Albert-Eden Local Board has been fuelling drama, quite literally, by supporting theatre groups.
Some of the groups are well-established and some new, but they all help to create a sense of community, belonging and place-making in Albert-Eden.
“We want to make our area a livelier place for people to live, play and work,” says Peter Haynes, Albert-Eden Local Board Chair.
The local board made grants totalling $138,503 to community groups this financial year. There were three quick response rounds and two local grant rounds over the year.
Creating confluence with Prayas
Albert-Eden Local Board has been a keen supporter of Prayas, an Auckland-based theatre company well regarded for its theatrical prowess.
Flush from the glowing success of the company’s latest production, Dara, director Amit Ohdedar, who is also the group’s founding member says, “Albert-Eden Local Board has supported us over time and we are happy to work together with them.”
Most recently, funding from Albert-Eden Local Board went towards creating ‘confluence’, an experimental and intimate musical offering that evolved into Prayas’s SoundCheck Project.
It brought together community musicians from various backgrounds to explore and discover the connection and the commonalities between Indian and world music. Dara (the play) also featured some of the music from this project.
Keeping it fresh off the page with Proudly Asian Theatre
'Fresh Off the Page' by Proudly Asian Theatre (PAT) is a monthly play-reading of contemporary Asian plays presented, produced and read by Asian NZ practitioners in Auckland. The group meets at Basement Theatre.
“We are beyond stoked that Albert-Eden Local Board has given us a small fund to help us cover a little bit of the costs of this non-profit play-reading," says Marianne Infante, the producer for 'Fresh Off the Page'.
"This is a professional platform for the community to be able to gather, meet and most of all grow and develop in each creative’s respective creative practice –whether that be in acting, writing, directing, or producing.”
PAT was founded in 2013 by James Roque and Chye-Ling Huang to support Asian artists to create theatre in New Zealand, with a particular focus on Kiwi-Asian, dual ethnicity and contemporary stories.
Staying on point with the Pt. Chev Dramatic Club
A Christmas Show devised and performed by the kids of Pt Chevalier Drama Club at the Pt Chev Community Centre, and Where The Wild Things Are which incorporates circus and a live soundscape, were both supported through modest funding by Albert-Eden Local Board.
“The Albert-Eden board have been really supportive of Point Chevalier Drama Club developing shows with the kids for our local community. This has given us a sense of value in our community and really encouraged us to keep developing new theatrical works for it,” says Nicole Whippy, tutor and Point Chevalier resident.
The Point Chevalier Dramatic Club creates a fun and safe environment for kids so that they can relax, let go and express themselves through performance.
