Wellington Theatre Maker Receives Screenwriting Residency

Wellingtonian, theatre director, and writer, Stella Reid has been announced as the recipient of the Toi Pōneke Arts Centre’s 2020 Write Room Screenwriter’s Residency with her project The Band of the True Prophet.

Stella will be in residence at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre from June -September, where she will be provided with a grant, studio space and experienced creative support from Producers; Desray Armstrong (Stray, Coming Home in the Dark, Juniper), Vicky Pope (Savage, Gardening with Soul, Two Little Boys), and Director Rob Sarkies (Scarfies, Out of the Blue, Consent ), who make up the mentoring panel.

Stella recently directed Second Unit (What Will You Do In The Shadows) and her NZ On Air funded short film, Drop Down Globe, which was a Someday Story, can be viewed on Māori Television. She helped develop the web-series BURBS​, directing and writing several episodes. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School.

On applying for the residency, Stella said: “I currently write in a converted spare room I share with two dartboards and a pinball machine, played daily. I call it the office, but my partner refers to it as the games room. To me the Write Room Residency offers above all else, a place of refuge.”

Vicky Pope said "We were blown away by the high calibre of submissions from emerging and experienced Wellington writers in this year’s round.  Stella’s project The Band of the True Prophet distinguished itself as a very fresh concept with substantial themes and a strong central female character at its heart. We're looking forward to supporting Stella and we can’t wait to see how the screenplay evolves during the residency."

The inaugural recipient of the Write Room Residency was Harry Meech in 2018 and Abi King Jones in 2019. Wellington producer Thomas Coppell is also joining the programme as this year’s inaugural Producer intern.

Toi Pōneke Arts Centre currently run three residency programmes to support Wellington based arts practitioners across a variety of mediums. A Sound Art Residency in partnership with Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, a Dance Residency, and a Visual Arts Residency. For more information on their support and opportunities. https://toiponeke.nz/support-and-opportunities

ENDS

Toi Pōneke Write Room Wellington Screenwriter’s Residency is a partnership initiative set up in 2018 by Toi Pōneke Arts Centre, Rob Sarkies (Scarfies, Out of the Blue, Consent ) and Vicky Pope. It recognises the challenges for New Zealand screenwriters to create space in their lives to write and find a place to do their work. The opportunity is for a Wellington City based screenwriter with a feature film project at a stage that will benefit from focused development towards completion of a draft of the script.