Flaxwood Festival Founders ... Flaxwood Festival .....  the greatest since Woodstock !

Home · About · Mission · Venue · Previous Festivals · Auctions · Merchandise · Contact · Performers The name of this Festival was changed from Flaxton Festival to Flaxwood Festival in Murray Wood's perpetual honour.

Flaxwood Festival was co-founded and co-organised by two great friends  –  the late (irreplaceable) entrepreneur, Hans Schuitman, who was also the owner of the Flaxton Road venue, and musician, musical coordinator and driving force, John Campbell, a retired businessman who shared Hans‘ dream for such a charity Festival.  Between them, the friends acquired commercial sponsorship and support from the musical fraternity in order to realise their dream of an annual charitable musical event, which subsequently generated over $250,000.00 for various charities over the four year period the Festival was run.  Regretably the Festival suffered a major set-back with the tragic earthquake of February 22nd, 2011.  This saw the loss of the Festival's inaugural Musical Director (Murray John Wood), and it‘s renaming in Murray's honour, from Flaxton to Flaxwood Festival.  Hans passed on in September of 2011, and the Festival continued on for a further three years.

Hans Robert Schuitman (1944-2011)

John Richard Campbell

Dame Adrienne Stewart  ONZM QSM LLD (Hon) FInstD FNZIM  graciously consented to support Flaxwood Festival by becoming it's Patron.  Dame Adrienne is the widow of the late Sir Robertson Stewart (CBE JSM) founder of PDL Industries, and she has over 40 years experience in industry and commerce, becoming one of the first women in New Zealand to hold a directorship of a public company.  She received the 2009 Arts Foundation Award for Patronage, and is extremely well recognised throughout the country for her selfless philanthropic activites.  In December 2008, The Press commented that "Dame Adrienne is a benefactor, campaign organiser and persuasive lobbyist".  Her activities are not, however confined to the arts, and she is highly visible in many areas within the community, regularly allowing her home to be used as a fund-raising venue.  We are privileged and delighted to have Dame Adrienne as the Festival's Patron.  She continues to inspire us with her unbelievable energy and down-to-earth style.