About Us
ETC is a registered charitable trust (CC61538) established in 2023.
It is an independent performing arts company based in Otepoti/Dunedin committed to bringing a diverse range of artistic forms together to present innovative performances and events.
We produce and present public displays of theatre and performing arts for the education, entertainment and cultural enlightenment of the community, fostering relationships to encourage a love of theatre and the performing arts.
ETC also exists for the purpose of providing education, training and instruction in the production and staging of theatre and the performing arts.
Mission
To create quality theatre that connects with our local communities and that encourages inclusivity, multiplicity, and diversity.
Vision
Our vision is to inspire and connect with people from a variety of the performing arts to present innovative and spectacular theatre to communities in Otago.
Our Values
Creating:
Innovative, diverse, and developmental Theatre
Innovation
To fire the imagination of participants and audiences to experiment
Great works can be created when we break the norm and take risks
Creating new stories that reflect our community’s voice, ideals, and difficulties.
Taking stories that hold universal truths and adapting them for our audiences.
Diversity
The sharing of skills from a variety of art forms helps to create exciting and innovative works.
The inclusion of a diversity of people from different backgrounds and cultures leads to greater understanding, sharing of skills and representation of our communities.
Development
Developing new works.
Developing the skills of existing artists.
Igniting a passion for the performing arts from the grass roots up.
Our Team
-
Mr Blaise Barham
TRUSTEE
Blaise Barham (MA TEFL, Dip grad Theatre)
Blaise is a theatre maker, actor, director, educator and co-founder of theatre production company Sahara BreeZe (SBZ) Productions, past president of Remarkable Theatre, co-founder of The Experimental Theatre Collective and an executive member of the Theatre New Zealand.
As an actor, Blaise’s most notable performances have been as Alan in Serial Killers by James Griffen, Jim in Away by Michael Gow (OSTA nomination) and has also toured with SBZ Productions as Lupin in Dear Lupin by Richard Mortimer and Van Helsing in Dracula the Bloody Truth by Le Navet Bete. He received an Otago and Southland Theatre Award in 2019 for Best Leading Male for his role as Francis in One Man Two Guvnors and a nomination for the Outstanding Performer Award at 2021 Dunedin Fringe for his roles in Two by Jim Cartwright. In 2022, he toured playing loyal butler Roberts in the premiere tour of award-winning writer Richard Huber’s latest play Wonderful.
As a director, his most notable shows have been Cosi by Louis Nowra, Out at Sea by Slawomir Mrozek and The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.
He has also worked for Flame Entertainment, Otago Actors, Outstanding Performance, Afterburner Productions, LUMA, Remarkable Theatre and Opera Otago.
Blaise is currently working on postgraduate studies in theatre at Otago University and has also trained on various short courses most notably at NIDA (Sydney), with Shadow Liberation with Red Leap Theatre and Philippe Gaulier in Paris. He is currently exploring the use of clowning and circus in theatre.
-
Mrs Sarah Barham
TRUSTEE
Sarah Barham is an actress and co-director of independent theatre production company Sahara BreeZe (SBZ) Productions.
Having performed with Armchair Theatre in the UK, Sarah emigrated to Queenstown in 2000. She then performed with Queenstown Shakespeare and Remarkable Theatre in Garden Shows, Pint-Sized Play Competition sketches and full-length plays, including playing Hero in Much Ado about Nothing, an OSTA-winning performance as Gwen in Away by Michael Gow, and for Ruth in Cosi by Louis Nowra.
More recently, Sarah was nominated for the Outstanding Performers Award at the 2021 Dunedin Fringe for her roles in Two by Jim Cartwright and also played multiple characters in the four-hander Dracula The Bloody Truth at the Mayfair Theatre in 2021.
2022 involved launching ‘Shot Glass Shorts’ Short Play Competition, playing Jane in Noel Coward’s Family Album, performing at LUMIFY in Queenstown, and as part of Opera Otago’s Mansfield Trilogy.
She has also toured with Richard Huber’s debut play, Wonderful, to excellent reviews, and performed in Afterburner’s physical piece, Dark Radio at the NZ and Dunedin Fringes.
She has relished portraying wonderful characters while studying Theatre at Otago Uni, and at the Phillippe Gaulier School in France, learning how to do what she’s been doing on and off for the last 30 years.
-
Paul Percy
TRUSTEE
Paul is the artistic director of Acting Antics International, a New Zealand based theatre company. His love of theatre began when he performed in Earth & Sky by Jenny McLeod in 1969. His professional activities in theatre and performance have now spanned over 30 years, Paul is also an accomplished scenographer working under the tutorage of Dr Sean Coyle. Paul holds a BA majoring in Theatre and English Literature and a MFA (CP) from Victoria University.
Paul’s career has included international directing and playwriting assignments across all mediums of theatre throughout the Asia Pacific region. His plays and musicals now number over fifty and have been performed in schools and community venues across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Paul is a published playwright and represented by Playmarket NZ.
-
Jen Matiu
TRUSTEE
Jen is a mother, a creative, an entrepreneur, a hairdresser, make-up artist, and lover of the arts. Her passion for hair developed as a teenager and she has owned her own business in Wellington. Now a freelance artist in Queenstown, she has expanded into being a hair and make-up artist in television.
Jen has worked in theatre for 8 years and has branched into stage and special effects make up. She has a love for theatre and bringing it to the community.
Jen is also a keen community volunteer for various community groups. One of them being the local coordinator for Sea Shepherd NZ.
Jen is thankful and excited to be a part of ETC, and share her unique skill set to support this amazing group of creatives.