Free Theatre for hundreds of students across Auckland

Basement Theatre presents:

SCHOOLS PROGRAMME 2016

The Basement Theatre Trust are covering the cost of tickets, transport, workshops and resources to ensure Auckland secondary school students, from city suburbs to as far afield as Papakura, see a professional live performance each term.

They are thrilled to announce the following six school partnerships for their 2016 Schools Programme:

Edgewater College

James Cook High School

Mount Roskill Grammar School

Onehunga High School

Papakura High School

Selwyn College

As well as these six schools, Nga Rangatahi Toa Creative Arts Initiative continue to be included in the programme.

After a successful pilot project in 2015 the Basement Theatre are pleased to confirm a second year of their free secondary school arts initiative. The 2016 programme features a year’s worth of free performances, Q&A sessions and study guides for students from schools who don’t typically have access to professional theatre experiences. Thanks to the generous support of patrons and partners, tickets to a selection of shows, suitable for secondary school audiences, are paid for. Transport to and from the venue is also covered and accompanying each show is an interactive learning resource to give insight into the making of each show and its themes. Each private schools performance is followed by a discussion session with the cast and crew.

Term 1 offers up a Pasifika story. TA MOKO is an original show created by graduates of The Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA), told through dance and spoken word. The story explores the moment when needle and ink meet the skin and the journey towards that moment.

Term 2 is all about opera, but not as you know it. Think playful, Beyonce-esque, musical theatre. UnstuckOpera present a re-composition of Henry Purcell’s classic opera DIDO & AENEAS. In this promenade-style production, the audience is guided through the whole Basement venue as Dido falls for Aeneas and perverse witches wreak havoc.

In Term 3 ORANGUTAN, a hit from The Basement’s 2015 Winter Season, will travel out to schools as part of the “off-site” series of the programme. Inspired by non-verbal storytelling traditions of Balinese mask, puppetry and monkeys, this year’s Schools Tour explores the complexity of conservation and extinction. Alice Canton’s performance won her Best show by an Emerging Artist at The Auckland Theatre Awards 2015.

The YOUNG AND HUNGRY: FESTIVAL OF NEW THEATRE marks the grand finale of the programme in Term 4. Two new New Zealand scripts will be performed and designed by the next generation of theatre-makers aged 15-25. Written specifically for young people these shows are on point for teenage audiences.

SCHOOLS PROGRAMME 2016 SHOW SCHEDULE:

TA MOKO

Dates: Tuesday 8 March (1pm matinee), Wednesday 9 March (7pm), Thursday 10 March (7pm)

Venue: The Basement - Studio           

DIDO & AENEAS

Dates: Wednesday 18 May (1pm matinee), Thursday 19 May (1pm matinee & 7pm)

Venue: The Basement - Whole venue

ORANGUTAN

Dates: Friday 29 July - Friday 12 August

Venue: Schools Tour

YOUNG AND HUNGRY: FESTIVAL OF NEW THEATRE

Dates: Tuesday 18 October (Evening), Wednesday 19 October (Evening)

Venue: The Basement Theatre

For all programme enquiries please contact:

Deanna Borren

Schools Programme Coordinator

09 309 7433 | 021 076 2313

schools@basementtheatre.co.nz

www.basementtheatre.co.nz

Basement Theatre is Auckland’s culture-defining powerhouse - home to an artistic mixtape of the performing arts since 2008. The venue showcases new and local voices, featuring 80% world premieres and over 50% New Zealand work in its programme. The Basement’s unique risk-share model supports emerging artists by reducing their financial risk, taking a percentage of box office sales in lieu of a venue hireage fee. In a world where everything is downloadable, The Basement is the place to see something live.

"The Beating Heart of Auckland Theatre" - Winner of Best Theatre, Metro Magazine 2014

Contact: elise@basementtheatre.co.nz for any venue related media enquiries