As Aotearoa’s only dedicated solo performance festival, TAHI Festival is a supportive platform for new talent to showcase and develop their work. Key parts of our kaupapa include valuing and fostering emerging artists. Each year we work closely with students of acting programmes from Te Auaha, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, and Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.

Most acting programmes use solo creative practice as a way for students to tell their own stories, in their own way and test their growing kete of performance skills and story-telling. Each institution takes a different approach and each individual takes their own path. HATCH is a place for this practice to meet and for emerging artists to connect with each other, with mentors and venues.

Over the course of a few months, these student performers develop their craft through personalised workshops with industry professionals. 

The structure of this programme is that two participants from each institution are selected through an expression of interest and advisory panel. The practitioners then work with design interns and the HATCH team over a period of six months to develop a 10-minute solo at BATS Theatre - as part of the wider HATCH showcase.

The process and development of this programme have been integral and core to the TAHI Festival over its last four years. HATCH is a great opportunity for these six students to gain experience, skills and networking opportunities. 

The result of this hard work is HATCH, a polylogue with each student performing their piece in a full scale production at BATS Theatre.

Thank you to the creative input of the following facilitators and producers: Emma Katene, Wren Glover, Beth Barclay and Olivia Flanagan, Sally Richards and Riley Gibson.