Twomey triumphs

Artistic director of the New Zealand International Arts Festival Lissa Twomey has “put together a triumphant programme of calculated risk-taking”. Guided by her long experience with the Sydney Festival and her now shrewd understanding of the New Zealand audience, Twomey’s thinking outside the box was not just a guiding principle but a leitmotif for the 24-day festival. Australian-born Twomey says Wellington is a good city for a festival because it is culturally vibrant and a part of life for those living there. This year’s festival, which runs from February 26 through March 21, features the acclaimed Sutra, which unites Shaolin monks and a Western dancer, and which was rated the best dance production in 2009 by a European leading dance magazine. Asked by Wellington’s local newspaper The Wellingtonian how long it takes to put together a festival, Twomey replied: “You’re always working on it. I’m already talking to agents about the 2012 festival.” Twomey lives in the capital’s suburb of Thorndon.