ARENA Ready, and Set to Go

ARENA Ready, and Set to Go

20 August 2014

All the chips are falling into place for the upcoming ARENA event this September. Artist submissions have closed, venues have been confirmed and social media platforms are abuzz with excitement for this uniquely creative event.

Presented by A+ Productions, ARENA is an exhibition where grassroots and established artists, as well as those with a love for creative expression – can come under one roof to share, build connections and appreciate the wonderful work people are capable of creating. The event aims to open the channels of dialogue where people can reveal more about themselves and their work, ask questions, and share their knowledge of the creative industry in a fun, collaborative environment.

ARENA was financed through crowd-funding site, Kickstarter. However, the ARENA’s Kickstarter campaign originally began as an effort to fund the premiere of a local web series entitled, The Ghost. Created by the director of A+ Productions, Joselyn Khor, support for the campaign was not as strong as initially hoped for. With a rapidly approaching funding deadline in sight, Khor decided a change was needed. Rather than mulling over her fading dream, Khor instead recognised an opportunity; if she was struggling to have her art acknowledged, then so too must others like her. What if instead of trying to promote her own crew, she promoted a whole community of people? Lo and behold, ARENA was born. With a revised strategy and a revamped campaign, money soon started pouring in and the overall funding target was achieved well before the campaign deadline. Off the back of this success, ARENA has since landed the talents of such artists as Joey De Guzman, Hweiling Ow and Peter Haynes. Showcasing previously recognised, and new works, Tumbang Preso, T is for Talk and the AFK web series, respectively. Other acts will range from musical performances to fine arts displays and everything in between, with Khor herself justly premiering the first episode of her web-series, The Ghost. Adding further excitement, A+ Productions has already received funding for yet another ARENA event to be held in Christchurch. Khor says planning for this additional event will be managed carefully, but support for ARENA has been heartwarming. "There seems to be a genuine need for people to get this space to connect, share their love for the creative arts and be a part of something with a lot of heart," she says.

Demand is set to escalate further following the conclusion of the sure to be successful Auckland leg.

Artist submissions are currently being finalised with promotional events and materials on the cusp of release. ARENA welcomes anyone open to learning about what makes creative artists tick – and is willing to explore what it means to be a part of the creative arts community.

ARENA will be held at Thievery Studio, K Rd, Saturday 27 September, 2014. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at iTicket
http://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2014/sep/arena?showing=17772

Further information: http://jointhearena.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ARENA/1520066741558067
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jointhearena

ENDS

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