Spark 09 project manager Susanna Wilford

Spark 09 project manager Susanna Wilford says producing the festival is like producing a play for the stage “bringing together all the different stories of the players (the artists and professionals) and weaving them in together to make for a lively, eclectic, thought-provoking, entertaining festival that moves the audience.”

Spark International Festival of Media, Arts and Design, from August 3-7, brings up to 20 speakers in the creative sector to Wintec’s Hamilton city campus for presentations, workshops and exhibitions.

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Spark International Festival of Media, Arts and Design began as a tiny ember, when a group of academic staff decided to pool resources to bring guest lecturers to the campus.

Eleven years later, the five-day festival, has gained an international reputation attracting world-class photographers, film makers, designers, musicians, artists, journalists and fashion designers.

The audience is a mix of students, academics, creative arts practitioners and people with an interest in how the creative sector works.

The festival is organised by School of Media Arts staff, Wintec’s Centre for Creative Industries, the Waikato Museum and the Cultural Committee of the University of Waikato.

Spark project manager Susanna Wilford talks to Venetia Sherson about the history of the festival, highlights in this year’s programme, benefits for the students and how the festival is gaining momentum.

Spark’s an interesting name for the festival. Where did it come from?

Spark festival acts as a catalyst for new ideas; ideas that spark a new perspective.  Spark grew from a decision to pool the resources from the guest lecturer budget in the School of Media Arts so all students could share in the practice and thinking of these international artists, a calibre rarely seen in Hamilton:  photography television moving image, design, painting and sculpture, music and communication. The festival was small at the beginning; more like an ember. It has grown… developing sparks.

How long has it been going?

2009 will be its 11th year.  I’ve been involved for the past three years.

What’s the idea behind the festival?

The festival is a celebration of current thinking in contemporary arts and creative industries.  It brings together artists, practitioners, educators, professionals, academics, students and the public, providing a great forum for discussion.  In a sense it’s like a carnival where there are few rules. Every day is kind of turned upside down. It’s a free event, lectures are cancelled for the week and there is no theme. It’s both cultural and educational.  The international element is particularly important:  it brings cultural diversity and exposure to different perspectives. 

Is it like any other festival you’re aware of?

It’s not industry or art-form specific. Many festivals seem to be of a particular art form like the Edinburgh Festival is for theatre, film and music; or the Semi Permanent festival, which is a growing design festival across Australasia, or the city festivals in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, or smaller festivals such as of photography or documentary in Auckland,

There are lots of festivals of that ilk. Many of them grow out of the arts community collaborating with councils. But Spark comes out of a tertiary institution, which makes it interesting because it stems from a place of learning.  It is unlike any other festival we are aware of in New Zealand and certainly there isn’t one that has been running for this long.   For that reason we have been considering touring some of the speakers who come.  They have so much to offer. 

There’s a wide range of media, arts and design represented. Is this a successful formula?

It’s a great formula. If we think about our everyday lives, we are confronted by different media all the time. The clothes we wear; the packaging we look at; the advertising we buy into. It’s very representative of our real world. That’s what I find particularly interesting about both Spark and the School of Media Arts. They bring art forms together and work collaboratively. This is now becoming a trend in agencies in the creative industries. They will pool artists to produce a campaign and work in many different media. Not that long ago these people all worked in isolation. You can learn so much more by working with artists from a different discipline and a different culture.   When a painter goes to a moving image presentation or a journalist goes to a photography session, the effect can be profound.

Who are the top billings at this year’s festival?

It’s hard to single anyone out. Fame obviously plays a part. Marina Goldovskaya (Russian film maker) is very famous in her own field. The Special Group (creative advertising agency) has won numerous awards for their campaign for the Green Party last year. Paul Seawright (Northern Ireland photographer and documentary film maker) is renowned for his work in conflict zones and has been at numerous international art galleries; John Pule is recognised as one of the Pacific’s most significant artists and writers. I’m very excited by our Brazilian Boys (film makers Guto Barra and Beco Dranoff) whose film Beyond Ipanema has just premiered in New York.  I will go to all the presentations. That’s the payback.

How do you attract people of this calibre to a small festival?

The fact that we are small is a benefit. New Zealand is growing in stature and gaining momentum in the world and there is an intrigue in what it has to offer.  We’ve invited the presenters for their work and their passion not their status. That shines through in the people who come to visit.  This is not about being paid a lot of money. It’s about sharing skills and knowledge and wanting to give back a little bit. We offer them a koha rather than a large fee. People who have been here recommend others. Word of mouth is important. We also like to remain a little enigmatic in the hope this provides intrigue and novelty.  I think Spark veers towards the homespun – but in a professional kind of a way.   

How hard is it for a festival like this to be noticed? Spark is competing with some big events with big budgets.

The festival is gaining momentum. Moving into a new venue (The Hub on the Wintec city campus) has helped broaden access and made it more visible.  Also we are more sophisticated in how we tell people what we are doing.  Last year 2500 people attended over the week. For the past three years, audiences have increased by a third each year. Many people are aware there are some very interesting things happening in Hamilton. Soda Inc, an incubator for the creative industries, which was set up by Wintec and Hamilton City Council is evidence of that. Hamilton is an interesting location. Some artists are moving here from Auckland and Wellington. They like the city because it is fresh and there is less attitude. There’s room to explore. For mainstream arts, it’s on the cusp, which is very exciting. Artists always move to the fringes.

So, who comes to Spark? Is it mainly students and academics?

A mix of academics, students, professionals from the creative industries, photographers, designers, architects etc. Increasingly the general public who are interested in the mystery behind the creative arts such as the clothes we wear, signage branding etc. Spark also has a series of complementary events such as exhibitions, screenings and live music that showcase the work of the artists visiting.  This year, we will repeat Pecha Kucha (a Japanese term that roughly translates as “chit chat”) which was launched at last year. It’s a slideshow of images by Spark presenters.

What benefits do the students gain from it? 

They get a chance to interview and talk with practitioners who they might not normally meet. Hopefully, they will find another way of approaching their own practice. They will be challenged to think from a new perspective – their current thinking will be prodded and provoked. At workshops the students can get a deeper insight into a way of thinking or practising in their field.  They can also get some useful feedback from the professionals about their own work.

I understand there are former students who have gone away and become famous who now return as Spark speakers. Is that right?

We remain connected with all our graduates. This year we have several returning as presenters including Nicki Deeley, an emerging artist in the UK; Sandra Mu (sports photographer at Getty Images); Aaron Styles (Huffer clothes designer)  Michelle Savill (just returned from Edinburgh Fringe festival) and   The Sing Songs, a pop group now based in Wellington.

We have also seen some early Spark presenters go on to become even better known. Zoe Bell, who spoke at Spark some years ago when she was at the beginning of her career (working on Zena, Warrior Queen) is now one of the most famous stuntwomen in the world, working with Tarantino.

Where do you see Spark’s future? Will it grow and develop further?

I work with teams of people each year who bring different skills to the project. We all are always thinking of new ways of developing the festival. We think about what is current. It’s a changing canvas, constantly evolving. We have limited resources but that can generate creative solutions.

Now aged 11, the festival is metaphorically on the cusp of ‘adolescence’.  We are at the point of deciding how it will grow over the next five years or so.  I think there could be residencies, spectacles, art commissions and events rolling alongside the more academic specialised side, which could appeal to a wider audience. Spark could become a touring festival so the artists are shared with many more people. That will reduce the numbers of people who travel which will have a positive effect on the environment. If Hamilton takes more ownership, that may also have a bearing on its future.