A new initiative is being launched to help give youth a chance to see a live performance.

Pay It Forward is an initiative by the Tauranga Arts Festival that allows patrons to add a donation of as little as $5 when purchasing Festival tickets.

Every contribution goes directly towards tickets for Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Project K mentoring programme, which supports Year 10 students to build confidence, resilience and self-belief through outdoor challenges, community service and mentoring.

Thanks to Pay It Forward, Project K mentors and mentees will attend Creation Creation, a hilarious and thought-provoking theatrical experience that tackles life’s biggest questions.

About Creation Creation

How did we get here? Are aliens real? Is it possible to lick your elbow? Creation Creation takes audiences on a daring journey to the edge of the universe and back again. Based on interviews with people aged between 8 and 102, this audacious comedy transforms cardboard boxes into battleships and ping pong balls into planets in a wild explosion of art, sculpture and puppetry.

“Mesmerising and surprising... Creation Creation is top-notch at every level, with an absolutely fantastic score.” – ABC Smart Art

A Gift of Experience

Festival general manager Sarah Cotter said the initiative is about breaking down barriers to the arts.

“Live performance has the power to open hearts and minds, but for many young people in our community, it simply isn’t accessible. Through Pay It Forward, our audience can help make that possible – one $5 donation at a time.”

Western Bay of Plenty Graeme Dongle Foundation founder and national Project K lead, Dan Allen-Gordon, is thrilled that Tauranga Arts Festival is giving young people this incredible opportunity.

“For many of our Year 10 students, experiencing live theatre for the first time is a chance to be inspired, to see new possibilities, and to know that the arts are for them too.

“The Pay It Forward donations will make a real difference, opening doors that otherwise might remain closed.”

How to Contribute

Festivalgoers can add a donation when purchasing any Tauranga Arts Festival ticket.

Every gift, no matter how small, helps Project K rangatahi experience the joy, inspiration and wonder of live theatre.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.taurangafestival.co.nz.