Led by Prospect Park Productions, the project is produced by H-J Kilkelly (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe) and involves a team of established and emerging artists, working to create an accessible theatre piece steeped in Te Ao Maori.
The week-long residency would be an opportunity to put the production "on its feet".
Kilkelly said the use of the space for development would be a valuable next step, building on the script work, dramaturgy, and play readings already done.
"Primarily, the residency enables us to pay our creatives to dedicate a week full-time to putting the updated script on its feet and testing different aspects of the work," she said.
"It will also allow us to test the parameters of the new venue."
Te Whare o Rukutia, a new 120-seat performing arts venue managed by the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust, has allocated $20,000 across five residencies to creatives from across Dunedin.
The residencies, which focus on the development, rather than presentation, of a performance piece, have been made possible by project funding from Manatu Taonga: Te Urungi Innovation Aotearoa.
The residencies began this week with a development project by Dunedin actor-producer Rosella Hart around street performance and a verbatim theatre piece.
Following next week’s Prospect Park residency, the next project will be a week-long development residency by dollhouse theatre company, from August 15-21, working on The Many Deaths of Jeff Goldblum, by local playwright Meg Perry.
Later residencies will be Anna and Miriam Noonan working on a project inspired by the book The Lost Words, and research by Neza Jamnikar towards an interdisciplinary solo work.
Te Whare o Rukutia creative producer Kate Schrader said the residencies were designed to respond to disappointments faced by performers during the pandemic,
“Programming live events has always involved significant risk, even pre-pandemic.
"Funding models can be very competitive, and if you aren’t successful in securing funding for your project, it’s only through staging your work that you can recoup the cost of development."
