NTi    NEWSLETTER
May 2001

Dear NTI Member

Hi, this is the first of The New Theatre Initiative updates which we will circulate when something significant comes to light.

The 2 big items of news this year are the serious work begun on the feasibility study for the design, fundraising, governance and management of a theatre on the Garage site and the Arts Development workshops at Unitec.

The feasibility study is the crucial next step to securing the Council’s support and the Garage site for our theatre. We know that architecturally we can create a fantastic facility on the proposed site (with the proviso that we will need to take an extra 40 m2 of land alongside the Garage) thanks to the work of Jasmax, John Verryt and Dorita Hannah.

We are now focussing on how we would raise the funds and also how the theatre would be operated. We are currently preparing an outline of how we see the theatre being governed, managed, and its artistic policies. We will present this to all NTI members in the near future. Once we have broad agreement we will develop the feasibility study to cover the financial implications of our vision.

We aim to have all this work completed by June / July for presentation to council. We are being assisted by the input of a group of professionals paid for by a grant from Auckland City. We remain confident that a theatre can and will be built on the garage site.

The other exciting development has been the inaugural Arts Development Workshop series held at Unitec on March 10 and 11. The aim of these workshops is to assist the development of new works and to extend the level of skill and thinking in our professional practice.

25 submissions were received from throughout New Zealand and 8 were selected for workshopping. Over 60 people gathered over a weekend to work on the following works:

• Bastion Point, a new theatre work about Auckland during the 1970s,
  investigating new methods of creating and writing narratives for the
  theatre on New Zealand themes, by Christian Penny and David Geary
• Paper Crane, a new play by Rita Stone, with dramaturg/script advisors
  Norelle Scott and James Beaumont
• Watcher on the Shore, a multimedia theatre installation by Te Awa, based
  on the life and paintings of Tony Fomison,  workshop led by Cristian
  Pilditch with choreographic/performance installation advisors Chis Jannides
  and Vicky Kapo
• Choreography for a new contemporary dance work based in kaupapa Maori and based on the life of 19th century composer Mihi -ki-te-kapua, by Terri Crawford
• The Newspaper Show, a new theatre work by Warwick Broadhead
• A cross-disciplinary working process for interactive triggering of
  lighting, sound and physical performance, by Becca Wood, Jeremy Fern and
  Charlotte 90
• Stephen Bain was at the last minute unable to attend the workshop with his
  "A project called Brian".
• Aotearoa Young People's Theatre will join the second workshop to work on
  Love Wrangler, a project in collaboration across the art forms of writing,
  dance theatre and theatre, based on a script commissioned from emerging
  playright Ryan McFadyen.

The above groups will gather again on May 12 and 13 to continue development of their projects.

Feedback from all participants has been very positive and we hope that this initiative will lead to the development of some new works but also to building a stronger sense of community among performing artists in Auckland. Certainly we will make these workshops an annual event and would like to thank Unitec for sharing their wonderful facilities and making it all possible. We’d also like to send out a huge thanks to Raewyn Whyte, Murray Edmond and Anna Marbrook for putting it all together with the able support of Anna Cameron. On ya!

We are holding our AGM at THE LEYS INSTITUTE, 20 ST MARY'S ROAD, PONSONBY, MONDAY 25 JUNE, 7pm followed by mid year drink for members at the Cavalier Tavern on College Hill to celebrate the first birthday of NTI. So please put this in your diary, come along and invite anyone that you may think is interested in supporting the project.

• We'd love to see as many of you as possible at the AGM. There has been a lot of progress with the venue (including some concept drawings of how the theatre will look) and we would like to bring you all up to speed. We'd also like to hear your thoughts on how we are proposing the theatre would be run. If you know of people who aren't members but are interested please invite them along.
  
  We will also elect 6 members to the executive.  If you would like to nominate anyone (including yourself) the please forward names to Heather Lee by 5.00 pm Friday June 22.
  
  We are looking for some insanely positive people with drive and commitment to help lead our merry band so if you think you should be committed please let us know.
  
  AGENDA
• Presentation of Architectural plans for the Garage Site
• Presentation of Draft Aims and Vision
• Presentation of Draft Governance Structure
• Chairman's Report
• Treasurer's Report
• Elections to NTI Executive

Followed by drinks at The Cavalier Tavern

If you want to give any feedback or get more involved with the project
through one of the sub committees set up please contact us.

For further information please contact:

The New Theatre Initiative
P O Box 7263 Wellesley Street
305 Queen Street
Auckland
Ph: 09 309 8324
Fax: 09 302 5272
info@nti.org.nz