Creative ID: 207
Dunedin, Mosgiel and surrounds. We are also open to North and Central Otago.
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)
Our theatre lab provides a range of theatre and drama programmes for students including on-site for Dunedin schools and free school holiday programmes. Our workshops are led by qualified, experienced teachers and professional theatre practitioners. Previous and current workshops include devising and scriptwriting.
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with
One of our facilitators has been a professional and award-winning actor, director, dancer, and choreographer for over 15 years. The other main facilitator has a PhD in theatre, has been a Robert Burns fellow and has won the Bruce Mason Award and the Adam NZ New Play Award. Our theatre lab also contracts other local professional theatre practitioners in order to offer a range of workshops.
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes
One of our facilitators has extensive experience in teaching drama and working with students and adults in the performing arts. Her work has included teaching improvisation at Otago University and facilitating communication workshops in classrooms, as well as designing programmes within New Zealand and internationally that use drama to explore current issues that youth face today that map to the curriculum. She has a particular interest in devising, is lead teacher in Māori at her current school, head teacher for drama and dance in school productions, and has sound knowledge of assessment data. Our other facilitator is a qualified and experienced secondary school English and Drama teacher, having taught students at all secondary levels and directed school productions. She has been the St Hilda’s artist in residence and has led classes and workshops for adults, including at the University of Otago and the Dunedin Readers and Writers Festival. She has a particular interest in facilitating the telling of local stories.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice
As professional theatre practitioners, we know the importance of having access to arts opportunities that help foster students’ sense of being creatives themselves, and the possibility of working towards a career in the arts. We are also actively involved in work that contributes towards sustaining professional theatre practice in Dunedin. This includes growing the ecology for others to have pathways into arts careers. Just as importantly, there is evidence that participating in the arts supports wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our youth affects all of us as a community.