Various Artists with Sofia & Beth

Beth catches up with Director Faith Ward and producer Mikaela Stroud of the queer kitchen-sink drama Love Makes the Bed It Lies In. They chat about the play and the process of translating the screenplay to the stage. Love Makes the Bed It Lies In is set in the socially conservative, early 1960s Aotearoa, it is debuting on Friday 23rd February at the Factory Theatre, Onehunga.

Red Mole was a countercultural theatre company known for their artistic and political experimental styles. Hailing from the University of Auckland in the 1970s, the group performed regularly in Aotearoa before travelling to New York.

The documentary showed at the New Zealand International Film Festival last year, and is now showing at cinemas across the country.

I had a chat with the director, Professor Annie Goldson, about the making of the film and her own experiences with Red Mole.

At the beginning of this month La Biennale di Venezia announced the artists participating in this year’s international exhibition, Foreigners Everywhere. Significantly, a total of eight New Zealand artists have been invited to participate by curator Adriano Pedrosa. Pedrosa selected the artists during a visit to New Zealand in March 2023. Amanda Hereaka, Creative New Zealand’s Co-Manager Practice and Pathways says his time in New Zealand was invaluable for our artists. To hear more about the Biennale and the selections from New Zealand, Frances caught up with Amanda Hereaka.

Each year Artspace Aotearoa orbits one question in the company of artists and through exhibitions. In 2024 they ask “do I need territory?” As an artist-led and artist-forward organisation they are beginning the exploration of this question from the perspective of the artist, launching their annual programme with the Aotearoa premier of work by seminal German sculptor Charlotte Posenenske and leading Ngāi Tahu artist Peter Robinson. To hear about 2024 for Artspace and their new show, Frances caught up with director Ruth Buchanan.