Editorial Scott Stevens Issue 470 It is quite an abstract concept to call listening to conversation entertainment. But judging by the growing popularity of ideas-based festivals like TED and its TEDx sub-brand, listening to inspiring people talk is very real entertainment. Queenstown is lucky in the opportunities we have to join in this global phenomenon. This week Aspiring Conversations, as part of the Festival of Colour, offer two events following a number of similar thought provoking events to those hosted by CATALYST over winter. Perhaps it’s a reaction against random celebrity culture that rewards stupidity that now people with intelligence are gaining celebrity status and drawing crowds. Who would have thought being brainy could lead to celebrity. And surely that is more nourishing for the soul than reading about who was or was not at George and Amal Clooney’s wedding. The Festival of Colour has come a long way since its birth over the Crown Range in Wanaka. Aspiring Conversations is late 2014’s prelude to the next Festival of Colour in 2015 and is proof once more that the overall festival program is the most comprehensive performance arts festival in the Southern Lakes. It helps to be well funded and well connected with a powerful and passionate list of trustees and supporters. The Festival of Colour produces a quality program well in excess of what a small region like ours would expect. In past years, some events within this brilliant arts festival have struggled to shake off the Wanaka tag, and unfortunately Queenstown’s ego at not having been the concept incubator has meant less than enthusiastic support from the general public in the Wakatipu. It does not help our ego either that the Wakatipu only gets a token gesture of events on this side of the range. But you cannot complain too much. Anything is better than nothing and being inspired by inspiring people talking about relevant issues here in the Wakatipu has to be a good thing. The topic is of course important, but an avid interest in it not particularly crucial. This Friday at the Rees Hotel the debate is on water. Not the Wakatipu issue of water meters in the near future but water use in New Zealand generally and how to balance competing demands. If you love a good debate and questioning the status quo I suggest you get off the fence and invest the $15 ticket price on the expansion of your mind. If more Queenstowners attended such things, hopefully the powers that be at Festival of Colour HQ in Wanaka throw us a bit more meat on the bone next year. See festivalofcolour.co.nz for program and ticketing details. lwb.co.nz
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 20:00:01 +0000
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