After getting involved with Auckland Fringe in 2015 through her producer residency at Basement Theatre, Lydia Zanetti stuck around and shifted into directing the festival last year. 

This year more than 92 events will descend on the city, a 64 per cent increase on 2015. They've also worked with Wellington and Dunedin fringe fests, including pitching at Edinburgh Fringe for performers to come to all three festivals.

"We all play very important parts in the creative ecosystem, and it’s all about working together to make Auckland and NZ a cultural destination and breeding ground of creative awesomeness."

Lydia tells us how she's a dance fan from way back, and shares some choice words for how the arts can reflect, challenge and lock horns with the world.

"In the face of some of the things coming out of hugely influential mouths, how do we show our teeth? How do we start conversations, how do we create strong communities? How do we celebrate otherness?"

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?

I trained as a dancer/choreographer, have worked in ticketing, front of house, publicity, technical and producing but the tie through in all of them has been being an enabler. That’s what I love - enabling artists to make great work and audiences to be able to engage with it and have a dialogue. Michael Parmenter has this idea of dance being the space between two people. I live to enable that space and conversation. 

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?

Lots of different projects for very different reasons. But being director of Auckland Fringe really feels like a culmination of all that has come before (and much that is to come!).

Tell us a bit about your background 

I’m a dance fan from way back, and I trained in contemporary dance at Unitec after curating, producing and partially choreographing/performing in First Flight at BATS Theatre. I made First Flight happen when I was 17 and have been producing events ever since.

Tell us about your role as director of Auckland Fringe and why you became involved?

I became involved with Auckland Fringe through my producer residency at Basement Theatre. Before the 2015 Fringe, it became clear that there wasn’t the financial or personnel resources to get the festival going and so Basement offered me as assistance. Dancers seem to love Fringe and I’m no exception. I stuck around and shifted into the Director role in 2016.

Tell us about this year’s Fringe. Anything different - any personal highlights?

I love it when Fringe events stand out as something really different to what you may get the rest of the year. So big shout outs to the internationals that are coming over - such as Marjolein Robertson, Tomas Ford, Charmian Hughes, Gerard Harris, House of Sand, Fish Saw and more. Also works using unusual spaces such as Andy Field ’s Lookout, The Floating Theatre, Liminal Space, A Virtual Virtual Reality Show or Delivery #17. There’s over 92 events though (!) which is a massive 64 per cent increase on 2015, so it’s almost impossible to capture the variety of goodness descending on our city. You’ll have to jump on the website and explore it yourself. 

In what way do you work with other Festivals?

I’ve been catching up with NZ Fringe and Dunedin Fringe in particular, and we’ve been working to align our dates so that people can (and are) touring all three festivals. When NZ Fringe and I were in Edinburgh, we were pitching for people to come do all three festivals - it makes it much more doable for the internationals to come all this way. Again with Auckland Arts Festival and Auckland Pride Festival we’ve been talking regularly and keeping tabs. We all play very important parts in the creative ecosystem, and it’s all about working together to make Auckland and NZ a cultural destination and breeding ground of creative awesomeness. 

What are some of your other recent and upcoming projects?

Apart from Auckland Fringe, I also produce work under my company Zanetti Productions (with producer Helen Sheehan). We have a huge amount coming up this year including four artists in NZ International Comedy Festival, Trick of the Light’s The Road That Wasn’t There (the incredible folk behind The Bookbinder), we’re plotting a couple Edinburgh Festival Fringe seasons, a musical extravaganza at Q Theatre, a huge undertaking at BATS and quite possibly a couple more things crammed between… I wish I could tell you! But not quite yet. 

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?

Try everything - learn to rig a light, go see a *insert genre here* show if you’ve never seen one, volunteer as an usher so that you see as much of what’s happening as you can. Oh, and don’t be a dick. 

What are some of the current challenges and opportunities in the creative sector?

How can the arts reflect, challenge and lock horns with the world? In the face of some of the things coming out of hugely influential mouths, how do we show our teeth? How do we start conversations, how do we create strong communities? How do we celebrate otherness?

Who or what has inspired you recently?

The people who inspire me most are the plethora of incredible women who are making change in creative organisations across Auckland and New Zealand. They are endlessly willing to answer late night emails, grab coffees and make me laugh/buy me a beer when they can’t. They are the most phenomenally empowering folk and huge love and honour to them all. 

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?

Recently I’ve turned my email notifications off on my phone. They’re still there if I need them, but it means I can actually clock out a bit. Phew. Otherwise, someone told me once to book in a meeting and go walk down a super windy beach instead. Piha - you and I have a date after the 12th March. 

What’s your big idea for 2017?

To keep fighting. To enable work that empowers social change. To celebrate otherness. To be an art activist.

Auckland Fringe Festival is on 21 February to 12 March 2017.

About Lydia Zanetti

Lydia Zanetti is an Auckland based producer, publicist, choreographer, production manager and arts advocate. She runs her own productions company Zanetti Productions and is the director of Auckland Fringe festival.

In 2016, she has worked as a producer at Auckland Live, Production Manager for the Undisciplining Dance Symposium, Venue Manager of the Festival Garden for the Auckland Arts Festival 2016, Producer for Show Pony’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme as well as producing three highly successful seasons - Rose Matafeo’s Finally Dead; KIKI feat. Victor Rodger’s PUZZY and Michael Parmenter’s Insolent River: a tango.

In 2015, she was honoured to be chosen as the Producer in Residence at the Basement Theatre. Prior to that she has worked as a publicist for Elephant Publicity and Artistic Director of Short + Sweet Dance. 

Zanetti Productions presents innovative and ground-breaking creativity including events by Michael Parmenter (Insolent River: a tango), Victor Rodger (PUZZY), Rose Matafeo (Finally Dead), Chris Parker (No More Dancing in the Good Room) and Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu (The Black).

In 2017, Zanetti Productions is producing a plethora of esteemed national and international artists in New Zealand and at Edinburgh Festival Fringe including Rose Matafeo, Tessa Waters (AU), Victor Rodger, Binge Culture Collective, Trick of the Light, Eleanor Bishop, Julia Croft, James Nokise and Donna Brookbanks.

Lydia is also a participant on PULSE 2017, a partnership project of ART - Arts Regional Trust in association with Auckland Live, Q Theatre, Basement Theatre and The Big Idea to grow the capacity of producers working in Auckland’s performing arts sector.