“Maringi noa ngā roimata, mōu kua wehea nei
Ka tangi tonu mātou ki a koe ka hoki mai anō
Maringi noa ngā roimata, mōu kua wehea nei”
Ko Matariki te kairuuri o Te Mangooroa kua haoa nei. Ko te reo o te māreikura o te ao toi ki Aotearoa, kua ngū. E pōuri rawa atu mātou o Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki, e maringi ana ngā roimata i te rironga o te Kaitohu Toi o mua, o te wahine kaha hāpai ki ngā ringatoi, ki ngā kai whakaari, ki ngā kai kanikani, o Carla Van Zon ki te huinga o te kahurangi. Kua roa a Carla e kaha tautoko i ngā mahi o te ahurei nei, o ngā mahi toi ki Aotearoa, ki te ao whānui hoki. E rere ana ngā whakaaro aroha nui rawa atu ki tōna hoa rangatira a Gregg, me tō rāua whānau.
It is with immense sadness that Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival receives the news of the passing of Carla Van Zon, Artistic Director of the Festival from 2013–2017, fierce supporter of artists from all genres and art forms, and loyal supporter of the world of arts.
Carla’s contribution to the Festival and to the wider arts landscape of Aotearoa was profound. During her tenure, she significantly increased attendance and participation, helping to establish the Festival as a major city wide event and a cornerstone of Auckland’s cultural identity.
Her artistic leadership reshaped the Festival’s voice and focus. Carla ensured the programme was grounded in Tāmaki Makaurau, placing tangata whenua and Māori perspectives at the centre of the arts conversation and championing a Festival that reflected the city as it is today.
A passionate advocate for artists, her impact is felt across Aotearoa through the work she championed and her tenures including Creative New Zealand and Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Internationally, Carla was a powerful ambassador for Aotearoa. With deep global networks and a strong curatorial vision, she brought international work of the highest calibre to Auckland while ensuring local stories remained at the heart of the programme.
Working alongside Chief Executive David Inns, Carla was instrumental in transitioning the Festival to an annual event for the city. David reflects, “She taught me a lot and we became a pretty formidable team chasing down shows, commissioning works, and doing deals to bring international work to New Zealand which would never otherwise have come.”
Current Artistic Director Bernie Haldane acknowledges the enduring impact of Carla’s work: “Carla’s legacy is felt in every fabric of the creative industry of Aotearoa and beyond. Much of the quality of the work of artists and companies of this country could credit a connection point to a Carla moment, whether through her inspiration to artistic practice through her programming, her mentorship, her critical thinking, or her advocacy for artists and new work. We hold her legacy and look to carry it forward.”
Nō reira, e te hoa mauroa, e te kaihāpai i ngā mahi toi puta noa i te motu, kua oti te mamae me te māuiui i tō tinana, engari e pīata tonu ana tō wairua hei ramaroa mā ngā kaimahi toi o Aotearoa. Okioki atu rā. Kia au tō moe.
Some unforgettable moments from Carla’s Festival tenure, pictured left-to-right: Breath of the Volcano – Groupe F (2013), The Mooncake and the Kūmara (2015), The James Plays (2016), Antartica – While You Were Sleeping (2017).
