Category: reflection

Guest post: The fast and the slow of it – Hester Ullyart on time, creativity, motherhood, and gestating new work

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We occasionally invite guest posts from artists who are grappling with big questions about craft and practice, at points of personal and creative transition. Here, ahead of the release of her debut album The All Clear, Lyttelton-based multidisciplinary artist and poet Hester Ullyart thinks through the relationships between time, creativity and motherhood. This is ‘tick… Continue reading Guest post: The fast and the slow of it – Hester Ullyart on time, creativity, motherhood, and gestating new work

Rehearsed readings at the Festival of New Theatre: three very different plays, done three ways

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Erin Harrington responds to three rehearsed play readings at the Festival of New Theatre: Ella West's Mrs Parker, Ana Mulipola's My Mum Stitches, and Andrew Todd and Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta’s The Consummate Professional, presented in partnership with Rollicking Entertainment at the Isaac Theatre Royal, Sunday 11 October 2026.Making theatre is amazing, and it is hard.… Continue reading Rehearsed readings at the Festival of New Theatre: three very different plays, done three ways

“You get into a trance-like state”: on performing in Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians

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Hannah Kagawa reflects on the experience of performing in the New Zealand premiere of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, at The Piano | Pīpīwharauroa Kui-kui whitiwhiti ora, Saturday 15 August 2026. Fourteen seconds of absolute silence, followed by an instant standing ovation from a sold out crowd at The Piano. Words cannot describe how… Continue reading “You get into a trance-like state”: on performing in Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians

Review: Wahine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi – we see ourselves, properly

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Juanita Hepi reflects on Wahine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi, written by Cindy Diver, directed by Kim Garrett, with musical direction by Ariana Tikao, at the Court Theatre, Saturday 18 April 2026. Six weeks ago, my sister, Jeni Leigh Walker passed away. She was 48. Three weeks later, the writer of this… Continue reading Review: Wahine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi – we see ourselves, properly

Wrap up: Dunedin Fringe is a chaotic and ambitious festival with incredible DIY energy

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Dunedin Fringe Festivals poster repeated four times in different colourways. The world FRINGE is broken up by a collage of images from different shows

Roving FCFN reporter John Armstrong heads south and reflects on some highlights from the Dunedin Fringe Festival, which ran from 12 - 22 March 2026. Dunedin Fringe has sadly come to an end. Yesterday marked the end of an incredible eleven days of stand-up, theatre, sketch comedy and live music, with morethan ninety shows all… Continue reading Wrap up: Dunedin Fringe is a chaotic and ambitious festival with incredible DIY energy

Behind the Curtain at Clown Club (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love to Bomb)

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Naomi van den Broek on learning to be a clown under the tutelage of comedian Tessa Waters - including the work, joy and importance of creating feminist communities in comedy and performing arts. Sometime in 2023 I was added to a Facebook group with the name Feminist Clown Posse (FCP) and an amazing profile pic… Continue reading Behind the Curtain at Clown Club (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love to Bomb)

Performance, connectivity and care: Tīwai’s Te Pūtake and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

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Erin Harrington writes about dance collective Tīwai's research showing of new work Te Pūtake at Movement Art Practice, 29 April 2022, and returns to JMO Theatrics' White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, which ran at Little Andromeda from 13-17 April, 2022. At the beginning of contemporary dance work Te Pūtake, from collective Tīwai (Rebecca Johnson, Kereana Mosen… Continue reading Performance, connectivity and care: Tīwai’s Te Pūtake and White Rabbit, Red Rabbit

Tiny conversations: points of exchange at Tiny Fest 2021

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Erin Harrington recaps three discussion-based events at movement arts festival Tiny Fest, which ran from Friday 26 - Saturday 28 November 2021 at Little Andromeda and the Christchurch Town Hall. Tiny Fest in 2021 isn’t really that tiny. The 2019 festival, presented by Movement Art Practice, took place over a single day, starting early and… Continue reading Tiny conversations: points of exchange at Tiny Fest 2021

Starlings, Dead Authors, and Sexy Polliwogs: the WORD Foundation Pop-Up Festival

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Erin Harrington writes about the Foundation Pop-Up Festival (AKA the Not-Quite-New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival) , which ran from 5-11:30pm at Foundation Cafe, Tūranga / Christchurch Central Library, on Saturday 13 November, the last night of the WORD Christchurch festival weekend. The New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival has been a key feature of the last… Continue reading Starlings, Dead Authors, and Sexy Polliwogs: the WORD Foundation Pop-Up Festival

Ghost light, or, the week that wasn’t

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A ghost light is a light left on inside a theatre that’s gone dark, usually sitting in the centre of the stage. Some say it’s to placate (or scare off) theatre ghosts, some say it’s to stop people falling in the orchestra pit in the dark; both are valid. (It is also the name of… Continue reading Ghost light, or, the week that wasn’t