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October 2010 Fono and AGM

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Taloha ni
Talofa lava
Fakaalofa lahi atu
Malo e lelei
Kia orana
Tena koutou
Ni sa bula

Welcome to the after-match report.

Present

– were GRANT BAYLEY, CLAIRE NOBLE, CHETAN PATEL, REVEREND MUA PUA, ERIC SMITH, LEILANI UNASA, GERALDINE WARREN, JENNI HEKA and DAVID MAMEA.

Apologies

– were received from AHI KARUNAHARAN, CHRIS MOLLOY, JAMES NOKISE and MICHAEL REWIRI-THORSEN.

Banana Boat Business

JENNI gave an excellent presentation on the history, work, and possible future of Banana Boat. In just two years, this ‘loose collective of Pasifika and Maori writers’ has done more than just meet once a month: it has provided its members with workshops, opportunities for development and support, and been absolutely busting to get its members’ works into production.

Banana Boat has indeed come a long way, baby.

The following was discussed and mooted at the August fono:

Banana Boat has been running for two years now. It has reached a point where it must decide what to do:
– to continue as a writers support group;
– to expand or somehow split off into active development and production;
– to find some middle ground; or
– to fold.

The decision is always in the hands of its members.

After discussion of options available to the group, it was unanimously decided for the Banana Boat to seek charitable trust status. This decision includes two proxy votes from the absent MICHAEL and CHRIS.

The following attendees volunteered to be trustees: CHETAN, CHRIS (by proxy), CLAIRE, DAVID, GERALDINE, GRANT, JENNI, MUA, and LEILANI. Among their many tasks is drafting a constitution, deciding things like what a quorum is, and hopefully soon enough, discussing things like strategic directions, and who to hit up for money raising funds not just for the sake of it, but for you.

The following points were made and acknowledged in the meeting regarding members who were not present:
– not all Banana Boat members may agree with the decision taken by those attending this meeting;
– however, all Banana Boat members had been given an opportunity to attend, or at least discuss beforehand, this meeting’s agenda.

Monthly fono will continue in the format to which we are all accustomed, for as long as members want the community and support that these provide.

News to Use

GRANT has generously donated a number of theatre- and writing-related books. These will be listed soon (once David remembers where he put them).

ERIC and CHETAN’s I Don’t Do Coconut” Retro Night fundraiser was held on 5 November to great acclaim and much dancing by JENNI and CLAIRE.

Coming Up

The Auckland Performing Arts Forum will be held on Friday 12 November at The EDGE, Auckland.

Playmarket’s “Brown Ink Sessions” are on Satursday 27 November at Mangere Arts Centre. Jenni’s posted about this already.

Banana Boat’s Christmas do is on Thursday 2 December at Cosh Bar, Ponsonby. More details to follow.

Next Fono

– will be on THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER at the usual time and place. This will be the last fono for 2010.

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February 2010 Fono

Boat Business, , , , , , , , , , ,

Taloha ni
Talofa lava
Fakaalofa lahi atu
Malo e lelei
Kia orana
Tena koutou
Ni sa bula

Welcome to the after-match report.

PRESENT were JASON GREENWOOD, MICHELLE JOHANSSON, CHETAN PATEL, REV. MUA PUA, MICHAEL REWIRI-THORSEN, ERIC SMITH, AARON TAOUMA, LEILANI UNASA, STAN WOLFGRAMM, JENNI HEKA and DAVID MAMEA.

APOLOGIES were gratefully received from JAMES NOKISE and LOUISE TU’U. (If you emailed your apologies and I haven’t namechecked you, my sincere apologies: my mailbox is a little chocker with funding queries, attachments, etc.)

CREATIVE CLINICS

JENNI was rather chuffed to report that eleven submissions were received for the creative clinics, with fifteen registrations received for the Newbies Workshop.

UPDATE: four pieces have been selected for workshops with Massive Theatre’s JAMES WILSON and the inimitable ALBERT BELZ:
– CHETAN PATEL’s Closing Time;
– MICHAEL REWIRI-THORSEN’s Strong Hands;
– JONATHAN RILEY’s Makigi; and
– LEILANI UNASA’s Ape Shit.

All submissions had strong ideas or concepts but what made the difference was how much development they had had to date. The selected scripts had this in common: they were sufficiently developed to take full advantage of the creative clinics.

Congratulations to the successful playwrights.

COMING UP

APRIL 2010
– PRODUCERS WORKSHOP, the shout-out to interested parties will happen once the Creative Clinics are safely out of the way (second week of March).

JUNE 2010
– More CREATIVE CLINICS, this time in Manukau, the shout out to interested parties will likely happen after the Producers Workshop have been put to bed (late April).

JULY 2010
– Maybe, just maybe, a JUKEBOX SEASON of short plays as part of a mainstream theatre programme. More details to follow in the coming months, universe allowing.

IN OTHER NEWS

– Many congratulations to JENNI HEKA who is directing Briar Grace-Smith’s Purapurawhetu with Cathy Downes.

– Congratulations also to OLE MAIAVA whose short radio play Skin Deep was broadcast on National Radio in mid-February, and is available to be heard online at Radio New Zealand.

– MICHELLE JOHANSSON’s Uso opens on WEDNEDAY 10 MARCH at the Musgrove Theatre. Banana Boat members get in free (email Michelle beforehand)! People wearing our bootiful Banana Boat t-shirts get in free (email Michelle beforehand), too!

(T-shirts are $25.00 plus postage via either David Mamea or 7K.)

– JONATHAN RILEY’s Pink Lighter is part of the Fringe 2010 season in Wellington. (I suspect JAMES NOKISE has something going on down there, too but… at least I namechecked ya, bud!)

– And DAVID MAMEA’s short film To’ona’i is part of Craig Fasi’s Pollywood 8 2010 short film festival of brown and proud, screening at MIC in the city (7 March), Mangere (16 March), and Henderson (18 March).

SCRIPT READING —

— was generously provided by ERIC SMITH with Soundtrack of My Life, a slice of public service nostalgia with layers of love and friendship and melancholy.

NEXT MEETING —

— is THURSDAY 25 MARCH, at the usual time and place.

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25 June 2009 Meeting

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Welcome to the after-match report. Thank you for your patience.

Present were Arnette Arapai, Devo, Albert Belz, Matene Karena, Ole Maiava, Chetan Patel, Jonathan Riley, Amy Rountree, Eric Smith, Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua, Stan Wolfgramm, Jenni Heka and David Mamea.

Apologies were received from the still-globe-trotting Stacey Leilua, the enigmatic Nina Tapu, David Grierson, and the double-booked Michelle Johansson.

Stuff

Jenni kicked things off with reminders like:
– Matariki and all the theatre and writing opportunities available to the group during this auspicious time;
– Jukebox 2009 deadline is 31 July; and
– Banana Boat 2010 submissions have been received and are still being considered – expect an announcement by the next meeting.

Arnette followed up with an impassioned exhortation to the younger writers to do the Postgraduate Masters in Creative Writing at Victoria University in Wellington. What. Are. You. Waiting. For?

Guest Speakers

Wanjiku Kiarie shared her theatre experiences – both on- and behind-stage – from her early days in Kenya through to her time in New Zealand. She promoted the visit of Kenyan playwright Wakanyote Njuguna later in the year. Schedules permitting, Mr Njuguna could give a talk at the October Banana Boat meeting, or even hold a workshop on theatre with a unique perspective (at least for New Zealand). Watch this space.

Sydney resident Devo, in town for Matariki (among other things, I’m sure), is a member of Sydney writing group, Black Men Writing. He shared with the group the possibilities of staging shows: a space for an audience and actors is limited only by our imagination.

Reading

Albert shared the first act of his work in progress Raising the Titanics. The group was treated to a first draft chocker with solid characterisation and narrative through dialogue, behaviour and careful plotting.

Quote of the month goes to Mr Belz for his response to the question of how long it took him to write 35 pages of script: after thinking about it, he said, Since Monday.

Next Meeting —

— will be on Thursday, 23 July at the Toi Ora Live Art Trust, 6 Putiki Street, Grey Lynn.

Scripts to be Read —

— at the July meeting are welcome on a first-in, first-served and time-permitting basis. Only complete act/s for full-length plays, or complete one-act or short plays are read by the group. First-time attendees’ scripts will not be read. Contact David for further information.

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