Gretchen La Roche, Creative New Zealand Photo: Supplied
Creative New Zealand's senior manager of arts development - Gretchen La Roche is leaving.
Her departure comes after 18 months in what's seen as a critical role in the national arts funding body.
La Roche takes up another significant role - the Court Theatre's Executive Director as it prepares to open its new performing arts facility.
La Roche has been central to the roll-out of the new 8-pronged funding model this year.
Creative New Zealand's long term Chief Executive Stephen Wainwright will also be leaving later this year.
Choreographer, dancer and a trailblazer in the development of Toi Māori in the performing arts - Stephen Bradshaw has died.
Bradshaw passed died on Thursday surrounded by whānau after a long battle with cancer.
Stephen Bradshaw danced with Limbs Dance Company and Auckland Opera and Ballet in the early 1980s before leaving to forge a new path for Maori arts as a choreographer and artistic director.
This included the formation of Te Kanikani o te Rangitahi Dance company in 1985 and then, for 10 years, Taiao Dance Theatre.
Bradshaw later focused on the development of others as an arts advisor with Auckland Council and as a lecturer and tutor.
Channel 4 in the UK has acquired the rights for New Zealand TV drama - After the Party. It's expected to stream and broadcast the drama soon.
The show stars Robyn Malcolm and Peter Mullen. Malcolm plays the character Penny who loses everything after accusing her husband of a sex crime five years earlier.
Earlier this week Variety Magazine reported on Mullan's expletive-filled rant about fellow actor Kevin Spacey in a masterclass.
The two actors worked on Ordinary Decent Criminal together.
Mullan didn't hold back saying Spacey would watch himself all day long, checking the monitor after takes.
Mullen called him "horrible human being, but fascinating to watch, because he was so mannered".
Red Leap Theatre is welcoming artist Yin Chi Lee as part of their ensemble building programme - Te Mahitahi - bringing established and emerging artists together.
Taiwan-born and based in Tamaki Makaurau - Auckland - Lee's practices include movement, digital technologies, AV design, art making and writing.
She's currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Dance Studies at the University of Auckland.
The award provides an opportunity for artists - particularly female artists - to pursue their own direction for a year.
Alexandra's practice combines sculpture, installation, and performance and she says she is currently working with ambergris, beads, glass, rose oil, velvet, and bronze.
She has an upcoming show at Nelson's Suter Art Gallery in June.
The celebrated musician Shayne Carter has come out swinging on the RNZ website this week. Photo: The Arts Foundation
In a publication of his speech given as part of the Arts Foundations Arts for All road tour Carter spoke of art as having always been completely undervalued in New Zealand, with attitudes still prevailing that that reveal a cultural immaturity.
Carter cites a recent example: the decision to paint giant murals of Ed Sheeran in Dunedin, when the city has so many cultural icons of its own.
