific Punch!

A variety evening packed with exciting Pacific talent and live performance from the local community.

Featuring Alice Armitt, Collab Dancers, Agnes Hallberg, South Auckland Poets Collective, The Strolling Players, Ura Tabu Pacific Dance and Anita Wigl?it. Part of the Auckland Fringe.

Saturday 27 February, 7.00pm
Tickets $5 Adult / $2 Children (under 12)

Havoc in the Garden

A play be Lennie James and Massive Company, about five families who are forced to confront secrets they have kept buried.

Part of the Auckland Arts Festival.

Wednesday 9 - Saturday 12 March, 7.00pm
Tickets from reception or www.iticket.co.nz / (09) 361 1000

Who Are You??

Part of the Auckland Arts Festival.

The powerful new installment from Black Grace?s renowned UrbanYOUTHMovement.

Wednesday 16 - Friday 19 March
Tickets from reception or www.iticket.co.nz / (09) 361 1000