Arts organisations merge to take theatre to NZ schools

Wellington, 26 January, 2016.

Arts organisations merge to take theatre to NZ schools

Two national youth theatre organisations are joining to strengthen the delivery of New Zealand theatre to secondary schools around the country.

The Young and Hungry Arts Trust and the EnsembleImpact Educational Trust are excited to work together on a professional national tour of important contemporary plays starting from 2016.

For 21 years, Young and Hungry has mentored young people in all aspects of theatre, from playwriting to stage management and theatre design and technical crafts. Young and Hungry Festivals of New Theatre are held annually in Wellington and Auckland.

EnsembleImpact has toured six professional productions of New Zealand theatre to the nation’s secondary schools since 2009, touching thousands of students with home grown stories.

Young and Hungry takes over the management of the tours with “Power Plays”, a compilation of political scenes from the entertaining plays of Arthur Meek. One of Meek’s earliest plays, “Yolk” was commissioned and developed by Young and Hungry in 2007 as part of their Playwrights’ Initiative. Meek is now a successful, award-winning playwright and actor. “Power Plays” will include excerpts of “On The Conditions and Possibilities of Hillary Clinton Taking me as her Young Lover” and “On The Upside-Down of the World”,which has been performed in New York and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“It is so important for young New Zealanders to be exposed to our own theatre. The actor Willem Dafoe said that - “Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to”, which is so true. Presenting relevant stories and social issues through theatre is a great way to open minds and discussion. EnsembleImpact ties in with so many of Young and Hungry’s objectives and we are looking forward to taking the powerful work of Arthur Meek around the country.” Diana Cable, Manager of Young and Hungry.

KC Kelly, Director of EnsembleImpact says “this is a marriage made in heaven. Both organisations are committed to youth development through New Zealand theatre. Both promote New Zealand writers and both believe that exposure to current social issues through theatre can open doors for discussion and awareness.”

“Power Plays” will be performed by four young actors and they will tour secondary schools from Kaitaia to Invercargill during term two.

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