Palmerston North’s Centrepoint Theatre celebrates a remarkable milestone this weekend, its 50th anniversary. Known for its support of professional theatre, as part of its celebrations Centrepoint have launched a fundraising campaign to refurbish its theatre. A total of $5.1 million is required.
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Local TV series Madam won the Golden Nymph award for Best Creation at leading international screen awards, the Monte Carlo TV Festival this week.
Launching on Three Now on July 4, the show features Australian actress Rachel Griffiths and locals Rima Te Wiata, Martin Henderson, Danielle Cormack and Robbie Magasiva.
Set in a small kiwi town inside an ‘ethical’ brothel, the show is based on the not-yet-published memoir of Antonia Murphy.
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Paul Goldsmith, the minister holding both the arts, culture and heritage and media portfolios has confirmed public speculation that the government is having discussion about the future of the New Zealand Film Commission and New Zealand on Air as separate organisations. No decisions have been made
Goldsmith also confirmed the government is now starting formal discussions around an overarching national arts strategy to grow the country’s creative sector.
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The government has discontinued the Creatives in Schools programme that began in 2019. The scheme places artists in residence in schools for periods between eight and 20 weeks.
Education minister Erica Stanford has laid the blame with the Ministry of Education who she tasked with cutting things they didn’t believe were providing value for money The cut has been criticised by both Labour and Green party ministers.
The Ministry of Education’s proposed restructure meanwhile has been criticised heavily and is currently on pause. It will potentially see the loss of more than 700 jobs.
On media website The Spinoff this week books editor Claire Mabey analyses the decision by the ministry’s head, secretary for education Iona Holsted to send out an all-staff email on Tuesday sharing a 1972 poem by Sam Hunt called Beware the Man.
It begins:
Beware the man who tries to fit you out
In his idea of a hat
Dictating the colour and the shape of it.
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Claire Murdoch has been appointed Senior Manager, Arts Development at Creative New Zealand. Murdoch starts in August, coming from her current role as Head of Publishing at Penguin Random House New Zealand, which has faced job cuts.
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The largest film premiere to happen in the Waikato saw some of Aotearoa’s biggest screen names in Kirikiriroa Hamilton for the launch of feature Ka Whawhai Tonu - Struggle Without End. Photo: supplied
Seen explicitly through a Māori lens, it’s a retelling of the battle at Ōrākau, 160 years ago, with two teenagers at the heart of the story.
Directed by Mike Jonathan, the movie’s stars include Cliff Curtis and Temuera Morrison.
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Iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have come in as partner with Auckland Art Gallery to present new triennial contemporary art exhibition, Aotearoa Contemporary, opening 6 July.
The partnership marks the first time an iwi has funded a nationwide New Zealand contemporary art exhibition.
The exhibition showcases new artists across the country, emphasising artists who haven't exhibited at the gallery before. It runs in conjunction with New Zealand's leading art award, The Walters Prize whose finalists this year have been announced as Owen Connors, Juliet Carpenter, Brett Graham and Ana Iti
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After 32 years one of the key galleries representing the applied arts - from ceramics to jewellery - Avid has closed in Pōneke Wellington.
Opening in 1992 Avid was one of the country’s longest running galleries. Owners Judith and Peter Carswell say the recession, the late withdrawal of a likely new owner coinciding with the end of their lease has led to the closure.
“To say that there’s been an outpouring of grief,” they say, “would not be an overstatement."
