The Aotea Centre Performing Arts Trust has awarded the inaugural AOTEA STAR AWARD to Katherine Thomas from Papatoetoe who is completing her Master of Theatre Arts in Directing taught jointly by Victoria University and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School.The Aotea Centre Performing Arts Trust has awarded the inaugural AOTEA STAR AWARD to Katherine Thomas from Papatoetoe who is completing her Master of Theatre Arts in Directing taught jointly by Victoria University and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School.This new annual award is for an individual who has shown excellence in their area of performance. Katherine has already achieved a substantial portfolio of successful production. She aims to strengthen relationships between New Zealand communities and arts practices; to collaborate professionally in theatre and film national and internationally; and to establish a new form of theatre that will benefit the needs and desires of New Zealand's cultural, social and political values.
Katherine is developing a community project creating a documentary film based on those "Invisible/Silent Communities" using public transport services. Loneliness and depression rates are often associated with commuters who travel at least 20 minutes per day and new bus drivers can gain up to 25kg within their first three months of work. Katherine hopes to screen the finished project on the bus to the actual community involved. She believes the biggest impact she could make would be for people to question their actions and behaviours within today's society.
Applications for the Aotea Star Award were submitted from a wide range of performing arts genres and were of a high standard making the selection process a difficult one. The assessors short listed applicants in the final stages of tertiary study looking to further their careers with a specific project in mind. Katherine filled the criteria and outshone all other applicants with her study background and her focussed and innovative future plans.
For further information on ACPAT contact Pauline Sheddan: p.sheddan@auckland.ac.nz
29/05/08