8-12 November 2017

17 Tory Street, Play_Station and Island Bay

Website: https://performanceartweekaotearoa.com/

Images: Essie Airisniemi and Gabrielle McKone (Robyn Jordaan performance, Island Bay).

Urban Dream Brokerage assisted the development and space needs of Performance Art Week Aotearoa (PAWA), a new platform for performance art in New Zealand. The inaugural event brought together a wide variety of performance artists from around New Zealand for performances, workshops, discussion and community. Included was an Urban Dreams Lunch and two final public space performances in Island Bay 12 November (pictured by Brydee Rood and Robyn Jordaan). The platform also has a strong online component with the website providing artist profiles, interviews on a blog and critical reflections on the work during the week.

“It will not only serve as a space to host work but also as a space of giving and sharing, a space to create dialogue in the vein of reciprocation and celebration. It aims to showcase work that is challenging, engaging, and at times, quite confronting. Our hope is to see performance artists and participants leave this event with new ideas, a deeper understanding of performance art as an art form, and a more connected sense of community.” Producer Sara Cowdell.

PAWA is also the second project to receive mentoring support through our Urban Dream Brokerage Mentoring 2017-18 programme.