Convention Schedule
The Timetable (and a map to the venue) can be downloaded in pdf form here
Thursday 17th February
Volunteers meeting 9.30am
Site opens 10 am.
Some workshops will be held but mostly the afternoon will be spent setting up and getting to know each other.
The evening schedule includes a unicycle hockey tournament then we all get into the practice hall and get our first good group juggle.
Friday 18th February
Workshops will be run throughout the day, we may have an off-road unicycle session but we'll post updates as we firm up the schedule.
Renegade night! For those who haven't been to a juggling
convention before a Renegade is a special show where all acts are provided
by members of the audience, sort of like an 'open mike spot' at a comedy
or music club.
Acts will range from brilliant to bizarre with everything
in between. The stage is open for anyone to do whatever they want, juggle,
dance, sing, tell a joke, trash a computer, inflate balloons with your
nose, slice open a silicon ball with a knife, jump up & down in
a sleeping bag - these have all been done on the Renegade stage at some
point. You can do a whole routine or a single trick. It doesn't even
have to be juggling related at all, the sillier the act the more the
audience will like it!
We start our Renegade with a juniors section
so all the kids who've been practicing those new tricks all year can
get up and show us what they're got (they're usually much better than
most of us can manage!)
Saturday 19th February - 1pm
Workshops in the morning, with the Juggling Games starting after lunch. (no parade this year as the games will be on-site)
The Juggling Games are one of the highlights of a Juggling Convention, the public are invited to come along (for free) and watch or be part of our equivalent of the Olympics. Loads of games are played for every conceivable prop, popular ones include:
Free Public Workshop - 2.15 (straight after the games)
This year we have organised a free workshop for members of the public
to come along and have a go at juggling.
The kids from Kuranui College circus group are going to run this for
us (and we'll help out a bit too). It's a great opportunity to have
a go at the different props and learn from the good guys.
Public Show - Cirque du Otaki
Saturday night is show night.
The Public Show is so called because it is open to the general public
as well as convention goers. (we sell tickets) It is usually the highlight
of a festival & is generally held in a proper theatre.
Before the start we have a bit of a party while everyone takes to their
seats & fire modeling balloons at each other, make balloon chains,
throw paper planes & generally have a bit of a play.
The show gives you the chance to sit back, watch & be inspired by
the professionals. Juggling convention organisers strive to book the
best they possibly can & rarely do they fail to deliver something
spectacular.
Full convention pass holders attend free, members of the public are invited to attend
Cirque du Otaki (Public Show)
Ticket price is included in full convention registration fee. (Not day passes)
Sunday 20th February
Workshops in until 3.15pm then the AGM
The AGM is the opportunity for us all to discuss how the convention
went, how we can improve things and where we want to hold it next year.
This year is an important year for deciding the future of the NZJA - it's more important than ever to get involved and become part of the juggling community. We are looking at some major structural changes and will be voting in new officers (the current president is stepping aside to allow some new blood to come forward and lead the NZJA in a new direction.
Following the AGM is the raffle - always a highlight with some great prizes from our sponsors Unicycle.com and Fling Juggling
Then we all chip in one last time and clean up the
site before heading home around 5pm.
Here's a lovely video by Dave Kha that we think captures the vibe of a NZ Juggling Festival
