eBULLETIN
OCTOBER 2015
The Wellington office was humming for our Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon increasing the presence of NZ women playwrights on Wikipedia.
A dramaturg is a Switzerland.
Allison Horsley, Dramaturgy 2.0
Kia ora <<First Name>>
Announcement in this bulletin of the winners of Plays for the Young marks a fast hurtle toward Playmarket’s end of year close down. The handsome new-look Playmarket Annual crammed with thoughts on playwriting has been sent out (if you haven’t received one please let us know); we are in the final stages of proofing this year’s publications; we’ve turned our thinking toward the Bruce Mason and Playmarket Awards - which means the Accolades are looming; and budgets and planning are underway for 2016. Phew!
Every year we have a pleasant struggle to decide the best of a terrific crop of plays submitted for Plays for the Young. This year was a particularly hard one to decide. We have awarded three very vibrant and stage-worthy plays and also awarded a highly commended fourth. Many of the plays submitted have already received productions and the development in these is evident but others of course shine out to be given development towards presentation readiness. Congratulations to the winners.
We’re pleased to be partnering with Legacy Project 3 to provide script development. The work shown in its earlier seasons has proved the worth of the project for playwrights as well as for performers and directors. The skills in creating short works are major learning tools and the short form is a very satisfying dramatic experience. Something that Short and Sweet and other competitions also show.
Very soon we’ll be all in the know about the programmes for next year’s two major arts festivals. Alongside a healthy dose of New Zealand work I’m hoping for some stimulating international theatre to promote our playwriting juices. Playmarket is partnering in NZAFs Writers Week with a Spotlight on Playwrights that will be a highlight for us.
Many playwrights have been fortunate enough to be selected for Rebecca Mason’s scholarship, and the testimonials from them make happy reading. We are calling for applications from playwrights to participate in this generous offer from life coach Rebecca. Further details are in the sidebar.
Today we are expecting to hear of the outcome of the challenge to a ban on the sale of Into the River. Hopefully sanity will win through and this example of excellent writing for young people will be freed of this stigma. If you haven’t caught up with this important issue there’s links to several articles below.
Don’t forget to send in your submissions for the 2016 Adam NZ Play Award - until 1 December.
Nga mihi mahana
Murray Lynch - Director of Playmarket
NEWS
 
PLAYS FOR THE YOUNG
Congratulations to each of the category winners in our Plays for the Young Competition. Inky Pinky Ponky by Amanaki Prescott-Faletau and Leki Jackson-Bourke was selected as the overall winner and will receive a prize of $600 courtesy of the Margaret Mahy Family.
3 - 8 year-olds
 Dexter’s Deep Sea Discovery by Darlene Mohekey and Jess Sayer
One night, when he pulls the plug and something grabs his foot, Dexter soon realises he has been dragged into a deep sea adventure that will change his life forever. Dexter's Deep Sea Discovery is an interactive, immersive and explorative pantomime full of musical mermaids, sharks with swag and dancing dogfish!
8 - 12 year-olds
The Pūhā Squadron by Chris Molloy
Three close friends embark on an 800km adventure of self-discovery together, from small town Hōriwara to Te Rerenga Wairua (the leaping place of the spirits), at the northernmost tip of Aotearoa. There they will find the ancient pohutukawa Te Rākau Tipua who has the answers to every question in the world, and ask for the guidance they all so desperately need. The road is fraught with dangers, but what this trio lack in self-confidence, however, their imaginary superhero alter egos, ‘The Pūhā Squadron', make up for, performing heroic feats to defeat the evil Dragon Aunty who terrorises Hōriwara and all that’s good.
Teenagers
 Inky Pinky Ponky by Amanaki Prescott-Faletau and Leki Jackson-Bourke
When the new boy at St Valentine High turns out to be fabulous fakaleiti Lisa, the haters turn on the heat and a cruel dare is put in motion. But Lisa is hard to resist and as the school ball looms she might not be the only one to fall in love for the very first time.
Highly Commended
The Presentation of Findings from my Scientific Survey of the First 7500 Days of my Life done in the Interest of Showing You How to Live Better Lives by Uther Dean
Some people collect stamps, some people play sports, and some people undertake in-depth scientific surveys for each day of their entire lives. Let's just say that Max Addison doesn't collect stamps or play sports. The presentation of the findings from Max's survey, findings that could indeed be literally considered their life's work, will be a momentous occasion. To not attend such a momentous occasion could easily be construed as oafish or unthinking. Max is certain that you will wish to avoid this pitfall.
 NATIONAL MĀORI THEATRE HUI
The National Māori Theatre Hui is an opportunity for Māori Theatre Practitioners in Aotearoa to gather and discuss the health, development, whakapapa, creative process, successes and challenges within the New Zealand Theatre industry. Connect with kaumātua, established and emerging Māori Theatre Practitioners to share, learn and network and be a part of the collective movement growing and giving strength to Māori Theatre moving forward.
Wellington 7 - 8 November 2015
See here for more information and registrations.
CONGRATULATIONS
  
Congratulations to Louise Tu’u, Fiona Samuel and Sophie Roberts who are finalists in the Arts and Culture category of the Next Woman of the Year Awards.
 Congratulations to Pip Hall who is a finalist in the 2015 Women of Influence Awards. Presented by Fairfax Media and Westpac, the New Zealand Women of Influence programme recognises and celebrates women from all walks of life who make a difference to everyday Kiwis. Congratulations as well  to Van Badham, guest tutor at Dramaturgy 2.0, who was named as one of Australia's 100 Women of Influence. The awards are committed to increasing the visibility of women’s leadership in Australia, highlighting the contribution women make in creating a bold and diverse future for Australia.
 Denis Edwards has achieved a Second Placing in The New York Screenplay competition with his full length comedy Finding the Locus. Open to writers around the world its Playwriting section which attracts some 1,000 plays. Last year his play Service to Love was a finalist, later shortlisted in the Adam NZ Play Award.
 Congratulations to Tim Hambleton whose play The Reunion received 2nd place in the Playwrights Association of New Zealand’s 2015 10-Minute Play Competition.
 SCRIPT WRITER AWARDS NZ 2015
Congratulations to our clients and associates who are finalists in the 2015 SWANZ Awards.
BEST SHORT FILM SCRIPT - Matthew Saville for Dive
BEST PLAY
Dave Armstrong for Central
Rochelle Bright for The Deliberate Disappearance of My Friend Jack Hartnett
Renee Liang for Under the Same Moon
BEST TELEVISION DRAMA EPISODE
Tim Balme for The Brokenwood Mysteries: Sour Grapes
James Griffin for Westside: Episode 4
Winners will be announced at a function on 8 October in Auckland. Book your tickets here.
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ARTICLES
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT? SEVEN LESSONS PLAYWRIGHTS CAN LEARN FROM POSTMODERN PHILOSOPHY
Jake Rosenberg for HowlRound
Playwright Jake Rosenberg explains how Postmodernist philosophy can inform the work of contemporary playwrights.
Read more here
ARTS MINISTER MITCH FIFIELD FLAGS CHANGES TO CONTROVERSIAL FUNDING PROGRAMME, PROMISES AN OPEN HEART AND LOVE OF PEOPLE
Andrew Taylor and Dewi Cooke for Sydney Morning Herald
The former Australian Minister for the Arts, Senator Brandis, stripped $105 million from the Australia Council to create a new programme to distribute arts funding, prompting loud complaints from the arts community. His successor, Mitch Fifield, seems intent on mending fences in his new portfolio, promising to open and consultative.
Read more here
THEY PRETEND TO BE US WHILE PRETENDING WE DON’T EXIST
Jenny Zhang for Buzzfeed
White poet Michael Derrick Hudson’s use of the Chinese pen name Yi-Fen Chou was an act of yellowface that is part of a long tradition of white voices drowning out those of colour in the literary world.
Read more here
ARE RESTRICTED RATINGS ON BOOKS IN OUR CHILDREN’S BEST INTERESTS?
Catherine Robertson for Booknotes Unbound
Are our children better off being unable to access books that might offend or disturb them?
Read more here
WHAT’S IN A BAN?
Dr James Meffan for Victoria News
The banning of Ted Dawe’s Into the River exposes the lack of agreement about the mechanisms and goals of censorship in New Zealand.
Read more here
HOW DIGITAL CULTURE IS TAKING HEDDA GABLER INTO INFINITY
Lyn Gardner for The Guardian
A new presentation of Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler has been preceded by tweets from its heroine – an example of how digital media draws in theatre audiences in ingenious ways
Read more here
MANIFESTO
Simon Wilson outlines his approach to magazines in his final editorial for Metro.
Read more here
CAN YOU PICK THE QUOTES FROM TED DAWE'S BANNED NOVEL INTO THE RIVER?
Alison Flood for The Guardian
This quiz contains explicit language.
Read more here
JEREMY CORBYN: THE ARTS
The leader of the British Labour Party presents statements about funding for the arts in the UK.
Read more here |
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YOUNG & HUNGRY PLAYWRIGHTS' INITIATIVE
UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO / CNZ WRITER IN RESIDENCE 2016
DUNEDIN FRINGE 3 – 13 MARCH 2016
LEGACY PROJECT 3
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE IN MODERN LETTERS
DRAMATURGY 2.0
