Successful Platform Arts Festival is back
Image from Talk Back, courtesy of Ella Duncan, Jon Jeet, Elizabeth Ashby.
September 4, 2014
The University of Canterbury will celebrate the fifth instalment of the successful biennial Platform Arts Festival in
early September.
Platform Festival Director Greg Latham says that this year’s festival, which will be held from September 11-21, will
depart from previous festivals in that all events will be based on UC’s Ilam campus and all events will be free to the
public.
“The festival is really accessible with nearly 40 events across 11 days, including a number of exhibitions which are to
be housed in the busy campus thoroughfares like the Undercroft where students hang out day and night.
“I am delighted that this year’s festival is campus focused,” he says.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Arts) Professor Jonathan Le Cocq says that this year’s festival features a varied selection of
performances, exhibitions, talks and films by staff and students from across UC’s College of Arts.
“This is the fifth Platform Arts Festival that the University has held and I am proud of the continuing commitment of
staff, performers, artists and students in producing such a fine festival.”
UC’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Rod Carr says Platform is a chance for audiences to see the next generation of artists and
performers working alongside the University’s world-class staff to create a dynamic extravaganza of art, lectures, music
and film.
“This year’s festival will showcase the vibrancy of our campus, with many events held in our award-winning Undercroft
student space.”
As well as exhibitions, talks and performances there will be a significant number of films being shown during the
festival, including work from film students and iconic New Zealand filmmaker and UC alumnus Vincent Ward.
“We are proud to be bringing back to Christchurch celebrated alumnus Vincent Ward, as well as collaborating with the
embassies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela to host the 13th annual
Latin America and Spain film festival as part of our programme,” says Dr Carr.
“This is a chance for the Canterbury community to experience all that the Arts at UC has to offer.”
Platform runs from September 11-21. For more information go to www.arts.canterbury.ac.nz/platform.
ends