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We talk to Melanie Hamilton about her new role producing the Capital E National Arts Festival. 

Tell us a bit about your background and career

I’ve worked in dance and theatre for over 15 years as a performer, dramaturg and producer. I am an advocate of the independent arts sector in NZ as I believe that some of the most dynamic, forward thinking and interesting work in NZ is created by freelance artists.

What’s a highlight of your resume/portfolio?

Premiering The Weight of Force, by Muscle Mouth at 2016 Hong Kong Arts Festival; touring years ago with Jo Randerson to the Prague Fringe Festival thinking it was the new Edinburgh. We were wrong!

Tell us about your new role.

My role is to oversee and deliver the festival, and ensure a balanced programme that showcases multiple artforms and will be engaging and exciting for children, teachers and the public. I work with the Production Manager and marketing, host and bookings teams to do this. It’s currently all consuming.

Tell us about Capital E and the National Arts Festival - mission and vision

Capital E works to ignite the creative spark in Aotearoa’s children and young people, supporting them on their own creative journeys. Our programmes include live shows that tour nationwide, interactive digital education, family events, the Roxy5 Short Film Competition and of course the biennial National Arts Festival in Wellington.

The National Arts Festival is the biggest arts festival for children in New Zealand, and it showcases a fantastic variety of theatre, dance, music and storytelling for young people, featuring artists from around the country and the world.

Why did you want this role? What was a perfect fit?

I produced the 2015 festival, which was an exciting challenge at the time. For the 2017 festival I’ve been more involved in the programming process, plus we’ve added a new largescale outdoor component. When repeating roles, it’s good for there to be additional challenges.

What did you need to adapt or learn?

The festival has a strong education focus and is attended by over 15,000 children over 10 days, so there is always much to learn in terms of teachers’ needs, traffic management (lots of busses!) and how to keep things fun and easy for small children.

What combination of people, partners and resources do you work with?

Capital E is part of Experience Wellington, and our principle funder is Wellington City Council. The National Arts Festival has many sponsors and partners, but major funders are Creative New Zealand, the Lion Foundation and Wellington Amenities Fund. We work closely with Kiwi and international artists, our local arts venues and other cultural organisations too.

What’s your short and long-term goals?

We want young people to broaden their horizons and have new and exciting cultural experiences to kickstart a lifelong relationship with the arts. The team is working to increase the public reach of the festival and to forge new international partnerships to co-present works with other festivals for children.

What advice would you give to someone pursuing a similar creative career or pathway?

Keep having fun, keep being willing to change, never think you’re the one with all of the solutions, keep asking questions, keep having fun…have I said that?

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

Develop and maintain strong national and international networks; colleagues you can talk things over with, and people you can learn from. NZ’s a small market; keep thinking broadly!

What are the challenges and opportunities in your sector?

The festival model requires a lot of resources. If funds aren’t being utilised well then all of us are affected, if not directly then in the wider terms of perception of value or necessity of the arts. Successful festivals that people most connect with have a sense of community, audience ownership and surprise in their programming and audience experiences. Getting this right is a challenge.

What are some of the highlights at the Capital E National Arts Festival?

The performances in the programme are of an exceptionally high quality! I’m especially looking forwards to seeing recorders played with noses at the raucous Un Roi Arthur, flying hay bales and farmyard fun at Cheese, Anika Moa’s signature cheeky yet soulful performance at Chop Chop Hiyaaa! and a brand new show from Jamie McCaskill – Mata & The Mysterious Musical Maunga.  

What’s your big idea for 2017?

The time for each person having their own ‘big idea’ is over. It’s time for shared solutions, collaborations and advocating for others. In the arts, we all should be fighting for diversity and cultural representation in our programmes - both onstage and as part of our programming models - and for braver conversations.