No. 4 - September 2012 - Communications and Development ...

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Photo: Deborah Marshall.Macmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residence Victor Rodger.City’s quakesprovideinspirationfor artist inresidenceExploring the personalaftershocks of theChristchurch earthquakesand racial issues inCanterbury are two projectsthat UC’s latest Pacific Artistin Residence hopes to bring tothe stage after his tenure.Christchurch born playwright andscriptwriter Victor Rodger, who has writtenfive plays since 1998 and has worked as awriter for Shortland Street since 2000, saidhe wanted to confront issues he sawduring the quakes.“I am writing a piece about the quakeseither for film or the stage calledAftershocks. I have been really moved bywhat has happened to my hometown. Ihave friends and family on both the eastand west sides of the city who have beenaffected in different ways,” he said.“The city now more than ever really is adivide of east and west. There has alwaysbeen two halves to the city but now,physically, that’s much more pronounced.Aftershocks will really explore that east andwest divide and follows four families’experiences after the quakes. They are allinspired by different things people havegone through.”The second project Mr Rodger will writeis a piece called, Can all read and write? Thescript is inspired by an incident two yearsago in Christchurch when a group of largelyPacific Island students were awarded abusiness development award.“The guy presenting the awards wastrying to be funny and said to the crowd,‘I assure you they can all read and write.’Coming from Christchurch I wanted todevelop a piece inspired by that incidentbecause, for me, the thinking behind thatstatement is very Christchurch from myexperience of growing up here. That sort ofthing would never happen in Auckland,”he said.Mr Rodger, who is of Samoan andPakeha decent, said his work oftenreflected racial issues.“I grew up with a white mum andgrandparents so I didn’t start to embracemy Samoan side until my last year at highschool and, once I got it, it was a bit likethe matrix. A lot of my work deals withrace, racism and identity so I am reallyaware of stuff like that.”Mr Rodger was also the Ursula BethellCreative Writer in Residence at theUniversity of Canterbury in 2009 and aFulbright–Creative New Zealand Writer inResidence at the University of Hawai’i in2006.“It is nice to be back and have thatfocus. One of the things I will try and dowhile I am here is get in front of as manyPacific Island students as possible and tellthem about what I do. I was the first writerof Pacific descent on Shortland Street andI’m still the only one 12 years later. I amvery aware that the new generation are notfinding the bridge into the industry,”he said.8
Festival provides Platformfor top performancesThe University ofCanterbury’s College of Artsis proud to showcase theincredible talent of staff andstudents during the 2012Platform Arts Festival thismonth.Platform, which runs from 27September until 13 October, is a dynamic17–day extravaganza of concerts, theatre,talks, films, exhibitions and a debate. Thefestival will showcase work andperformances by students and staff fromacross the College at various locationsacross Christchurch and on theUniversity’s Ilam campus.Highlights include Lysistrata,Aristophane’s political comedy directed byAssociate Professor Robin Bond; pianistProfessor Michael Endres performingMozart and Schumann; Bluebeard’s Castledirected by Associate Professor PeterFalkenberg; a celebrity debate featuringJoe Bennett, Jim Hopkins, UC lecturersDavid Round and Associate Professor JimTully; Buster Keaton’s silent movie TheGeneral with Professor Robert Constableperforming piano alongside the action onscreen; as well as a Filmfest with severalfilms including powerful images from therecent earthquakes in Christchurch, Japanand Chile; and Here is Christchurch: APhotographic Exhibition of imagescaptured by members of the public duringthe 2010/2011 quakes, curated byDr Richard Vokes.Festival Director Greg Latham said thisyear’s festival built on the success of theprevious three Platforms and was afantastic opportunity for the University toengage with the people of Christchurch.“The combined talent of thecontributors is quite an extraordinarycollection and audiences will be able toexperience a diverse programme of superbquality. Many of the events are free to thepublic, with moderate prices across theboard for some very exceptional shows,”Mr Latham said.“Other events to look out for during thefestival include Talkfest featuringplaywright and actor Victor Rodger, UC’sMacmillan Brown Pacific Artist in Residencefor 2012, a Baroque/Celtic concert, and aperformance by Ursula Bethell Writer inResidence and poet David Eggleton.”A full schedule of events can be foundon the Platform website at www.canterbury.ac.nz/platform.Elizabeth Woods as the lead character in Lysistrata,one of the many arts events being showcased during theCollege of Arts’ Platform Arts Festival.CHRONICLE 47, No.4, September 2012
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