This evening at Government House Wellington, Dame Cindy hosted a reception to acknowledge all those who have made the recent Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts such a great success. Over the past four weeks, the Festival has brought together an extraordinary array of writers, dancers, comedians, musicians and artists from around the world, for performances, talks and exhibitions across Wellington.
In her address, Dame Cindy took the opportunity to thank all those involved in organising, sponsoring and performing in the Festival, and reflected on the universal importance of the arts: 'At a time when we might feel overwhelmed by events in the world around us, the arts remain a place of comfort, and a source of wisdom and guidance – a place where we can remind ourselves of the goodness in the world and each other.'
You can find more images in the image gallery for the reception for the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Dame Cindy's full speech via Her Excellency's speech for the reception.