Radio NZ cuts could impact writers | The Big Idea | Te Aria Nui

Wow my very first post , I’ll try to be as amusing and articulate as David but well I’m an art administrator and well …

Something that has been of some concern is the recent stories about Radio NZ.

For those who may or may not know for the last two years Jason Te Kare = Drama and Readings Producer from Radio NZ has held writing for workshops here in Auckland specifically aimed at Maori & PI writers.

With the threat to Radio NZ funding these outreach programmes are under threat.

What Jason and his Radio NZ workshops achieve is to inform writers with new plays that they can adapt for radio and get paid. Something which for our playwrights doesn’t happen very often , getting paid.

Radio NZ invites participants to submit a 15min works and the winners radio play is produced. Previous winners have been in 2008 David Mamea – Banana Boat – coordinator, who has just finished his first full length work for radio. In 2009 Ole Maiava, Banana Boat and Rob Tuwhare , Te Arapiki Writers Roopu had pieces produced.

Jason will be back again this year in July to run Writing for Radio workshop aimed this year at Maori , Pacific and Asian writers.

My advice, don’t miss this opportunity, because the way the government is going it may not be happening again. So watch this space and we’ll get the details out to you very soon.

Jenni Heka