NEWS | The Big Idea Q&A

Dunedin Fringe Festival Director Paul Smith talks about the advantages of becoming an annual event, how they collaborate with other festivals and what makes Dunedin Fringe unique.

“It’s got quite a raw and experimental edge. Performance art is always strong as are large scale artistic collaborations. It is a well focused city centre that helps generate a sense of excitement during the Fringe Festival.” Read More »

WOMAD NZ Programme Director Emere Wano originally became involved in the festival to ensure Maori culture was an integral part the event. She talks about how her role has grown since then, and what keeps her involved.

“It connects music, language and culture in such a beautiful way and in such a beautiful environment.” Read More »

New Zealand Director/Producer Shirley Horrocks answers questions from The Big Idea community about her documentary Dance of the Instant.

See the comment box below. Read More »

Alex Lee talks about the Documentary Edge Festival and Forum.

"NZ films and filmmakers are second to none in the world and it is important to ensure our profile is known to the wider international community.” Read More »

Webstock speaker Regine Debatty is a blogger and a new media art curator, who lectures internationally and writes about the intersection between art, design and technology on we-make- money-not-art.com. Read More »

Amanda Wright describes how Splore has evolved from ‘a bunch of friends who liked to party and preferred to do it in the nature’ into a family friendly, fully integrated music and arts festival.

“Many of us have children now and a different focus with life, however there is a real need for events such as Splore where our creative community and culture can congregate and celebrate.” Read More »

Jeweller and small object maker Vaune Mason talks about how the challenge of funding her work creates new collaborative opportunities. Her latest project - Alter+EGO  - is a pop-up exhibition of works by 21 artists including painters, illustrators, costumiers, jewellers and sculptors.

“Alter+EGO investigates the affections and addictions we (as artists) have with the idea of EGO.” Read More »

Chris Prowse talks about writing and producing Trouble on the Waterfront and balancing his musical career with his arts management work.

“One is an extension of the other in many ways. What I learn from arts management I can use in my music and what I learn from music I can use in the arts management work.” Read More »

In 2009 we heard from managers, producers, performers and makers in the creative sector and each interview was an inspiring insight into their work and how to ‘survive and thrive’.

As Writer Briar Grace-Smith said when asked what is the most thrilling part of her practice - “I like unwrapping the gifts that others bring to the table: the director, the actors, set design, costume – when that happens it can be like Christmas.” Read More »

Along with planning events for children at Capital E, Elise Goodge says her role includes everything from mopping the floor to donning an elf hat and pretending to be one of Santa’s little helpers.

In this Q&A Goodge talks about why it is important to nurture creativity and innovation at an early age. Read More »

Artist and The Gravy presenter Ross Liew talks about the creative culture TV show, how he became involved and his personal highlights from the latest series.

“The Gravy is the show that digs up the obsessed, amazing and fascinating activities of our nations creative personalities that would often go completely unnoticed otherwise.” Read More »

American museum experience designer Nina Simon is in New Zealand presenting seminars on ‘Engaging museum audiences’.

In this Q&A she talks about why exhibits should encourage visitors to engage in conversations and how the changing cultural landscape, including the social web, has affected museum audiences. Read More »

Leo Gene Peters, Creative Producer of Death and the Dreamlife of Elephants, talks about how the multiplatform mystery story was created in both virtual and physical worlds.

“The idea is to use all the new media to encourage the audience’s curiosity about the world.  To tell a story in a lot of different ways and allow people to hunt for more.” Read More »

Director Niki Caro’s latest film The Vintner’s Luck is based on the award-winning novel by New Zealand writer Elizabeth Knox.

Caro also co-wrote the screenplay and was a producer for the film, which features her Whale Rider star Keisha Castle-Hughes. Read More »

Kung Fu Panda co-Director John Stevenson answers The Big Idea community questions about creating emotional connections, re-writes and storyboarding, and coming up with new ideas.

“The only way I know to stay on the path and not lose your way is to have a simple theme that you believe in passionately." Read More »