http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/art/art-20120219-1338-providence-048.mp3

Tickets are only $20-$25 with the show, starting at 7.45pm sharp.

Thanks to those who came last night. Your support and generosity was much appreciated.

See you there!

Providence by Louise Tu’u returns for two nights only on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th February, as part of the New Performance Festival, being held at the Aotea Centre, The Edge in Auckland.  Artists from Canada, Germany and Australia as well as local folk will be simultaneously performing and exciting audiences and themselves about what performance can become.

Featuring in the Festival are a line-up of awesome artists including Sean Curham, Rimini Protokoll (who we’ve seen in Berlin), Fleur Noble, Nisha Madhan in “Show Pony” and Mark Harvey. We are all part of curator Stephen Bain’s “mix-tape of my favourite performing artists”, which we think is fantastic so cher, Stephen for the invite and the love.

Providence was inspired by homeless people in central Auckland and was originally performed at the Basement in October 2010, where it was a critically and commercially acclaimed success. This new iteration exposes the shifts and influences of our practice since the premiere season. Please come and experience a displacement of this work in the Lower NZI in the Aotea Centre at the EDGE.

Tickets are available by booking here for Friday 24th February and here for the Saturday the 25th. Both performances are at 7.45pm so please book and be early. Gosh, no pressure guys. We just want you to come and join us at our show at 7.45pm on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th February. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students with correct ID, groups and seniors. (Please note these prices do NOT include booking fees)

Also, Louise will be giving an artist talk and playing ping pong with Bert van Dijk at 5pm on the Friday before the show so come and ask questions, watch then hang out at the Festival Club before the show starts at 7.45pm and afterwards till late.

Check out photos of our rehearsals so far here. Our fantastic original cast of Regan Taylor and Lara Fischel-Chisholm are back.

Big ups to our supporters for their continued love and people who’ve taken time to ask us questions: Brent Harris; Marlaina Key, Simon Ashforth for the wonderful photo above, the Tu’u family; Corie, Lesley and Lifewise aiga; Stephen Bain; Kate Simmonds and Elephant Publicity, Catherine Healy from East and Bay Couriers, Dionne Christian from the NZ Herald, Lynn Freeman from Arts on Sunday (Interview is THIS Sunday the 19th), our production genius Bonnie Burrill, the EDGE, and you guys for booking your tickets and coming along!

It’s all part of a new initiative that Auckland Transport, the division of Auckland City that strategises about how we get around the city, is implementing to encourage and educate people to start riding their bikes. We had a great time, learning how to put on a helmet properly, revising gear changes, practising riding skills like signalling, exercising bike control, looking backwards while riding and testing out other bicycles like hybrid and those flush city versions with only one brake. If you don’t have a bike, these sessions are great as bikes and helmets are provided.

If you don’t know how to ride a bike, these sessions are the best place to learn.

February is filled with these sessions, ready for your booking in the North, Central, West and South of the city so please check out this website:

www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/cycling

Big thanks to Mayur, the Central Walking and Cycling Coordinator and Adrienne and Eddie from Bigfoot who led the sessions with skill and encouragement, as well as providing the bikes and helmets.

And a MASSIVE thank you to the wonderful anonymous cyclist who helped pump our tyres on Grafton Bridge, which enabled us to make the session in the first place!

Last week, We Should Practice’s director, Louise Tu’u gave fourteen Trinity College lay preacher students and their tutor, Reverend Lynne Frith, a dramatic approach to space, ritual and liturgy.

The engagement from all involved was enthusiastic, open and critical.

Fa’afetai lava, Malo aupito, Bula vinaka and many thanks to the beautiful people: Siutaisa, Matafonua, Rupeni, Manoa, Ruta, Mele, Keith, Ieremia, Joeli, Kuli, Falanisesi, Finau, Neti, Kalolo and Reverend Lynne Frith. May your futures reveal all your potential.

Check out photos and videos from this awesome workshop here.

It’s the little things that really matter.

For those of you who have joined us here for the first time, We Should Practice 50+ were a series of introductory drama classes for people aged 50 and over. They ran for over five months at the Grey Lynn Community Centre every fortnight. With an hour and a half of good-old fashioned activity, every class finished with morning tea. Each class had an open door policy to facilitate possible absences due to  illness or a clash of other commitments.

Participants reported that the classes, led by We Should Practice’s director, Louise Tu’u, gave them feelings of joy, satisfaction and renewed purpose. Louise reported back that the participants were natural performers, whose energy and commitment in each class enabled everyone to give the games and provocations a go.

On your left are Geordie, Mike and Yvonne, still flexing their muscle and bone.

This video features the awesome Lina, Paul, Kerry and Geordie at their best.

Many thanks to Auckland Council Creative Communities Scheme for supporting us, Anne Snedden at the Grey Lynn Community Centre and of course, the wonderful all-stars/participants:  Yvonne, Geordie, Lina, Paul, Lafi, Mike, Wayne, Vaioleti, Arthur and Kerry.

We’ll leave the last word to Wayne.

We are looking to continue and expand our programme this year. Please contact us at talofa@weshouldpractice.com for more information.

Inspired by her trip to Detroit last year, Marita captured her images with her camera, transferring and transforming them into works of clay, charcoal, painting, as well as claiming found objects in the space. Marita’s phenomenal energy, passion and critical awareness of the former Motor Town added to what is already a high pedigree of work.

Unfortunately, this exhibition finished yesterday so please check out her blog and keep an eye out for her here.

Please give it up for Liz and Barry Wakelin at Tayles Framing Supplies and Celia Hopkins at Two Daughters.

These retailers are pleasant, knowledgable and affordable.

In addition from checking them out, please vote for them and your favourite shops by registering and telling everyone about your experience at the Localist website.

The standout work and performance was Katie Burton, aptly titled “Katie’s Beaten Track”.

So get to the Musgrove Studio tonight. The house was pretty full last night so get your tickets in person from 10am-6pm tonight (So you can avoid the booking fee) or if you can’t make it before then, buy online here.

At $15 to $20, tickets are a steal. See you there!

Don’t worry, we’re not getting paid to promote them. We simply agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Life is short but there is always time for courtesy”.

Fa’afetai lava Cherie at Presentz , Flossie and Bryan at Grey Lynn Tyreworx and the team at Urban Jungle Cafe.

Please support these local businesses who really take the time to talk with and listen to you.

What a wonderful way to spend an Auckland afternoon: working with seven talented individuals who participated in Part 3: artillery of the heart workshop at S/F.

Led by Louise Tu’u, Anya, Lani, Lana, Kelvin, Kerry, Xin and S/F director Layla shared their fascinating array of objects, movements and thoughts inspired by them and their writings with each other.

Thank you.