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Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School is New Zealand's national drama school started in 1970. It is located in Wellington, New Zealand in the building Te Whaea: National Dance & Drama Centre. Toi Whakaari offers training in acting, costume construction, set and props construction, performing arts management and design for stage and screen. Toi Whakaari has a roll of approximately 130 students annually, who study for up to three years.

Toi Whakaari is co-located at Te Whaea: National School of Dance and Drama with the New Zealand School of Dance which moved into the premises in 1998 at the same time as Toi Whakaari.

Name

Te Kura Toi Whakaari O Aotearoa: NZ Drama School is the official name of the school. The Māori portion of the name translates to: a place of learning (Te Kura), performing arts (Toi Whakaari), in (O) New Zealand (Aotearoa). This titled was gifted to the School in 1988 by Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry for Māori Development) in recognition of the School's bicultural work.

History

Toi Whakaari was established in 1970 by the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, as the New Zealand Drama School, with Nola Leigh Millar as its first director.

In 2005, its first year students were the subjects of a reality TV show, Tough Act. 2010 saw Toi Whakaari celebrate its 40th Anniversary. This also coincided with a book launch of the school's history. The book, titled Transitions, was written by Bill Guest, former Head of the Entertainment Technology Programme and Associate Director.

Annie Ruth, one of the first acting graduates of the school, was Director of the school from 1998–2011 when she was succeeded by Christian Penny, who left in 2018 to take up a role with High Performance Sport NZ. In June 2019 it was announced that Tanea Heke (Ngā Puhi) would be the new Director, after six months as interim Director.

Each year, the school mounts up to six productions of various types, largely performed, crewed and designed by students.

Qualifications offered

The school offers the following tertiary qualifications:

• Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting)
• Bachelor of Performing Arts (Management)
• Bachelor of Design (Stage & Screen)
• New Zealand Diploma in Scenic and Properties Construction
• New Zealand Diploma in Costume Construction for Theatre, Film and Allied Industries

On average, 200+ acting students audition for the school each year from around the country. Of these, about 50 are invited for a recall audition and further questioning before the panel selects the 20–24 first year entrants.

Notable alumni

Hori Ahipene – Actor, director, playwright in New Zealand

Cliff Curtis – New Zealand actor (born 1968)

Kerry Fox – New Zealand actress

Robyn Malcolm – New Zealand actress

Rawiri Paratene – New Zealand actor, director, writer, and political candidate

Neill Rea – New Zealand actor and casting director

Rangimoana Taylor – New Zealand theatre director, actor and storyteller

Alice Canton – New Zealand theatre-maker and actor

References

1. Guest, Bill (2010). Transitions : four decades of Toi Whakaari : New Zealand Drama School. Wellington : Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-0-86473-642-0. OCLC 669968400.
2. "The rise of professional theatre, 1960 to 1980". Retrieved 4 September 2018.
3. "Christian Penny resigns as director of Toi Whakaari". Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
4. "Toi Whakaari Director announced". Toi Whakaari. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.

External links

• Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School
• New Zealand School of Dance
• Tough Act Television Reality Series

41°18′29″S 174°46′30″E / 41.308°S 174.775°E / -41.308; 174.775

• Schools in Wellington City
• Education in New Zealand
• Drama schools in New Zealand
• 1970 establishments in New Zealand