Creativity on show in Southland

A celebration of excellence and creativity - that is how festival director Angela Newell describes the 11th edition of the Southland Arts Festival.

The event starts today with the New Zealand Dance Company's acclaimed work, Kiss the Sky (pictured), and ends on May 16.

With a total of 25 individual events in the festival, Newell said fans of music, dance, theatre or literary arts would not be disappointed.

"It is hard to not say a cliche, but we really have something for everyone."

This year the festival was attempting to raise awareness of important matters such as mental health, sexual misconduct and migration.