Te tiro atu tō kanohi ki tairāwhiti ana tērā whiti te rā kite ataata ka hinga ki muri ki a koe :: Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

As you might appreciate, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern right now so our proverb today has been chosen to encourage your literal enjoyment of the sun and, as has been scientifically proven, to help sustain a positive mood as we move through another time of uncertainty.

The news today of lockdown being extended to at least midnight on August 24 was not unexpected given the highly contagious nature of the Delta variant of Covid-19.

We hope you and your loved ones are all safe in your bubble. At this stage we are cautiously continuing with our plans for the Festival at the end of October. Rest assured, Tauranga Arts Festival will keep a close eye on all Government and Ministry of Health updates, so we have all the information we need to make the right decisions.

We have fought this virus before, and we are hopeful that Aotearoa can do it again and that we can deliver an incredible feast of arts experiences for the people of Tauranga Moana from October 21-31.

We will keep you in the loop should there be any further changes. Stay safe and please observe the Level 4 requirements. If you’re unsure of anything, you can read them here.

Arohanui,

Your Festival Team