Creative Clinics for Maori and Pasifika Playwrights

The Banana Boat Creative Clinics are aimed at up-and-coming Maori and Pasifika playwrights, and will be run over two days on 8-9 March in Auckland.

The Banana Boat Creative Clinics are the brainchild of Banana Boat coordinator Jenni Heka. The goal of the clinics are to bring together seasoned theatre practitioners with up-and-coming Maori and Pasifika playwrights to help guide those playwrights' written words to the next level - production.

There are two parts to the clinics.  The first part is one-on-one script labs with playwright Albert Belz (Whero's New Net, Awhi Tapu) where each playwright will spend two hours focussing on and discussing their script with Albert.  The second part is workshops with director James Wilson (Producer,Massive Company) where each playwright will have their script read by actors under the direction of James. 

The clinics are open to be viewed by the public.

"The leap from page to production takes tremendous energy and faith," says Wilson. 

"These clinics provide emerging Maori and Pasifika playwrights with signposts on where to go next, as well as a networking opportunity to show them that they're not alone in in their struggle."

The Banana Boat Creative Clinics have been funded by Auckland City Creative Communities and is proudly supported by PLAYMARKET and PASIFIKA 2010.

The Banana Boat is a loose collective of Pasifika and Maori writers who meet once a month.  Started in September 2008 as an initiative of Playmarket, it has gone from strength, mounting its inaugural Jukebox season last December - three short plays that collectively (and figuratively) brought the house down at Te Karanga Gallery on Karangahape Road.

For more information contact: Jenni Heka  09 365 2648  bananaboatnz@gmail.com  www.bananaboatnz.blogspot.com