December 13, 2021

THE WELLINGTON THEATRE AWARDS – NGĀ WHAKARĀKEI O WHĀTAITAI – 2021

The Wellington Theatre Awards – Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai – recognise the actors, designers, technicians, managers, writers, composers and directors that create and produce theatre in Wellington. After another interesting year for the theatre industry, with new lockdowns and changing alert levels across the country, The Wellington Theatre Awards invited people to come together, to connect and to celebrate the amazing mahi and theatre that has been presented in Wellington over the last two years – at St Peters on Willis Street on Sunday 12th December for the Wellington theatre arts industry event of the year! Tickets were ‘pay what you can’, starting at $10, with a complimentary glass of bubbles or non-alcoholic on arrival! Due to COVID restrictions, there wasl not an after party following the 2021 awards. All shows and performances that were performed after November 2019 – November 2020 were judged alongside all eligible 2021 shows and a selection of community awards – nominated by the theatre industry.

November 28, 2021

2021 Bruce Mason Playwriting Award ‘SHARP, WITTY and BRILLIANT’ PLAYWRIGHT WINS TOP AWARD

Playmarket is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2021 Bruce Mason Playwriting Award is Christchurch-based playwright Nathan Joe. The $10,000 cash prize recognises professional success in the career of the writer and is designed to encourage their continued exploration of the theatre medium. The announcement was made by Lynn Freeman on Radio NZ’s ‘Standing Room Only’ programme on Sunday 28 November 2021.

November 23, 2021

WHEN WILL ARTS IN AOTEAROA GET THE GREEN LIGHT? By James Wenley

Scene by James ... As Aotearoa’s Delta outbreak stretches on and we attempt to reconcile what a ‘suppression’ approach to Covid means for us in reality, the path forward for the live arts sector in Aotearoa (we’re talking festivals, music, theatre, dance, comedy, literary events and more) still looks very uncertain.

November 19, 2021

STATE OF THE ARTS: an online korero Ngā mihi ki a koe! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first ever online event on Thursday 18 November 2021,…

What a kōrero! If you couldn’t join us on the night (or you just want to do it all over again!) you can watch our panel discussion here. STATE OF THE ARTS, an online kōrero delving deep into how the arts are tracking in Aotearoa, featuring frank takes from the people who live it.

November 19, 2021

INDEPENDENT ARTIST, COVID-19 SURVEY RESPONSE (Aotearoa New Zealand) By Johanna Cosgrove 19 November 2021

The last eighteen months have been hard on everyone, but it has been particularly challenging for artists who make a living from their creative practice in Aotearoa. There has been some great advocacy going on behind the scenes for the arts community but it is being primarily led by organisations. What’s missing from their advocacy is the voice of the independent practitioner.

November 8, 2021

ADAM NZ PLAY AWARDS 2022

Submissions are now open for the 2022 Adam NZ Play Award.
 Awards may be given in the following categories: - Best Play - Best Play by a Māori Playwright - Best Play by a Pasifika Playwright - Best Play by a Woman Playwright - McNaughton South Island Play Award - Dean Parker Adaptation or Non-Fiction Award

November 8, 2021

TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance seeks Expressions of Interest for 2 commissioned solos as part of the TAHI Tupu Project.

This is an opportunity for theatre-makers and playwrights to create new solo performance in New Zealand. Through this project, two new works will be commissioned: 1. Commissioning of a polylogue: Six female identifying and/or non-binary playwrights will be selected to each write a ten minute monologue on the theme of joy. These will then be collated together to be performed in a final 60 minute piece at TAHI Festival 2022. 2. Commissioning of a 50-60 minute solo by a Deaf and/or disabled artist/artistic team. This will then be performed as a work in development performance at TAHI Festival 2022.

October 19, 2021

FURTHER SHOWS CANCELLED DUE TO EXTENDED LOCKDOWN IN TĀMAKI MAKAURAU Auckland Theatre Company (ATC)

Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) is saddened to advise today that due to ongoing uncertainty arising from COVID-19 restrictions, their final play for 2021 - the Dentons Kensington Swan comedy season of Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward is now cancelled. Directed by Colin McColl ONZM, with a star cast led by NZ’s own Lyn of Tawa, Ginette McDonald ONZM, the production was due to begin performances in mid-November at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. In addition, the world premiere season of Things That Matter by Gary Henderson is also now cancelled.

October 19, 2021

PILOT PERFORMANCE VENUE IN THE HEART OF ŌTEPOTI (DUNEDIN) The Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust is ready to take bookings for a pilot performing arts space in the heart of the…

Te Whare o Rukutia, in the building formerly occupied by the Dunedin Community Gallery, will address the immediate need the city’s performing arts community has for a fit-for-purpose, affordable, small venue, supporting that community to present work and maintaining audience engagement while the Dunedin City Council continues its consultation and research about a new performance space.

October 18, 2021

AUCKLAND’S BASEMENT THEATRE CLOSING DOWN FOR 2021

As cases continue to rise, sticking to the plan and our bubbles has been more important than ever. Following the update from the government today (Monday 18th October), the Basement whānau has had to make the decision to not platform any more shows for the remainder of 2021. This was a difficult call for us to make as we were so looking forward to getting back into it with our communities! But in prioritising what’s best for everyone, we feel good about where we have landed.

October 15, 2021

AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS 2022

Four weeks of cutting-edge arts experiences in 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts The full programme for the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts* has been announced, featuring multiple world premieres, the finest in Māori and indigenous art, and leaders in innovative and ground-breaking art experiences (21 February to 20 March). Known for bringing cutting-edge arts experiences to Te Whanganui-a-Tara every two years since 1986, this year is no exception. With free and ticketed events curated for the whole whānau, there are a range of extraordinary music, opera, theatre, dance, visual arts and literature experiences on offer.

October 4, 2021

THE PANTOGRAPH PUNCH SEEKS KAITOHU DIRECTOR

The Pantograph Punch is an online journal and digital hub publishing bi-monthly issues that seek to excite, inspire and challenge our readers and our sector. To help us continue our mahi we are looking for someone to join us in the role of Kaitohu Director. Could this be you?

September 29, 2021

CREATIVE NEW ZEALAND WELCOMES ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION FROM GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THE ARTS SECTOR THROUGH DELTA

29 Sep 2021 Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni announced today that the Government is providing a targeted support package of reprioritised funding to help the arts and culture sector respond to the challenges of the Delta variant. The Government has brought forward $37.5 million which will span across protecting jobs and supporting at-risk organisations, key infrastructure, artists, sole-traders, creatives and projects, as well as a future-focused fund aimed at providing certainty for performances and events.

September 29, 2021

FOOTNOTE New Zealand Dance General Manager New, fit-for-purpose premises. Exciting business management position at a celebrated arts company.

An organisation with a legacy of notable New Zealand dancers and choreographers. After 36 years as a celebrated national contemporary dance company, Footnote New Zealand Dance is well-known for creating and commissioning bold new work by New Zealand artists. Footnote is seeking a talented General Manager to lead the organisation and be a strong voice for the industry across the wider arts sector.

September 25, 2021

EMILY CAMPBELL SCHOLARSHIP

New Zealand performer Emily Campbell tragically passed away last year before taking up her Equity Foundation Scholarship at the Atlantic Acting School in New York. Emily was chosen by an industry judging panel from hundreds of applicants, who praised Emily’s empathy and emotional connection to her work. With permission from the Campbell family, the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), together with private donors, will award the Emily Campbell Scholarship (valued at $13,250) to an acting student to attend The Actors’ Program (TAP) in 2022.

September 20, 2021

THE NZ IMPROV FEST IS BACK, IN SPITE OF BLOODY COVID

It’s been a hellish couple of years for live performance all across the world, but next month, the New Zealand Improv Festival returns with its 2021 programme, “Throw Away the Script”, from the 4th - 16th of October.

September 17, 2021

The Theatreview Trust PROFILE “As an almost daily user of Theatreview, I am impressed by the professional way in which it is run.

"There is no other organisation or publication that does this work for the theatre community. … I share the widely held enthusiasm among theatre audiences and practitioners that Theatreview makes an invaluable contribution to our community.” David O’Donnell, Professor, School of English, Film, Theatre, Media Studies, and Art History. Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka Theatreview was created by John Smythe with web designer Emily Walker-Wright, and went live on 2 April 2006.

September 15, 2021

THE BIG AMBITION OF TOI WHAKAARI’S TANEA HEKE

E te Tī, e te Tā, tēnā koutou katoa Ka tika kia mihia ō tātou tino mate e ngaro atu nei ki tua-o-te-ārai, rātou kua whetūrangitia. Kei ngā mate hūhua, haere, whakangaro atu rā ki te pō, oti atu ki te pō. Tātou o te ao ora e pakanga tonu nei i te mate urutā o te wā, i te mate kōwheori - tēnā rā tātou katoa. As Toi Whakaari reopens this week, and importantly during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori / Māori Language week, one thing for certain is that the lockdown has not slowed the ambition or optimism of its Tumuaki Tanea Heke (Ngā Puhi).

August 23, 2021

Many Happy (re) Turns by Jennifer Shennan Anne Rowse is a well-known and much-loved figure in the New Zealand dance scene. Her 90th birthday was recently celebrated in style at…

A tribute from Jennifer Shennan https://michellepotter.org/articles/many-happy-returns

August 17, 2021

WELLINGTON PERFORMING ARTS WIKIPEDIA EDIT-A-THON SATURDAY 21 AUGUST Lisa Maule is running a free workshop this coming Saturday at Te Whaea for people who want to improve performing arts on…

Wikipedia suits people who are passionate about the subject area, like the politics of open source knowledge and like researching.

July 8, 2021

FIVE THEATRE PRACTITIONERS AWARDED OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT THEATRE AWARD

Five theatre practitioners are to be awarded an Out of the Limelight theatre award, set up with funds from the Sir Roger Hall Theatre Fund which is handled by the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi. This group of Awards of $5,000 each will be made in alternate years with the Sir Roger Hall Theatre Arts Foundation Laureate Award (first awarded in 2020). These new Awards give recognition to those theatre practitioners without whose work most theatre productions could not take place, yet who rarely get the sort of recognition that is given to playwrights, directors and those who tread the boards.

June 25, 2021

THE PERFORMANCE ARCADE 2022 open wānanga through July; apply by 27/8

WHAT IS PERFORMANCE ART IN AOTEAROA? WHAT IS PERFORMANCE ART IN A POST-COVID ENVIRONMENT? The Performance Arcade announces its open call to artists from Aotearoa and around the world for its 2022 programme of works (open from 17-27 February). Also, for the first time ever... we will be running a nationwide series of wānanga for public and artists interested in the event over the following month.

May 24, 2021

NZ iNTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2021 AWARDS BILLY T AND FRED AWARD WINNERS FOR 2021 ANNOUNCED

The NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo honoured the outstanding talent on show in the 2021 programme at Electric Kiwi Last Laughs, rewarding excellence with the New Zealand Comedy Trust awards: The FRED, for the best New Zealand Show in the Festival, and the Billy T Award.