Students Act for Te Whare o Rukutia

With the annual plan open for submissions it had been a very long day at the Council Chambers, - so it was incredibly heartwarming to watch these three brilliant young students bring a much-needed injection of positivity and enthusiasm into the room. Facilitated by Ms. Kimberley Fridd (HOD Drama & Film), Alice, Grace and Reid had prepared their submissions in their own words, and it was amazing to see their drama training in action as they worked the room and got their powerful message across in a concise five minutes.

Ms Fridd set the scene with a few opening comments before before handing the rest of the precious time over to the students: 

“Part of my role of being on the executive of Drama NZ is to advocate for kaiako and rangatahi across the motu - now I find myself advocating for teachers, students and local creatives a bit closer to home. [I] call for the DCC to provide operational funding to the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust to continue running Te Whare o Rukutia until permanent, affordable and sustainable solution to the city’s performing arts and music venues are forthcoming”

“Te Whare O Rukutia has become our students’ creative home away from home. The Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust has not only had a strong focus in supporting emerging artists over the years … they have also been extremely important in supporting the mahi of rangatahi in our city whilst also supporting us as kaiako. [Te Whare o Rukutia] has brought kaiako and rangatahi together from across Ōtepoti in so many different ways.”

Grace took the torch first, stating:

“I personally have competed in the Dunedin Performing Arts Competition Society Instrumental Competition in Te Whare o Rukutia - when doing so, my performance anxiety decreased significantly compared to other venues as the intimacy of the space allows the performance to not be as intimidating … Te Whare o Rukutia is perfect for its central location and accessibility”. 

Also a member of the Dunedin Youth Council, Grace noted that the closure of Te Whare o Rukutia also creates a vacuum for a clean, safe venue for all-ages gigs & concerts.

“We stand to lose one of the most important places that we can use to practise our humanity and express our feelings”, 

Well said by our very own Reid Penwarden!

“From my point of view it would remove a key part of my week as I hold Improv club high in my heart and taking [Te Whare o Rukutia] away would remove a place where I practise my improv skills. It is a place where students from all over Dunedin can come and practise their skills in a neutral space.”

When asked about the key role Te Whare o Rukutia and the Fringe Arts Trust who manage the space play in developing young artists, Alice responded with a story about her experience at a Fringe Comedy workshop:

“The comedy workshop run by the Fringe Arts trust was amazing - it gave me a chance to try something new, but not only that - [Comedy] was something I didn’t think I had the courage to do before. The workshop gave me the confidence to try, and the experience taught me how to love myself for who I am”.

Following their submissions, the councillors thanked the students for their submissions, noting that after a long day, they had spread some happiness around the room with their positive attitude and well-thought out comments. 

On reflection, Ms. Fridd said “I’m so proud of how well they did - this is great evidence of how Drama has been a catalyst for them being such wonderful and confident young people.”

If you’re keen to watch our young activists in action, check out the Council Chamber recording on YouTube.