Culture, Identity and Actor Training: Indigeneity in New Zealand's National Drama School

• Published in: Theatre research international Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 70 - 88
• Main Author: ZAZZALI, PETER
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.03.2021
• Subjects: Acting; Colonialism; Cultural identity; Curricula; Field study; Indigenous peoples; Learning; National identity; Native culture; Pedagogy; Sovereignty; Students; Traditions; Training; Values; New Zealand
• ISSN: 0307-8833; 1474-0672
• DOI: 10.1017/S0307883320000590

How can indigeneity be understood through training actors in a colonial context? Do ‘Western’ acting schools misrepresent and exploit indigenous practices and cultural traditions towards reinforcing the settler state? Or does a given school's integration of such praxis and customs demonstrate inclusivity, equity and progressivism? At what point does incorporating indigeneity in actor training become a tokenistic appropriation of marginalized cultures? Drawn from fieldwork as a 2019 Fulbright scholar at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand's National Drama School, I intersect training with culture and society. Using the Acting Program as a case study, I deploy an ethnographic methodology to address the aforementioned questions by investigating Toi Whakaari's bicultural pedagogy while positioning it as a reflection of New Zealand's national identity. I especially explore the school's implementation of Tikanga Māori, the practices and beliefs of the country's indigenous peoples. I argue that while some questions remain, Toi Whakaari integrates Māori forms in a manner that is culturally responsible and pedagogically effective, thereby providing a model from which other drama schools can learn.