Artist Collaboration with Q Creates Massive Culture Shift

Artist Collaboration with Q Creates Massive Culture Shift in Tāmaki Makaurau

Seven years after opening its doors, Q is celebrating its place as the leading force in the recalibration of Auckland’s independent arts sector. This winter, five productions programmed at Q enjoyed sell-out shows across three of the venue’s spaces, a result of working in collaboration and putting artists first.

Programme Director Sarah Graham is driven to stage work that pushes artists to their leading edge. “Q responds to the world around us. Our programming represents who we are and what we want to contribute to the world. Cultural viewpoints are shifting, and habitual bias is no longer a good enough reason to keep doing the same old, same old.”

It is this artist-focus that has led to success at Q. Most recently, Sam Brooks’ incendiary political thriller Burn Her played to capacity attendances as part of the dynamic MATCHBOX 2018 programme, adding matinee shows to the run to meet audience demand. Burn Her tapped straight into the veins of contemporary public discourse and social media exploded. Cultural commentator Troy Rawhiti-Forbes called it “the best political drama happening anywhere, including your telly”. He went on to say, “if streaming TV is a rival to theatre, theatre just fired back.” Louisa Wall, Labour MP for Manurewa, was also blown away by Burn Her and Q’s contribution to our cultural fabric, saying “It’s good for the heart and soul being entertained by our amazing theatre and entertainment practitioners.” Already there are talks of a production in Wellington next year, just days after closing the premiere season.

Artists have broken rules and in so doing, Q have championed greater diversity in its reach than ever before. Key highlights also include:

• A 50-strong cast of predominantly Pasifika talent for The Wizard of Ōtāhuhu. A celebration of community in every sense of the word, this school holiday production was a first for Q, inviting a wealth of new audience members into the venue, many of whom made their first visit to Q.
• The Dust Palace created a form-busting intersection of circus, cabaret and live music with Human which tested the staging possibilities of in Rangatira.
• Michael Hurst was let loose on the Jacobean tragedy The Changeling, reconfiguring Vault into a participatory experience for actors and audiences. It was up-close and it was definitely personal.
• The continued evolution and success of the MATCHBOX programme. A one-of-a-kind development engine for the independent sector, MATCHBOX was the first platform to embrace Daffodils which is having a second-life as a feature film to be released in 2019; live documentary OTHER [chinese] which picked up an ‘Excellent Award’ and ‘Most Original Show’ at the 2017 Auckland Theatre Awards, as well as Metro’s ‘Best Show’ of 2017; 2018 Edinburgh Fringe hit Don Juanwhich is swimming in 5-star reviews; and working in collaboration with ground-breaking next generation artists such as Claire Cowan, Alice Canton, Benjamin Henson, and Eli Kent.
• In fact, a MATCHBOX show has won an Excellent Award at the Auckland Theatre Awards every year since 2014 when they began. Daffodils - 2014, All your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever - 2015, Don Juan - 2016 and OTHER [chinese] - 2017.

Graham is thrilled that Q has been able to broker unique exchanges between artists and audiences that reflect the real Auckland. “These artists push themselves. With love and respect they push the venue. They envelop their audience from the moment they arrive. They connect. They have opinions. They have something to say. They make every moment of their work necessary and vital,” she said.

Q continues its legacy of enabling transformative experiences with the world premiere of Chye-Ling Huang’s Orientation, opening September 5. Huang will interrogate how sex and race collide in Aotearoa, a country where Asianess is both fetishised and feared.

Don't miss Q's next big hit. Orientation plays
Loft, QTheatre
Wednesday 5 – Saturday 15 September, 7.45pm
Tickets: $18- $30
Bookings: Q Theatre or phone 09 309 9771

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