Category Archives: Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts – anything theatre, creative writing or digital media production at Massey University

Abundance of young voices in latest Poetry NZ

Leave a reply

Young poets are out in force alongside established scribes in the latest Poetry New Zealand Yearbook, the 67th issue since 1951, and published for the first time by Massey University Press.

Poet and managing editor Dr Jack Ross says the 352-page volume, launched this week – with 128 poems, as well as essays and reviews of 33 new poetry collections  – includes many new, young poets writing “hard-hitting, honest, beautiful poems”.

They include Emma Shi, winner of this year’s Poetry New Zealand poetry prize, worth $500 and judged by Dr Ross, for her poem it’s ok to lie if you mean it.

“Emma Shi is one of those rare people who appears to have been born with a kind of poetic perfect pitch,” Dr Ross says. “Her work is strange, and suggestive, and disturbing. It has a lot to do with illness, and death, as well as the intricacies and perfections of nature. There’s something quite awe-inspiring about her talent.”

Second-prize ($300) went to Devon Webb, for Note to Self, and third prize of $200 went to Hayden Pyke, for his poem You Say You Got to Leave Someone.

This volume is the fourth edited by Dr Ross, a senior lecturer in the School of English and Media Studies. In a Massey University Press online Q&A, he notes there is a lot more poetry being written in New Zealand these days, especially by younger writers. Why?

“I think that some combination of the ease of digital distribution with a general sense of despair about the state of the world has made it seem, all of a sudden, more relevant to people than ever. If you want to attract the attention of the mighty, it’s probably more effective to write a poem than an editorial nowadays,” he says.

New voices alongside well-known poets

This edition’s featured poet is Auckland-based Elizabeth Morton, whose poems Dr Ross says “have a kind of otherworldly air to them, which fascinates me. I love reading them, and featuring her seemed like the best way of getting to see more of them. She’s undoubtedly a writer of great technical talent, but I guess what really attracts me to her work is its uncompromising nature. She goes places other people are afraid to go.”

Readers can sample 21 of Morton’s poems and an interview with her in the book. Well-known contributing poets in the volume include Michele Leggott, Owen Marshall, Elizabeth Smither, Riemke Ensing and Anna Jackson, as well as essays by Janet Charman, Lisa Samuels and Massey University creative writing lecturer and poet Associate Professor Bryan Walpert.

Poetry New Zealand Yearbook 2017 was launched at the Devonport Library on Tuesday, with 10 poets in the book reading their work. The edition is available at good bookshops and can be ordered online from Massey University Press. Read the full Q&A with Dr Ross here.

Poetry NZ poetry prize winner for 2017

it’s okay to lie if you mean it

we tell ourselves we’re doing a good thing. a

little girl tugs on my sleeve, asks, why are

you here? her mother sends me an apologetic

smile, but doesn’t take her away. i’m not quite sure.

a younger girl lies on her bed, face scrunched up,

and i almost want to run away. we use

soft voices here, pretend we know why. her

father says thank you and i shake my

head, say, no, i don’t deserve it.

i talk to a small boy who builds castles with

cardboard and glue. the nurse comes in

with a needle and i hold his hand, tell her to be

quick, the syringe like a prayer – maybe this time.

we make spaceships out of air and name them

after stars, say, we are going to the moon. say,

it is so beautiful here. it is so beautiful.

© Emma Shi

Refugee play wins international award

Leave a reply

A play about the global refugee crisis penned by Massey University theatre lecturer and playwright Associate Professor Angie Farrow has won second place in the International New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest.

Her play, The Politician’s Wife, came second equal among almost 250 entries from all over the world. The judges’ commented: “This brilliantly written script deals with the refugee crisis from many different angles. We wish you great success with this timely script that deserves to be produced in many different venues!”

In its 15th year, the New York-based New Works of Merit Playwriting Contest was developed to bring works of social significance to the attention of producers and artistic directors.

Dr Farrow is delighted by the international recognition, saying there are few opportunities for playwrights to expose their work, in part due to the “ephemeral” nature of the genre. “Once a play has been produced and performed, you really just have the programmes and the memories.”

Since she wrote the work, she feels the play’s theme resonates with even more poignancy now, with Donald Trump elected US president on the basis of his strong anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and anti-Muslim views. These have been echoed in Brexit and in several European election campaigns.

Performed last year in Wellington and Palmerston North – The Politician’s Wife has an Antipodean focus on the refugee crisis. Dr Farrow, who teaches in the School of English and Media Studies at the Manawatū campus, says her work also tells a universal story about how privilege can sometimes make us immune to caring or empathising with the overwhelming suffering of our fellow humans, or can it empower us to respond with compassion!”

Refugee crisis in Berlin an eye-opener

She began writing the play in 2014, following a visit to Berlin on a writer’s residency, at a time when the refugee crisis was reaching new levels as people escaped conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Being there brought her into contact with the unfolding events and with some of the refugees, as well as those who were helping them. She also witnessed the fear and resentment of some in host countries in reaction to a sudden, large influx of desperate people with different religious and cultural backgrounds.

The desire to explore the issue from multiple perspectives inspired her to write the play. However, translating such an emotionally and logistically complex issue into a piece of theatre forced her to think about what it might mean on an individual, as well as political, level.

Shortlisted for the 2016 Adam NZ Play Award, The Politician’s Wife is an unapologetic response to the global refugee crisis, which has dominated headlines and divided the world.

The play centres on Kim, a woman of privilege – the eponymous politician’s wife – who becomes caught up in the refugee crisis, which – in the play – is not accorded a specific geographic or ethnic label. Torn between her loyalties to her conservative husband and her desire to help displaced people on an offshore island, Kim finds herself unwittingly at the centre of a national scandal. As the drama unfolds, she must take a stance, and the consequences could throw her life, and the lives of those closest to her, into turmoil.

Dr Farrow is currently working on a trilogy of plays about issues affecting young women, focussing on identity, relationships and social media.

She has had international success with other works, including a short play, The Blue Balloon, which won first prize at Toronto’s Inspirato Festival from 400 international entries in 2013 and Best Wildcard Award at the world’s biggest short play festival in Sydney in 2014.

See full results and details of the New Works of Merit Playwriting contest.

Globe Theatre Awards – Best Ensemble

Leave a reply

Congratulations to Massey’s 2016 Modern Drama class for picking up the award for Best Ensemble at the Globe Theatre awards this weekend! The Globe Awards celebrate the best of Palmerston North’s non-professional theatre, and we were delighted to be in such esteemed company. The production was Caryl Churchill’s 2012 Love and Information, directed by Rachel Lenart, with design, performance and all aspects of production by the 300-level students. The future of New Zealand theatre is bright with these students leading the way!

Manawatu River becomes a Shakespearean backdrop

Leave a reply
Director Sara Brodie is bringing a bit of wild to Summer Shakespeare 2017, with the Manawatu River as a backdrop and all sorts of surprises planned.

In her position as the artist in residence at Massey University, the Kapiti-based director and choreographer has chosen The Winter’s Tale as her play.

“It’s comic and tragic and I want to evoke a winter’s night and the fantastic tale element of it as much as possible.”

A stretch of Palmerston North’s Esplanade river walkway will be the stage for the open theatre piece, and Brodie said all sorts of things become possible in such a setting.

“When the audience actually come along here it will all be set up like a mid-winter fair with braziers, bunting, food stories and fire poi. We enter into the court scenes first where the jealous ravings of King Leontes start.”

Brodie is no stranger to staging outdoor events and said the “happy accidents” that occur are one of the best elements.

“Beautiful sunsets or wind at just the right moment. Those sort of things that really add to the experience for people. This will be like going into the fantastical wilds.”

The annual event is in it’s 14th year and will be drawing on Palmerston North’s non-professional theatre community for the production that will be held next March.

A workshop will be held at 10am on Saturday at Massey University’s Sir Geoffrey Peren Building, which Brodie said will give people an idea of the process.

“It’s for anyone who is interested to come along to meet me and to hear about the production and see some concept imagery around it. We will talk about the story and get our teeth into some of the text and some exercises to have some fun with it.”

Formal auditions for The Winter’s Tale will be held at the end of November and as well as actors and dancers, Brodie is also on the look out for production behind-the-scenes people.

Globe Theatre Awards – Massey’s nominations

Leave a reply

We are delighted with the nominations for the Globe Theatre Awards across four Massey University productions this year.  Our student driven production, Arts Uncontrolled, received a nomination for best ensemble. MUDS (our drama society) received two nominations for Misfits, and Kelly Harris received a nomination for Best direction for our Summer Shakespeare production The Merry Wives of Windsor.  Our third year course Modern Drama received three nominations for their production of Love and Information, directed by Rachel Lenart.

The winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the Globe Theatre in Palmerston North on 24 February 2017.

Theatre with Massey has had an outstanding year in Palmerston North! Congratulations to all our nominees.

 

Congratulations Alice on Weta win!

Leave a reply
Alice Guerin, appearing in Climate Change Theatre Action in 2015.

Award-winning student filmmaker Alice Guerin, appearing in Climate Change Theatre Action in 2015.

A huge well done to Bachelor of Communication (Expressive Arts) student Alice Guerin for taking out a coveted Weta Digital prize for her documentary film about overfishing. Alice has won an Outlook for Someday award – a sustainability film competition open to young people under 25.

Alice has always had a passion for the environment and for creative activism (she volunteered in Climate Change Theatre Action her first year with us at Massey Wellington). And now after studying Documentary Film with acclaimed documentary filmmaker and School of English & Media Studies lecturer Costa Botes as part of her Bachelor of Communication major in Expressive Arts, she has achieved this fantastic success.

We are very proud of you Alice!

See more detail in this story on Stuff: http://ssl-www.stuff.co.nz/environment/87503410/Massey-student-wins-Weta-Digital-Award-for-documentary-on-overfishing

You can view Alice’s winning film at: https://vimeo.com/189142375