BREAKING GROUND

18 – 19 JUNE 2021, PŌNEKE

The 12th annual season of Tawata Productions new writing festival, Breaking Ground, returning Pōneke in 2021. Breaking Ground is a festival of ideas. Crafted into life by playwrights from across Aotearoa.

This year, our festival will be imagining six new works for the stage from seven writers from throughout Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Tāmaki Makaurau. Developing new work for Breaking Ground 2021 are writers Ali Foa’i, Grace Iwashita-Taylor, Sherilee Kahui, Nahyeon Lee, Sean Rivera Millward, Sarita So, Cassandra Tse & Natano Keni. Our dramaturgs include Nathaniel Lees, Tusi Tamasese, Sarita So, Lynda Chanwai-Earle and Jason Te Kare.

Having navigated our first ever online season of Breaking Ground in 2020 due to Covid-19 impact – we’re looking forward to kanohi ki te kanohi. Through the Kia Mau Festival and Te Auaha partnership, Breaking Ground has been invited to share space and whakawhanaungatanga. The writing festival will be centred at Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St, Wellington.

Readings will be presented on Friday June 18th & Saturday June 19th, Breaking Ground is open to all, with tickets available. Free attendance but ticketing required for our performance space. Nau mai rā! Haria mai rā!

Tawata Productions is a Māori and Kuki ‘Āirani creative company based in Te Ūpoko o te ika a Maui – Wellington; Aotearoa New Zealand. Specialising in the rigorous development and presentation of theatre and screen, Tawata blurs the lines between text, movement and image presenting a dynamic performance experience to the world beyond.

REHEARSED READINGS OPEN TO ALL

Friday 18 June, 2PM | Te Auaha Centre of Creativity
​Mokomoko by Sherilee Kahui | Dramaturg Lynda Chanwai-Earle
Water Memories by Grace Iwashita Taylor | Dramaturg Nathaniel Lees
The First Prime-Time Asian Sitcom by Nahyeon Lee | Dramaturg Cassandra Tse

Saturday 19 June, 10AM | Te Auaha Centre of Creativity
Lupahila by Ali Foa’i | Dramaturg Jason Te Kare
The Liar, the Thief &the Coward by Natano Keni & Sarita So | Dramaturg Tusi Tamasese
The Boy and her Piano by Sean Rivera Millward | Dramaturg Jason Te Kare

FREE Tickets, Booking Applies! Hit the link below e te whānau!

https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2021/jun/breaking-ground

WHAKAPAPA

Breaking Ground is born from Native Earth Performing Arts’ development platform Weesageechak Begins To Dance Festival, which Tawata co-directors Mīria George and Hone Kouka attended in 2009 & 2010. In 2010, Breaking Ground was presented for the first time in Te Whanganui-a-tara, at Circa Theatre, through a partnership between Mīria, Hone and playwrights Branwen Millar and Simon Vincent.

Breaking Ground is responsive and creates focus on the development of Māori + Pasifika playwrights, as well as introducing global Indigenous playwrights to Wellington and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The whakapapa of our festival includes playwrights including Riwia Brown, Mitch Tawhi Thomas, Hone Kouka, Yvette Nolan (Turtle Island), Tammy Haili’ōpua Baker (Hawai’i Nei), Kiki Rivera (Hawai’i Nei), Nancy Brunning, Victor Rodger, Jamie McCaskill, Maraea Rakuraku, Maia Diamond, Aroha White, Hinekaa Mako, Neenah Dekkers-Reihana, Tanya Muagututi’a, Teherenui Koteka. 

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