PAST EVENTS

Crowds flocked to Port Chalmers for the Foundry Festival, a major musical and
poetry event that showcased the town and the Foundry as a burgeoning arts and
community hub. More than 30 acts performed at three venues in the afternoon and
evening of October 15, 2022, culminating in the 40 th anniversary show of iconic
Dunedin Sound band The Bats, which performed with Koile to a capacity crowd at
the Port Chalmers Town Hall.
A stellar line-up of poets and classical guitarists – including former poet laureates
Cilla McQueen and Vincent O’Sullivan – filled every seat in the historic Holy Trinity
Church.
The festival was driven by the hard work of volunteers – performers, organisers,
technical experts – united by the prospect of a visual arts and performance centre in
the Stevenson Cook/Sims foundry building. The vibrant atmosphere at each venue
attracted positive feedback, such as this comment from a visitor who travelled from
Wellington for the day:
“We had the best time in such a long time. Coming out of Covid it was a treat to
experience such great music in lovely halls that weren’t too crowded, the atmosphere
was fantastic. On top of everything the opportunity to see a couple of acts tied to the
Dunedin Sound – one in each hall – was like the icing on the top”