From top left: Tom Clarke, Ingrid Saker, Brynne Tasker-Poland, George Fenn, Owen McCarthy
9 July - late 2018
The BUMP (Barbarian Uprising Mentorship Programme) is a new partnership initiative between Barbarian Productions and Toi Pōneke Arts Centre designed to empower artists to upskill in their creative careers through hands-on work on industry projects.
The programme was created in recognition of a need for recent arts graduates and other emerging practitioners to build resilience, capability and complementary skill-sets that can support a sustainable approach to building a career in the arts.
Successful applicants (mentees) are paid the living wage to work up to 60 hours on a project or portfolio of work that will help them to develop their skills and capabilities. They are paired with a mentor (or mentors) who also recieve up to 20 paid hours to provide their support and expertise. Mentees will also have access to resources at both Toi Pōneke and Barbarian Productions.
The programme was launched on Monday 09 July at the Toi Pōneke Hub, where the first intake of mentees was announced. The first successful recipients of the BUMP are:
Brynne Tasker-Poland (BPAM Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School). Brynne’s job credits include production and stage management, producing and lighting design. Her BUMP portfolio focuses on her desire to upskill as a producer.
Ingrid Saker (John Bolton Clown School, Laboratoire de l’Acteur). Ingrid has worked in a variety of roles from producing to performing, from theatre to music. Her BUMP portfolio reflects her desire to further develop her existing skills in videography and marketing content creation, both for promotion of her own work and as a contractor to others.
Tom Clarke (BPAA Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School). Tom has been in numerous feature films, played the Pop up Globe in Auckland and was awarded Actor of the Year at the 2017 Wellington Theatre Awards. His BUMP portfolio focuses on the development of business skills needed to support an entrepreneurial approach to his performance career, helping him create his own works and opportunities to make use of his skills.
Owen McCarthy (BD Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School). Owen’s industry credits include designs for set, costume, props, lighting and A/V design. Owen’s BUMP portfolio includes specific skills development in set design for tourability and immersive digital experiences as well as a better understanding of key aspects of project management.
George Fenn. George is an active member of the Wellington theatre and improvisation community, both as an actor and in other production roles. His BUMP portfolio will develop his skills as a director and dramaturge.
Barbarian Productions is excited to initiate this partnership with Toi Pōneke to play a part in the development of a sustainable, strong Wellington arts industry. Barbarian are members of the Sustainable Business Network, and are the first performing arts organisation in New Zealand to receive Living Wage accreditation.