Tickets are on sale now for the first Shepherdess Muster, a three-day festival for rural and regional wāhine that runs from February 17 to 19 2023 in Motu, Te Tairāwhiti.
Comedian Michele A’Court has been announced as part of the entertainment line-up as well as L’Amour, a burlesque studio based in Wellington. Local artist and weaver Fiona Collis will lead a workshop on working with harakeke.
General attendee tickets are $449 per person and include meals throughout the three days, entertainment and workshops. There will be a cash bar onsite, and accommodation is BYO tent, camper van or horse float. There is also a set-up tented accommodation option for $200 per person, twin share.
If you’re a Te Tairāwhiti, Wairoa or Ōpōtiki local, you have access to a special ticket price of $349 per person. Corporate tickets are $649 per person.
Other programme highlights include sex therapist Jo Robertson, who will speak at the festival on sex, love and relationships. Robertson has 15 years’ experience working in sexual health through education and counselling. She has a private therapeutic practice specialising in female sexual dysfunction and relationship breakdown due to infidelity/betrayal and did a TEDx talk in 2019 titled Why We Need to Talk About Porn.
Mural artist Kelly Spencer, whose creative style is characterised by bright and retro-fresh colour palettes and curvaceous forms, will be live-painting a large-scale mural throughout the Muster.
Farmer Trudy Hales from Weber, 30km east of Dannevirke, will MC the event. Hales was on the cover of the Shepherdess 2021 Spring Edition, and with her husband farms a 970ha sheep and beef property at Weber. The farm has been part of her husband’s family for four generations, and their two boys, Rocky and Alby, will be the fifth generation on the land.
More workshops, live music and a series of speakers are set to be announced soon, as well as market stalls and beauty providers and health services.
“The event is a chance for women to get away from it all and concentrate on themselves for three days,” said Kristy McGregor, founder of the event.
Friday night sees the official welcome of all festival goers, plus cocktails and canapés, a stand-up comedy show with A’Court, live music, and – for those who’ve danced the night away – a late supper.
Saturday starts with a light walk or workout and breakfast together before the keynote speaker takes to the stage, then heading off to your workshop of choice for the morning. Lunch brings everyone together again for a sit-down meal and a speaker before everyone heads back to workshops, any scheduled beauty appointments, a drink at the bar or to browse the market stalls. Everyone comes together for a sit-down, plated dinner and evening entertainment.
After breakfast on Sunday morning, a panel on entrepreneurship will take place, followed by workshops and an early lunch before heading off home.
“The aim of the event is for festival goers to leave feeling refreshed and energised with a new stash of tools in the toolbox to take on life’s challenges,” McGregor said.
The event is sponsored by the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust, Rabobank, the Ministry for Primary Industries and Beef + Lamb NZ.
Tickets are available at www.shepherdessmuster.co.nz
