RAWA 2023
In June 2023, the Akaroa Community Arts Council hosted its inaugural RAWA Festival - Readers and Writers Akaroa. The festival built on a foundation of successful creative writing events over the previous two years providing confidence that there was both interest and enthusiasm for a more ambitious readers and writers event. We are grateful to Kenny Brown who warmly welcome us with the mihi whakatau.
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RAWA engaged some of New Zealand's most acclaimed writers who shared their work in both workshop and larger group sessions. Their contributions were outstanding. They also showed a generosity of spirit that created a warm and welcoming atmosphere, adding to RAWA's aim that the festival would facilitate a sense of community for the readers and writers who attended.
RAWA also generated strong collaborations, national and local that supported the success of the festival. In particular, ACAC worked closely with the Akaroa Area School, and the Akaroa Museum on shared aspects of the RAWA programme, and with NZSA on the promotion of the festival.
Importantly, RAWA supported scholarships for senior students at Akaroa School and Lincoln High School. Four young people were awarded the scholarships at the closing session on the last day of the festival.
"Lovely locations, motivating speakers, delicious morning tea with a chance to network, warm reception of organisers, volunteers, speakers..."
"What a triumph! Congratulations on a wildly successful inaugural RAWA!"
2023 festival participants
"The workshops and practical activities with the authors were amazing. Loved it! Still on a high one week later."
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"Great quality and variety of speakers - their passion and generosity - and I liked the facilitation that honoured speakers."
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"...a wonderfully fulfilling and enjoyable weekend of writers and readers...The writers were first class, the discussions absorbing, the manaakitanga warm and welcoming and the food, absolutely delicious. I hope this is just the first of many RAWA's."
2023 festival participants
