I am excited to tell you that after two years of refining the show, it is returning to the Wellington Region for the NZ Fringe Festival, followed by the Nelson Fringe Festival.
The NZ Fringe Festival presentations of the Girmit are being showcased with a community kaupapa in mind by working in partnership with The National Library of NZ, Pātaka Art+Museum and The Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ. This means that the tickets are not only subsidised so that everyone can enjoy them. It also means they are unique performances that reflect the space they are held in.
On Thursday 27 February, The Girmit will be performed at The National Library of NZ Auditorium on Aitken St. It was not easy to find information on the history of Indians in Fiji so in the lead-up to developing The Girmit, I spent weeks at The National Library and the Alexander Turnbill Library reading books, articles and records to piece together an idea of what it would have been like for the indentured labourers to come to Fiji.
On Friday 28 February, The Girmit will be performed in a demonstration-style format at Pātaka Art+Museum. This will be a hybrid of performance and workshop as I will explain the instruments I am using and how I sample sounds. In addition, I am honoured to be performing next to the work The Cry of Stolen People by Jack Kirifi, Moses Viliam and Zac Mateo – a multi-media installation that reflects on the history of Tokelauans who were abducted into slavery in the 1860s. This is a Sensory Relaxed performance, you can find pre-show accessibility information here. This will be a highly auditory performance with integrated audio descriptions and a touch tour for blind and low-vision people. Descriptive Notes here.
That’s not all! I will be accompanied by exceptional Tabla Player and singer Harshaa Prasad a great friend and member of the Eastern Sound Collective.
And finally, I am pleased to announce that I will also be bringing The Girmit to the Nelson Fringe Festival on the 6th and 7th of March. This will be my first time performing in Nelson and I’m really looking forward to experiencing their arts scene.
Performances:
Thursday 27 February 6pm – The National Library of NZ, Auditorium. Aitken Street, Wellington. Ticket Link: https://tickets.fringe.co.nz/event/446:6187/446:23822/
Friday the 28 February 7pm – Pātaka Art+Museum, Porirua. Ticket Link: https://tickets.fringe.co.nz/event/446:6280/446:24189/
Thursday 6 and Friday 7 of March – Red Door Theatre, Nelson. Ticket Link: https://nelsonfringe.co.nz/event/the-girmit/
Music and a lyric book will be available to purchase at these performances. You can purchase the EP of music from The Girmit here
Miss Leading Productions 