The scene is now set for this year’s Young and Hungry Festival of New Theatre thanks to Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) Creative Technologies students.  

The group of five students recently spent two weeks designing, building and installing three sets for the plays Song of Four, Sick and Thinning.  

The Festival of New Theatre is an initiative led by the Young and Hungry Arts Trust to encourage and develop New Zealand’s next generation of theatre practitioners between the ages of 15-25 years old. 

The initiative will ultimately result in three original plays showcased in Wellington and Auckland, with over 100 young people gaining value experience through mentoring in areas including script writing, acting, theatre production, marketing and set design.

WelTec Bachelor of Creative Technologies students, Wai Mihinui, Amy Nichol, Joel Ahie-Drought, Jaimee Warda and Tessa Aichison were guided in the initiative by Young and Hungry Set Design Mentor and WelTec Tutor, Tony Degoldi. 

Well known as a Wellington Set Designer, as well as a creative mentor, Tony Degoldi was impressed by the standard of design the students have achieved. “The quality of the design and the effort these students have put in is simply amazing considering this is the first time they have ever worked on a theatre production.”

WelTec Head of Creative Technologies, Teriu Lemon, also speaks highly of the learning outcomes the students achieve while working on real projects such as the Young and Hungry Festival of New Theatre.  “Opportunities to engage with Wellington’s creative industry enable our degree students to really put theory into practice. 

“In creating a set from the ground up, the students have tested out the design theory and have learnt how it stands up to the needs of a live theatre production.  This comprehensive approach to learning is really what the Bachelor of Creative Technologies is all about.”        

The three new shows produced by this year’s Young and Hungry Festival of New Theatre are set to open in Wellington at Bats Theatre 10-25 July. www.bats.co.nz