**Hot Tub will perform at Champagne and Ice.**

Last year Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival event organiser Nicola de Lautour called for Taupō performers to take up slots in this year’s festival.

By Chris Marshall, Creative Taupō arts coordinator

While there has always been local content and involvement, with co-marketed shows, fun activities and events organised by a hard-working festival committee, this year two local acts are booked for the large, ticketed music show.

‘Champagne and Ice’, presented by New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, will feature soul, funk band Hot Tub opening for progressive pop-punk four-piece Fairly Obvious on Saturday, July 11 at the Great Lake Centre.

Other local acts will also be presenting creativity to the people from the people.

The Great Lake Big Band performs a free hour-long show on the opening Friday night (July 3) at the Tongariro South Domain in amongst food trucks and other entertainment and in a new collaboration, Dance Central and the Taupō Concert Band have come up with ‘The Sound of Movement’, a 3pm matinee show of young dancers on stage to live music on Thursday, July 9.

A 7pm evening performance that same day of other pieces by the band, ‘The Music of Magic and Machines’, sponsored by Lava Glass, has been designed by new conductor Monique Vossen to showcase the different sections of a modern concert band.

Creative Taupō, through local content coordinator Jo Bixley, has also worked with the Taupō Camera Club to run an exhibition in the Great Lake Centre foyer ‘Taupō and Surrounds – Out and About’.

Taupō Choral Society and Taupō Strings Orchestra perform at ‘A Legacy in Lights’ on Thursday, July 16 at St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Act2 performers will do a reprise performance of Legally Blonde Jr on Sunday, July 12 at the Act2 Theatre in Matai Street and the midday concert on Friday, July 3 features two local choirs, Keynotes and All Together Now.

The festival is a great chance to get out and support local – many events are free or priced competitively.

In another initiative Creative Taupō and TWF organisers are making a busking spot available for Taupō youth under the marquee on the Tongariro South Domain. Two 45-minute slots, one at 6pm and one at 7pm (with a 15-minute change over between) will be available on several evenings during the two weeks.

Those interested need to sign up through a form on the Creative Taupō website by 5pm Friday, June 26. The final order will be posted at 12noon on Sunday, June 28.

Looking ahead to next year’s festival, Creative Taupō, with the assistance of the Taupō District Council, is investigating a major exhibition around which local creative groups will be able to present work. It is also expected other local groups will begin aligning shows and exhibitions with the two-week window presented by the One Taupō Trust’s Taupō Winter Festival.

Time to get involved – whether you’re a creative type or an audience member. ‍