Miria George and Jamie McCaskill wrote episodes in the second season of Skinwriting. Miria George (Te Arawa, Kuki Airani) has a Masters in Creative Writing from Victoria University at the International Institute of Modern Letters, her works include ..And What Remains, He Reo Aroha co-written by Jamie McCaskill, Sunset Road and Urban Hymns, she runs Tawata Productions alongside fellow playwright Hone Kouka.
My Dad and Brother had told me about a tatau artist from the pacific and it was about the rhythm of the uhi and that really stuck in my head. When you're a writer you collect gems on the way that just imbed themselves in your brain, and that was one and I was able to to weave that into Niwa Begins, because I think I wrote this episode while I was in the Cook Islands, so there was alot of tatau, cook island influence coming in there.
Miria George, on writing Niwa Begins.
Jamie McCaskill (Ngāti Tamatera) wrote three episodes for the second season of Skinwriting, he admits that writing for radio allowed him to push the boundaries in his approach to his writing, it was not easy given the small time frame in comparison to writing for theatre. He talks about the episode he wrote, with Justine Murray.
Both writers are in Wellington to perform and oversee the Ahi Kaa Festival that begins on June 9th until July 11. Dance troupe White Face Crew, The Modern Māori Quartet and plays from Aroha White, Briar Grace-Smith, Jamie McCaskill and Hone Kouka will feature as part of the line-up. Both Jamie and Miria talk discuss the inaugural festival.
