6 Degrees Festival
Theatre students from Victoria University of Wellington’s Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) programme presented a season of work—6 Degrees Festival—to the public last week. For the first time, these MFA(CP) works were shown at BATS Theatre.
The season, produced by MFA(CP) student Beth Taylor, consisted of six shows devised, scripted and directed by MFA(CP) students Emma Maguire, Shona Jaunas, Harriette Barker, Anastasia Matteini-Roberts, Mark Nicholas and Nino Raphael.
6 Degrees Festival introduces new and emerging artists, and focuses on the collaborations and processes leading up to performance, as well as the shows themselves.
Emma Maguire’s show was a ghost story called Why Are We Still Here? “I wanted to explore grief, found families and permanence—in an experimental style, with the aid of dance.”
She believes the project has helped to jump-start her career in theatre: “The opportunity to partner with BATS and other organisations, while launching shows of our own, is hugely helpful. People now know my name—I’ve even started my own theatre company, with two more shows on the way this year.”
The 6 Degrees Festival was a celebration and showcase of a year’s worth of work, says Festival producer Beth Taylor. “The season gave us a chance to develop and fine-tune our skills; to network, to speak to stakeholders, to budget, to market our work, to realise a vision and really to learn to sustain ourselves as creatives in Wellington.”
Victoria University Programme Director of Theatre Dr Lori Leigh says, “Theatre is a collaborative art and these Master’s students have learned to not only work with each other but also independent performers, designers, directors and crew to bring their projects to life.”