How do we get more Maori, PI & Asian theatre on stages, Can we collaborate with maintstream theatre?

HOW DO WE GET MORE MAORI, PACIFIC ISLAND AND ASIAN THEATRE ON STAGES, CAN WE COLLABORATE WITH MAINSTREAM THEATRE joined with CONNECTING ASIANS TO AUCKLAND PERFORMING ARTS AS PRACTITIONERS, PRODUCERS, ENTHUSIASTS, SUPPORTERS, COLLABORATORS AND AUDIENCES

Convenors: Jenni Heka – Playmarket, jenni@playmarket.org.nz, Yee Yang ‘Square’ Lee – The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts, square@oryzafoundation.org.nz

Participants: Lee Zou, Dennis Lui, Norelle Scott, Joey Paulo, Leonard Mathews, Caleb Matafelo, Alison Mudford – Howick Little Theatre, Yee Yang ‘Square’ Lee – The Oryza Foundation, Tamati Patuwai – Mad Studios/Q Theatre reference group, Lisa Davis – Auckland City Council Arts teams, Naomi Singer – Manukau City Council – Mangere Arts Centre Manger, Nicola Kawana- Ngati Productions, Penny Sefuiva, Leigh Collecutt, Sally Barnett – The Edge

Priority: THIRD EQUAL (19 dots)

Notes:

• Pasifika Festival is expanding annually, yet there is no Pasifika Theatre Festival.
• Maori, Pasifika and Asian theatre should be happen every month not just (in the case of Maori & Pasifika theatre) in March or June /July as part of the Matariki festival.
• Hawkins Theatre – Maori Playwrights Festival – waiting on funding for 2010.
• Audience development – we should take our work to the communities and not just expect audiences to come to us.
• Engage with T.I.E. (Theatre in education) as a way of bring our works to the communities.
• Playmarket has Playwrights in Schools programme. Further promotion is required to promote this to schools. Oscar Kightley has been part of this programme 2009 – Pania Stevenson at Playmarket is contact for this. info@playmarket.org.nz
• A playwright in Schools is similar to Authors in Schools. There may be a potential partnership to be forged with NZ BOOK Month.
• It is important to develop audiences across all segments of our multicultural society. The Asian market is still widely untapped.
• Identifying who are you writing for? Yourself? Community or wider audience?
• Bite size theatre – Raw work presented to community and workshop with community with aim to production.
• Importance of longevity and continuous development of works, focusing on developing works beyond the first staging, towards subsequent seasons and touring.
• Consider alternative, non-traditional venues, such as marae, libraries, etc. Think outside the square.
• It was generally agreed that there is a wide range of resources available to practitioners, including funding opportunities and development programmes. For example, CNZ publications for audience development, touring guide etc. What is lacking is comprehensive awareness and shared knowledge of available resources.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel or make life harder than it already is; leverage and capitalize on what is already available. One can’t say that something isn’t working if one has not given it a go. Only by exploiting the resources we have or could have, can we truly identify the gaps in resources, which we can then try to fill.
• The importance of understanding and employing good processes in our industry, i.e. devising, writing, development, staging, etc.
• Playmarket initiated beginnings of Strategy for Maori Theatre at Matariki Playwrights Hui in June 2009 – Stephen Bradshaw and Toi Maori to continue these discussions.
• It was suggested that there should be a cohesive strategy for Maori, Pasifika and Asian Theatre. To be explored further.
• Penny Sefuiva spoke to why we are not plugging into the Economic development opportunities, i.e. tourism market – which wants to see more Maori and Pasifika theatre.
• Identify leaders and mentors to connect and collaborate with.
• Ask for what you want, don’t ask don’t get.
• Look at successful theatre company models i.e. Indian Ink Theatre Company. It should be noted that Indian Ink may have initially piqued interest as an ‘Indian’ or ‘Asian’ flavoured company, but it is known today for being a quality and successful touring company, not just an ‘Asian’ theatre company.
• SCOPE funding closes NOV 13th; it funds collaborative projects between organizations, e.g. mentoring and development programmes.
• Nurture producers in the communities – e.g. Banana Boat Writers Group have applied for funding to host Producers Workshop with Lauren Hughes.
• Banana Boat Writers Group helps playwrights grow and develop, including new plays. They meet every fourth Thursday at Toi Ora Live Arts Space, 6 Putiki St, and Grey Lynn. 7pm – 9pm, all is welcome.
• Mainstream theatre does not always have to be held at central city professional venues. Mainstream could be defined as ‘popular’. We are all, or could all be, a part of mainstream theatre.
• Auckland Performing Arts is not monocultural. It is diversity embodied.

First or next steps:

• Encourage more key people to attend Forums like Auckland Performing Arts Forums, Playmarket’s New Writing, New Producing forum, Matariki Playwrights Hui, Pasifika Playwrights Forums etc.
• Attend networking opportunities – attend and talk about your project at events not only for Maori and Pasifika but at other forums. Be seen and be vocal.
• Create more networking opportunities – networking evenings? Quiz nights? Could also be opportunity to fundraise?
• Create a practitioners mentoring group to support and help grow Maori, Pasifika and Asian practitioners, especially playwrights and producers.
• Proposed meeting of a steering group on Wed 4th Nov 12.30pm  @ Playmarket Offices, Level 11, 44-52 Wellesley St West, Auckland to discuss SCOPE funding applications.
• Create awareness of all the development and resource opportunities available. Maybe look at developing a shared tool or resource?
• Working closer with festivals in their approach to artists, practitioners and audiences.
• Formation of Strategy reference group for Pasifika Theatre.
• The Oryza Foundation to look into creating an Asian Arts Network to help Asian practitioners/organizations connect with each other and with all other practitioners/organizations. There could also be an Open Space-styled annual Forum.
• Penny Sefuiva and Jenni Heka @Playmarket to look into forming a reference group to develop a Pacific Performance Arts Trust to begin strategy and advocacy for Pasifika practitioners.
• Banana Boat Writers Group Xmas Party   - Thursday DEC 3rd 7pm –onwards @ Te Karanga Gallery, 208 Karangahape Rd. Good networking opportunity.

• Utilize the Arts advisors and practitioners present:
  • Lisa Davis (Auckland City Council), Jenni Heka (Maori and Pasifika Playwright development coordinator, Playmarket) and Square (General Manager, The Oryza Foundation) can help connect practitioners with people.
  • Square offered to help connect Asian and non-Asian organizations, practitioners and audiences and foster cross-cultural collaborations. Also available to give advice and support, as a producer.
  • Tamati Patuwai – Mad Studios, director, producer available to advice and support.
  • Naomi Singer – Manukau City Council Arts  - can help with connecting people and projects and venues i.e. OMAC

Sally Barnett - The STAMP programme at the EDGE is always looking for applications from Asian, Maori, and Pasifika projects. Flintlock Musket by Kirk Torrance was one of the plays to be part of the Double shot programme in 2008.