In its efforts to support the development of more skilled arts practitioners, Creative New Zealand is looking to contract a suitably qualified training provider to plan and provide a short course for up to 22 arts practitioners. The course is to provide New Zealand arts practitioners with opportunities to gain knowledge and develop the skills required to successfully organise the touring of performing art works and writers within New Zealand. Creative New Zealand is also interested in hearing from suitably qualified and experienced New Zealand arts practitioners who can contribute to such a course as a tutor or mentor. After completing the course trainees will be expected to develop the skills and knowledge required for successful touring within New Zealand and take account of the cultural needs and perspectives of practitioners with a focus on touring works by Maori and New Zealand Pacific artists. Interested parties are invited to submit a written expression of interest to Creative New Zealand by no later than 5 pm on Friday 18 December 2009. For more details, contact John McDavitt by email at john.mcdavitt@creativenz.govt.nz or by phone on (04) 498 0736.
The Pacific Dance Fono, now in its third year, is one of the exciting attractions at the 2009 Manukau Arts Festival. The fono is a forum which provides capacity building, exposure and development for the Pacific Island dance community. The fono is to be held over two days, with a programme of practical workshops, panel discussions including a hip hop dance forum and master dance classes in Polynesian and Melanesian dance forms. The international guest artist for 2009 is Julia Mage’au Gray, director of Sunameke Productions, a Pacific Island performance group based in Darwin, Australia. Three new Pacific dance works will be developed as part of the Choreographic Lab, held during the preceding two weeks. The fono concludes with the launch of the new dance works in a special public performance. The Choreographic Lab will be held across three venues and is open for observation – a great learning opportunity for dancers, choreographers as well as teachers and students of dance. The event runs from 2 to 13 November 2009, Monday-Friday, 10 am-3 pm, at the Metro Theatre, Mangere East; Nathan Homestead Theatre, Manurewa; Otara Music Arts Centre, Otara. For more information ph (09) 815 5772 or email fono@danz.org.nz. The fono is presented by the Manukau City Council in partnership with DANZ and the Pacific Islands Dance Forum, with funding from Creative New Zealand.
ART (Arts Regional Trust | Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi) and The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui warmly invites interested individuals to attend a unique, forum, expo and networking event: “Survive & Thrive: sustaining creative projects, organisations and businesses in challenging economic times.” Participants will hear from leading creative entrepreneurs, their success stories, and their views on present and future opportunities. The forum presents an opportunity to connect with peers and other influential people from a variety of backgrounds and sectors. Organisations that are the supporters, motivators and the backbone of the Auckland region’s creative sector will be on hand to help artists, producers, makers and doers to deliver. Entry is free. However, places are limited, so registration is essential. Contact details: RSVP to margaret.lewis@thebigidea.co.nz by 2 November with each person’s name, email, creative discipline and whether you require lunch.
When: Monday 9 November 2009 – 11.00 am – 4.00 pm (expo, networking and lunch from 11am, forum starts at 1pm)
Artists have come together to organise an Art Auction in aid of victims of the recent tsunami in Samoa and Tonga. The auction on Tuesday 20th of October 2009 at Webb’s in Newmarket features more than 70 pieces of art from some of New Zealand’s most renowned artists. This artist-initiated project is being coordinated through the Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust. Works have been promised from Lonnie Hutchinson, Niki Hastings-McFall, John Ioane, Suzanne Tamaki, Fatu Feu’u, Edith Amituanai, Jim Vivieaere, Johnny Penisula, Michael Hight, Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, Deborah Crowe, Chris Charteris, Tracey Tawhiao, Nathan Pohio, and many more. Also included is an eclectic mix of novel works which include signed memorabilia of Bro’Town, a T-shirt and CD package from King Kapisi, a DVD package of Sima Urale films, a photographic series by Steven Ball, as well as book packages from writers. The event also features live performances by dancers, musicians and poets. The auction is at Webb’s auction house, 18 Manukau Rd, Newmarket from 6 pm. Viewing times are from 9 am – 6 pm. The catalogue can be viewed at www.webbs.co.nz.
(“Masina” by Edith Amituanai (2008). A2 Giclee museum quality print. 420mm x 580mm. Image from the Webbs Auction website.)
Champion Hip Hop group Sweet and Sour Dance Crew and emerging all female Samoan dance troupe Ura Tabu present major new contemporary work at the 2009 Tempo Dance Festival in Auckland. Sweet and Sour Dance Crew bring their full-length show “Brotherhood” to the stage to open the 2009 season. Their performance is a mix of urban street dance, storytelling, comedy and music that tells the story of who they are and where they’ve come from. Expect Ura Tabu to experiment with old Pacific Island dances in innovative ways when they lead the “Sacred Dance” theme at the annual festival. Sweet and Sour’s “Brotherhood” shows at The Auckland Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC) from 30 September to 2 October 2009. Ura Tabu’s performances run from 4-6 October 2009. For more details, see the Tempo Festival website at www.tempo.co.nz.
When a kid twice your size steals your lunch punches you in the face and says “YOU BETTER RUN BOY!” – What do you do? Black Grace is proudly presenting the brand new UrbanYOUTHMovement production YOU BETTER RUN BOY! This work explores the theme of bullying in New Zealand schools, streets and beyond. Created under the leadership of Neil Ieremia and Black Grace, this new dance work is set to be fast, fierce and funny and is set to make the audience laugh at a bully, hug a bully and bully a bully! Over 100 young people aged 16 – 21 from all over Auckland were auditioned for the show. Sixteen performers were selected. Thomas Fonua (17) from Onehunga High School juggles school, rugby and ballet lessons and says he gets a lot of flak for his dancing – but what’s new? The show runs at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE, from 8 to 12 September 2009. For booking information and show times phone (09) 357 3355, or visit www.buytickets.co.nz or www.blackgrace.co.nz.
The Pacific Arts Committee of Creative New Zealand, in partnership with The National University of Samoa, is calling for applications from artists to undertake a residency at The National University of Samoa in Apia, Samoa. The residency is for a period of three months (mid August 2009 – mid November 2009) and is open to all established contemporary performing artists of Pacific Islands heritage residing in New Zealand. Previous resident artists include Nathaniel Lees and Jim Vivieaere. The selected resident will receive an artist’s stipend, accommodation and travel costs. The closing date for applications is 5 pm Friday 22 May 2009.
“Fresh Horizons Out West” is a three-day workshop for 30 nominated students from secondary schools in Waitakere City (West Auckland) which comes to an end today. With the encouragement of tutors Teremoana Rapley, King Kapisi, Janet Lilo and Venusi Taumoepeau, students have composed their own songs and music and filmed their performances. After three days of hard work, the end result is the completion of their own music videos! A special showcase of students’ work is held today (22 April, 2009) at Unitec Waitakere. The Tautai Trust says “it’s a great chance for friends, family and the community to see the creative results from these young and talented students”. Two other such workshops will be held specifically for Pacific Island students in other parts of the country. Tautai Fresh Horizons workshops are not ‘art classes’ but opportunities to experiment, to try new art-related ideas or hone special talent. By engaging well-known artists as tutors, backed up by senior tertiary students as assistants, secondary students are given visible role models – people they can relate to who are successfully working in the arts. The aim is to give the students a stimulating art experience under the eye of positive, enthusiastic role models, and reinforce the value of further education.
The New Zealand regional street dancing got off to a flying start in Auckland last weekend with eleven groups qualifying for the National Championships in April. LiL Saintz won the junior grade, with ReQuest taking the Varsity division, while TMC won the adult competition. The competition continues this Saturday 14 March with the Waikato/Bay of Plenty and Wellington regional rounds in Hamilton and Lower Hutt respectively. The Christchurch and Northland rounds will take place on Saturday 21st March. The New Zealand national championships will be held on the 3rd and 4th of April 2009. West Auckland group “Sweet and Sour” won last year’s Varsity Division and went on to win the gold medal at the World Championships in Las Vegas. Hamilton’s “FDC Supremacy” was awarded bronze at the same event.
“Sweet and Sour” Perform for gold at the 2008 World Championships in Las Vegas
Inspirational and provocative artists, thinkers, writers, activists, heads of government and communities from around the world and across the Pacific region will come together for the fourth annual MAUForum. The 23 days of conversations, panels, presentations, ceremonies, and performances will feature Samoa’s Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese in the Pacific Thought Symposium, and the New Zealand premiere of Lemi Ponifasio’s Tempest: Without a Body at the ASB Theatre, on the opening night of this year’s Auckland Festival. Other participants in the forum include Dean Roberts, The Laughing Samoans, Rhombus, Alexa Wilson, Dianna Fuemana, Kila Kokonut Krew, Fatu Feu’u, Filipe Tohi, John Ioane, Delicia Sampero, Pacific Mamas, Burnett-Rose, Global Children Project, HANDS UP!, Ishinha and Sing Sing. The Forum is hosted by Lemi Ponifasio and MAU from Feb 27 to March 21, 2009 at the Corban Estate, 426 Great North Rd, Henderson, Waitakere City, Auckland.
