2026 PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Gates to memory
The memory from our past is stored in our bones. Gates to Memory is a dance duo filled with discovering ancestral connections and the tension that comes with discovering collective memories. Gates to Memory invites audiences to witness the intimate act of remembering—of reclaiming lost stories and forging new ones through embodied performance.
mata mata
MATA MATA is a solo dance offering—an ancestral summoning. From the depths of the awa, the taniwha rises. The Atua stir. Memory drips from skin into the whenua. Guided by the mana of blood memory, MATA MATA becomes a ritual of returning, where physical body and movement conjures spirit, and the unseen becomes seen.
a person shaped thing
A Person Shaped Thing is a new solo contemporary dance work by Trinity Maydon, exploring the fragile architecture of Self Perception/Presentation - the process of strategically concealing or revealing information in order to influence others' and our own perceptions on ourselves. Even the person you believe yourself to be only exists for you.
FEVER|DREAM
BCA presents FEVER|DREAM, a fresh programme of dance and music featuring four newly created works. This mixed bill takes audiences on a journey from intense, feverish moments to dreamlike states, reflecting on today's fast-paced life and the subconscious ways we process ourselves and our experiences within it.
choreographic season - New Zealand school of dance
NZSD Choreographic Season features the creative voices of 3rd-year contemporary dance students, offering them a curated environment to explore and develop their creative ideas.
EVENTS
debate - process vs product
When creating art, is the process more important than the product - or the product more important than the process? In this lively debate, local Wellington artists go head to head on a question that often plagues the creative mind. Expect diverse perspectives and a few friendly disagreements.
This is a free event.
dance on screen film competition
Grab a team, grab a camera, and get moving. We want to see you explore the art of dance through the lens and on the big screen. Whether you’re lo-fi or tech savvy, this film competition welcomes you (as long as there’s dance!). Come along to the screening and awards night on the closing night of the festival.
THE AFTER PARTY
After dark, the party begins. A curated celebration to end the festival with bang.
residency showings
Come get a taste of what the artists in residence have been up to over the week of the festival.
This is a free event.
2026 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE
2025 Performance Seasons
2024 Performance Seasons
