The Conchus Season 2009

Are You Conchus?

Nina Nawalowalo, artistic director of the Conch and creator of the ground breaking ‘Vula’, which last year enjoyed a sell out season London’s Barbican Centre comes back to the Bats theatre where that journey began to launch a new initiative ‘The Conchus Season’.

Nina has launched Conchus to provide a platform not only for the mentoring and showcasing of emerging Maori and Pacific talent but as a vehicle to get the stories of three young women onto the stage. Nina says of the season

“These new works contain issues central to New Zealand today. Violence against children, the impact of Alzhiemers on a family and the experience of immigration on a young Pacific Islander. Issues so often presented through the media but here told by young women from those communities. Through their bravery I hope that audiences will gain direct insight into the heart of this experience. These are not statistics these are human stories, unmediated and vital. Theatre has the ability to bring this awareness. Through telling their stories the young women themselves become more conscious, through bringing them to an audience we hope to share that consciouness –hence the Conchus Season.”

Nina has assembled an impressive team of mentors to work with performers Kristyl Neho, Princess te Puea Whioke and Fijian New Zealander Kasaya Manulevu. Along side Conch co founder Tom McCrory- Briar Grace Smith as dramaturg, Sarah Foster and Canadian dancer Andrea Tutt as dance mentors and last years Chapman Tripp lighting designer of the year 2008 Lisa Maule make up the artisitc team. This broad range of skills reflects the dynamic diversity of the pieces themselves which move from an explosive cocktail of Tap,Hip Hop and Kapa Haka, through Magic and illusion and impressive writing and multi character story telling. Audiences are guarenteed a night of vision and variety.

'Te Mahara - The Memory'
Co devised and Performed by Kristyl Neho

‘Te Mahara' means 'The Memory' and is a one woman 1hour solo. Kristyl developed the core of piece drawing on her own experience of her Grandmothers journey into Altzhiemer's and memory loss. Transporting us the heart of Hastings Kristyl plays over ten different characters to sometimes hilarious sometimes heartbreakingly poignant effect. First developed as a solo at Toi whakaari.

"Some things Can't Be Healed By Bandages'
Co devised and performed by Princess Te Puea Whioke

"Somethings can't be healed by bandages' is a 30 minuite one woman solo combining physical theatre, dance and storytelling. Exploring the highly charged and current subject of violence against children. Originally developed as a solo at Wellington performing arts.

"Yalewa"
Co devised and performed by Kasaya Manulevu

"Yalewa" Fijian for 'Woman' is a 30 minute piece of visual theatre combining physical theatre with magic and illusion. The piece explores the impact of the loss of a Mother and immigration on a young Fijian New Zealander. Photographs and objects may be all that we have left when someone leaves us. When these objects are of cultural significance our sense of loss and dislocation can be doubled as our living connection to them passes away. In this piece themes of identity, cultural dislocation, grief and hope combine with the rich poetic style for which the Conch has become internationally recognised.

Event listed by Brianne Kerr

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