The short film ‘Inspired By’ – created by the participants of our Refugee Storytelling Project has been selected for presentation at the National Youth Diversity Forum. Two of the participants will travel to Auckland for the forum, they will present the film and share their experience of the project. We thank the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO for funding the costs of this wonderful invitation.
Tag: Youth
Expanding our Reach
The Bishop’s Action Foundation, based in Taranaki, has invited Voice Arts Trust to deliver a drama project in New Plymouth. The project will work with young people you use the youth health service ‘Waves’. The aim is to capture the impact this services has on the young people who use it, the opportunities it has provided them and the ongoing support it provides. Through creative a series of drama workshops the participants will explore this theme and present a performance to family, friends and Waves funders and supporters.
Death and Diversity 2011
Voice Arts Trust was invited by the Museum of Wellington to facilitate the creation of a performance piece that would support the community led exhibition “Death and Diversity” and further engage the various communities involved.
The project was characterised by a tremendous diversity amongst the participants across age, culture, gender, religious belief and experience of theatre making. Over a six-month period the group researched, devised and then performed a 40-minute performance in the gallery space at the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. All the material came from the actor’s own research and much of the writing was also that of the participants. “At Circle’s End” was performed to sold-out audiences during a six-show season in late November.
Youth Leadership Project; In Partnership with Eko Theatre
The purpose of this project was to support four young people from the Maori and Somali community to develop skills in leadership and communication so they could step into the role of “audience host” for performances of the community theatre work “Crossing Lines.”
The four were mentored in the skills needed to support and encourage their community to reflect on the performance, to further engage with the dialogue presented and to genuinely respond to the work. Group workshops, held in the performance space, sought to develop the skills required, to build relationships between the group, to develop an understanding of the performance work and the questions being raised by the actors.
2010 – Youth Capacity Building @ Strathmore Community School
10 young people, identified by teachers and parents as needing additional support to build confidence and improve behaviour were selected for this project. They met weekly with a theatre facilitator from Voice Arts Trust and introduced to a range of games and exercises designed to challenge and enjoy. Workshops focused on building confidence and self-esteem amongst the participants while encouraging new forms of emotional expression and social engagement with other children.
August 2008 – Cross-Generational Theatre Project
In partnership with the Museum of Wellington, Wellington East Girls College and Village at the Park this cross generational project brought together teenagers and the elderly to explore the nature of memory.