The 1991 Taranaki Festival of New Zealand Arts was the first national festival focusing solely on our culture and the New Zealanders who presented it.
The festival was nearly three years in the making. Two Taranaki men by the names of Roger King and Grant Kerr dreamt up the idea of bringing a festival to the region. Both had been to the Wellington Arts Festival and had returned brimming with inspiration.
Generous sponsorship from the commercial sector, who saw it as an opportunity to lay a good foundation for the future of arts and experiences and improve the quality of life and the economy in Taranaki, helped get it off the ground.
An estimated 45,000 people attended the inaugural festival, which presented a total of 500 artists and more than 150 shows.
The stars of the 1991 festival were many, including Dame Malvina Major, Michael Houstoun, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Topp Twins, Footnote Dance Company, Circa Theatre, Suzanne Prentice and Sam Hunt.
