Introduction

In 1997 I was engaged by an iwi based funding authority to teach a workshop in performing arts at Muriwai, 25 kilometers south of Gisborne.  At the conclusion of six days of activity a performance was staged for whanau and local people. I sat watching with the usual mixture of pride and trepidation and – following a particularly dramatic sequence – I overheard a girl behind me say “Mum, that’s Phillip!” Her tone made it clear she was amazed that her teenage brother, usually slouching about in a hoodie, should now be filling the hall with his presence, speaking clearly, and willfully connecting with his peers to achieve the goal of their common effort.  After the performance Phillip’s father attested to the transformation undergone by his son. Young Phillip had worked hard in learning and preparation, and the result moved his sister to proclaim a new recognition of him.

Such moments are the true reward of teaching: to witness transformation at a fundamental level. Education changes lives. An individual embracing the benefits of education can transform a family, and families committed to such pursuits transform communities. Ultimately my commitment to education is my commitment to making a better world.

My career has been a combination of industry engagement and teaching practice, and in order to draw forward what I believe to be the contributions I make to students and my profession, I have identified three themes in this portfolio that characterise four decades of my career.  These themes are

1. A systematic, well-considered teaching methodology.

2. Teaching that is highly relevant to industry.

3. A commitment to intercultural applied research and practice with students, colleagues and industry practitioners.

These three themes are woven through the portfolio, and I will at times refer directly to them.

Brief biography of tertiary teaching

In 1987 it became clear that the Auckland based film, television, and theatre industry needed a coherent actor training programme that had both academic and industry credibility.  I was part of a core group who set up the Performing Arts School that offered a Diploma in both Acting and Dance. In 1993 the school became part of Unitec, and the programme became a degree in 1998.  I was a long time serving member of the trust board that guided this process, and was Chair of the trust from 1998 to 2002. As the programme became established in tertiary training I made a significant contribution to teaching and designing curricula.  In order to be better affiliated with tertiary study, I enrolled at Charles Sturt University and graduated with an MA in 2000.

In 2002 I was appointed to teach Drama in the English Department at the University of Waikato. After six months I was appointed as full time Lecturer, and in 2005 the programme became the Department of Theatre Studies.

In 2010 I was appointed to my current position at Unitec as Curriculum Leader of an undergraduate degree designed to prepare actors for the industry.

Planning and Design for Learning

Conventional classrooms are not always the best teaching venues, and fundamental principles of my teaching pedagogy have evolved in more unexpected environments. Having inter-action with the community my students come from, and accepting difference as a source of distinction and value, often draws forth emotional and spiritual responses that formal settings can inhibit. This in turn enriches and deepens the learning experience.Such experiences have taught me to value different ways of being and learning.

I work hard to establish a healthy and respectful atmosphere in the classroom. I seek to establish a relationship based on mutual respect and awareness that both teacher and student must be nurtured and promoted.

Effective learning means the student develops awareness and knowledge. This learning then has use in practical application, and serves to advance a state of readiness for further learning.

There is a range of factors that contribute to effective learning and I consider all of these in the design of a programme of study, be it a lesson or a curriculum. These considerations also guide my teaching methods and student/teacher interactions.

I always commence a class, a week of classes, a semester of classes, and an undergraduate degree with a summary of what will take place. I always have a well-prepared lesson plan that is clearly identifiable as part of a progression of achievable goals. This is important because the process of teaching drama and training actors often involves preparation for a film or theatre performance, and it is essential that this goal be connected to the arc of learning. Each segment of learning (each lesson) has an attainable outcome, and a sense of progression and satisfaction creates encouragement and momentum.It is vital that in course design there is a sense of building on previous learning.

In teaching humanities and especially in training actors, there is an inherent learning dynamic between extant knowledge and self-knowledge. Every student is different, and each must receive specific feedback as they negotiate the productive space between forms of knowledge. As their teacher, I ensure that my expectations of what is to be attained are explicit, attainable and desirable.

My teaching practice is distinguished by the unique way in which I involve students in my applied research. These projects are designed to engage students, and I formalise their role by  building in assessment criteria as I generate research outcomes.

Whilst employed at the University of Waikato I undertook two major research projects giving students exposure to and involvement with research methodology, industry aligned processes of generating performance from research, and the experience of performance in the public domain.

In 2013 I raised research funding to take an opera company to Italy to perform an opera for which I wrote the libretto and directed the choreography and staging. Eight Unitec students were part of the company. The Juniper Passion has also provided applied and academic research outputs for me. This project is discussed later in the portfolio when I consider modes of learning delivery.

Designing learning to meet stakeholder needs

There is always interest from audiences and industry producers in innovative performances that are fresh, relevant, and engage audiences in new ways. To that end, I manage the delivery of papers in ways that create environments where these possibilities are explored. For example, in semester three[1] students can sign up for one of two elective courses. These are: Hybrid, an interdisciplinary performance art project; and Quickfix, a project that has students write, direct and perform in each other’s plays.These courses function as provocations that lead students into new areas of learning by exploring innovative forms of storytelling and testing accepted conventions. Because student responses to these papers have been so positive I have extended this interdisciplinary activity into semesters four and five.

Digital media plays a big part in this set of innovations. My interdisciplinary approach is heavily influenced by emerging genres such as transmedia storytelling, which are becoming the pathways of access to modern audiences.  My idea has become  ‘Project ROSE’  (Rich Open Studio Experiment - a multi-platform storytelling project with the overarching descriptor of ‘Stories from the Digital Age'. In semester four students begin writing plays inspired by the theme of  'The Night has a Thousand Eyes’. This theme emerged from student concerns with social media and the boundaries of private and public space. The live theatre scripts are performed and then transformed into film scripts and shot in the studio. All the while alternative digital media are engaged providing transmedia platforms for the students’ work.  This involves the purchase of a domain site and online interactions to communicate developments of scripts, moving and still photographic sequences, installations and use of electronic media. Such innovations give students access to a global audience, and to learning that engages contemporary interfaces between live theatre and digital media. In such a learning environment, my role is mostly to mentor and guide, without leading the process. 

I have recently designed another project in response to the new digital environment, changing audience accessibility and the nature of online material. The ‘WebSeries’ project involves students shooting films on smartphones and editing on laptops – all work that was once the domain of those few with access to expensive film industry hardware. Industry requires that our graduates be well-versed with this technology and capable of innovation within it. The WebSeries project begins with a master class run by an industry specialist and an investigation of web series format. Groups of three or four students form small production companies.  Assignments are set regarding genre, scenario, titles sequence, character arc, dramaturgical structure and becoming familiar with the readily available technology.  Then in the sixth semester I assign resources to the filming and editing of the WebSeries. These films are uploaded onto the Internet to a potential world-wide audience.

This seeding of projects has worked extremely well: As students’ ideas evolve they develop an understanding of the creative processes needed to create substantial work. At the same time students learn to work within real world settings and industry time frames.

[1] I view the six semesters of an undergraduate degree as a seamless sequence. Rather than say 3rd year 1st semester, I say semester 5. I explicitly design and teach a continuum of 6 semesters. 

Developing student autonomy through real-world learning

William Shakespeare’s plays remain a cornerstone in the world canon and, today, as much as at any time, our graduates must have strength and eloquence in the performance of Shakespeare. I have designed a learning process of attaining fluency with Shakespearian language and an understanding of this paradigm of dramatic art.  The culmination of this learning process is reached in the fifth semester with a performance of a Shakespearian play by an ensemble of 10-12 student actors.

In 2012 Titus Andronicus and in 2013 The Comedy of Errors, both Unitec fifth semester productions, were selected by industry producers to be staged in professional settings such as Q Theatre in Auckland. The pathway I had designed clearly met industry expectations in terms of an appropriate skill set and the ability to innovate.

Perhaps the most powerful outcome of my teaching approach in these two Shakespeare productions was that student autonomy became paramount. In both performances I passed onto students almost complete responsibility for managing the details and procedures of mounting these productions in a professional arena.

Embedding a culture of learning in practice

The culture of the learning process needs to be consistent with the culture of ‘’learning in action’’, so that each student experiences methodological consistency that link theory, training and practice. One of the strengths of my method is that once learning outcomes have been achieved the use of them in practice remains connected to the manner in which the learning strategy was initially delivered. Thus, graduates take the skill of ‘learning in action’ into their professional practice.

A typical example of a student’s ability to apply ‘learning in action’ is a graduate working in a commercial recording studio doing a voice over for an animated character. The director requires a certain nuance or characteristic to be embodied in a line of dialogue. The graduate at this point is able to rely on techniques that will lead them to a discovery that satisfies the director. Techniques such as ‘playing against’ (juxtaposing intensive emotional intention with low key vocal delivery), or ‘topping’ (building directly on energy of previous line) are all learned skills. The learning in action strategy allows the actor to integrate such learned skills with the collaboration and creativity of the studio, for a successful outcome.

Addressing issues of student diversity

When I was appointed to my current position I wished to pursue my goal of designing learning opportunities for students from a range of cultural backgrounds. There were too few Pacifica students in our programme, and I worked closely with Pacific Island Performing Arts (PIPA), who offer training to a diploma level to remedy this, I designed a one-year program that would enable PIPA graduates to complete a year of study at Unitec in order to attain a bachelor’s degree. This proved a success, resulting in five students completing this course of study in 2012. Another group of PIPA graduates will enter our program in 2014.

Facilitating Learning

My teaching method engages the student in a seamless process from being a student to becoming a practitioner. This method has much to do with a realisation I myself had as a student. Over the last 30 years I have made several trips to Kyoto to study Noh Theatre, the classical theatre of Japan. When I first learnt to carve a Noh mask the task was daunting as the sample model sitting in the studio was a sublime work of art and my first thought was: how could I possibly replicate such an exquisite object? Then we were asked to take up the block of wood in front of each of us, make two measurements and draw a line. First step. Then the next step, equally understandable, building on the previous, leading to the next.  And I realised that if I did each step properly they all added together and after some months I created an object of which I was proud. Simultaneously, the purpose of study was achieved.

This step-by-step approach became a cornerstone principle in my method. In order to reach the end goal one must see the end goal but divide the process into a sequence of attainable steps. This ensures that each student understands the significance of each step, and how each step follows on from and leads to the next. For students, the process of performing each step correctly (supported by formative and summative feedback) simultaneously develops confidence, the impending goal looms as a significant attainment, and commitment and passion is heightened.

It has become clear to me that any strategy designed to engage a student’s interest must be embedded into the core task of acquiring knowledge and skills. I ensure that my students are aware that skills acquisition is vital in order to articulate both personal and extant points of view in a performance.

My students’ learning is greatly enhanced when I nurture the shared ethos and spirit of the professional actor. Within our current programme I have instigated a routine that every morning all students gather for about 30 minutes to prepare for the day. Sometimes this is done by having a half hour yoga class, sometimes by dividing into groups and devising short performances to given provocations, and sometimes by learning kapa haka. These activities build a sense of purpose and identity, break down the division between the different year groups and put in place a culture of preparation, mutual appreciation of group process and joy of practice.

I believe learning is a natural, perhaps even inevitable process, and that it occurs as we live and reflect on our experiences. I teach that students of the performing arts are part of a continuum that connects us in history to thousands of other individuals who have also been fascinated by the same ideas and ways of being. Whether it be Shakespeare or Sophocles or a volunteer at the local amateur dramatic society – all are part of this engagement with the mystery, beauty and power of performance.

I teach that passion requires technique; the learner becomes articulate so that passion can be communicated. This approach leads students to value learning because it enables the delivery of ideas. I encourage my students to recognise this productive connection between technique and passion. The sense of empowerment that grows in students alongside my encouragement and reinforcement of their efforts brings startling results.

Integrating bicultural heritage into learning

In the delivery of the step-by-step process of learning, I teach that theatre does not belong to one culture, nor should the teaching of theatre be mono-cultural. I have developed a teaching methodology to reflect my commitment, in the form of the delivery, the content of the material, the nature of the stories, and the culture of the students.  

In order to facilitate learning that is inclusive and reflective of our unique bicultural heritage I have introduced the learning of kapa haka into the programme I currently design and manage. This enables the students to learn vocal and physical skills, while at the same time immersing students into the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa.

I believe that Marae are among the most neglected teaching sites in Aotearoa. To address this oversight I have designed several teaching opportunities on Marae, for both Maori and Pakeha. Although I am Pakeha, I claim it as part of my unique heritage to be involved with tangata whenua and to create learning opportunities facilitated in environments conducive to holistic learning: learning that relates to fundamental aspects of our bi-cultural nation.

I have on a number of occasions led student groups on noho marae and have devised projects that bring together student bodies from European-based programmes and Maori-based programmes.

Increasing student autonomy and industry focus

I have designed an arc of learning that takes place over the six-semester curriculum, leading to a coherent learning experience. The first three semesters are focused on the process of training underpinned with theoretical principles. During these three semesters skills and theory are applied to exercises within the classroom. In the fourth semester there is the first major application, a large ensemble work, directed and taught by me for a public audience. In the fifth and sixth semesters there are a total of seven projects all with industry guests and supervision from appropriate staff. Thus, we have three semesters to establish an ethos of practice and fundamental technique, then three semesters applying, adapting and testing techniques.

I deliberately design the curriculum so that there is a decreasing amount of tutor/ student interaction as the degree proceeds, shifting to a growing emphasis on exposure to industry professionals and building students’ capacity as self directed learners and practitioners.  This means that the amount of one-to-one support for students decreases as the degree progresses, the level of exposure to industry professionals increases and the emphasis is on building capacity to be self-directed learners and practitioners.

In semesters four and five I have even higher expectations around student self-direction and then in semester six I schedule activities that are completely autonomous. In this semester the students must undertake a secondment or student initiated project. Past students have engaged in activities as varied as assistant to the director within a professional company, travelling to China to study at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, writing and staging a musical, and making a film. Students are assessed on this industry-based engagement and it is always of their own design and initiative. This autonomous, yet assessed activity, places students into a context as emerging professionals and practitioners.  

My guiding principle is to ensure learning has industry relevance, and I have applied this to great effect in the conduct of applied research that involves students.The Juniper Passion, which I directed and choreographed and which I staged with my students in Italy in 2013, was a wonderful example of applied research with students.For the students, the Juniper Passion was an experience of direct industry engagement allowing them to interact with a company of international practitioners. It was an opportunity to not only gain a high value research output, but also to provide a unique learning environment for my students. The students involved were in their fifth semester of study, and were required to demonstrate learning around rehearsal procedure, maintaining performance fitness, adjusting to a range of performance venues, and interacting with singers, orchestral players and technicians.The project also provided significant learning outside of the rehearsal room and performance venue as students encountered the Italian culture and historical sites of old world heritage for the first time.

Synthesising theory and practice

To attain the skills required to create performances for stage and screen, students must learn both theoretical principles and practical body based skills. I strive to ensure that the teaching and learning encounter references to both areas of study.

For example, whilst building the sensibility of ensemble – the group culture that binds actors into an efficient team – I refer to the origins of our theatre, the plays of ancient Greece. In those plays there is a chorus – a group of actors who sing, dance, speak and are instrumental in the unfolding drama. I have developed a sequence of step-by-step exercises that lead the students into experiencing chorus activity.  As the lessons unfold I introduce theoretical principles that underpin the function of the chorus. When certain skills are in place, the students work with a Greek play text and apply the techniques. This ensures the students simultaneously learn theoretical principles and body-based skills.

In the theatrical task of portraying humanity in all its shapes and forms the rule that I establish for students is simple: reveal yourself, for if you are able to do so then you can reveal the lives and inner processes of the characters in the stories we tell.

This process of self-revelation connects people, and this connection creates a community of learners and practitioners. Performing arts is well known for its power to build relationships and this imparts in my students a sense of confidence, self worth and appreciation of others.  To achieve this I demonstrate a strong commitment to pastoral care and academic support.

Assessing Student Learning

In the programme I currently manage at Unitec, the first four semesters have two papers in each semester: Technique and Studio. Technique papers teach body and mind-centred skills that enable articulation and expression. Studio papers enable students to apply these skills to performance material.  Formative and summative assessment procedures are in place throughout both papers. My approach of delivering learning in a step-by-step process is reflected in my assessment procedure. Each step is exposed to diagnostic testing and immediate qualitative feedback. Students are able to consider their efforts and devise strategies for modification and improvement. At the conclusion of each studio project there is a formative de-brief when the students reflect on their learning.  I guide this forum towards points of clarity and learning, gradually supporting students to acquire the skills of reflection and self-direction.

In my current programme each student has an interview with myself and core staff at the end of each of the first four semesters. This formative assessment procedure addresses academic concerns but is also open to issues generally.

Similar formative assessments are also woven into the fabric of teaching delivery. From day one this process of feedback and reflection is clearly understood by students to be the learning culture of the programme, and it flows as dialogue on a daily basis.

Whilst formative assessment is part of all daily classroom activities, I believe summative assessment must evaluate academic research, analytical processes, professional conduct, and the application of skills. I employ a number of summative assessment procedures, including conventional elements such as essays, seminars, reflective portfolios, journaling, peer-assessment, skill-set (technique) assessment, and assessment by observation.

Whilst such procedures are very useful, I have also instigated other assessment events that are more in keeping with my methodology of combining processes of learning, practice, theory, and research in a single activity.  For example, I have designed and supervise a paper called The Community Theatre Project where the students are put into small ensemble companies and must undertake research and create a performance. In this paper, students connect with a particular community through an active dialogue using the techniques of drama. Powerful social and political interactions with the audience/community ensue, allowing the student ensemble to represent worldviews in sometimes startling new ways.

One such ensemble company had their assessment event in front of an audience of Ports of Auckland Union officials, who watched a puppet show performed by students they had met and been interviewed by!

This performance was a unique event bringing together assessment, research, performing skills and theoretical principles of how to construct a play from raw data. Performers and audience had an experience of engagement that made the moment truly powerful. I create such events in order to draw into one important moment all the strands of the student’s study and assessment. Thus, the learner-practitioner’s skills and knowledge are all demonstrated in a way that allows effective assessment to take place.

I maintain it is essential for there to be summative assessment in the heat of performances such as this. When the play begins, or the film director says “action” the student must demonstrate the ability to draw together skills of voice and body training, acting technique, text analysis and the craft required to deliver the meaning and action of the story. Directors can be incredibly demanding, requiring discipline and skill application; but it is only in actual performance situations that we can fully evaluate student learning.

Evaluating Learning and Teaching

My approach to evaluation of my effectiveness as a teacher is to gather responses and commentary from five sources: students, industry, colleagues, external moderation and personal reflection. I use those evaluations in an ongoing, iterative way, to improve my teaching practice and support changes to colleagues’ practices – all with the aim of enhancing student success.

Evaluation from students

I retrieve student evaluations in two ways. One is a written anonymous response. The other, which I believe is most advantageous, is evaluation of teaching through a discussion format. This is effective because it enables the students themselves to solve problems that have arisen during the learning process. The realization that learning processes and challenges are shared by peers can be very powerful for the learner. Following each project or module of study I run a de-brief session. I request discussion about students’ learning, about my teaching practice, and about tutors the students are working with – especially part time tutors and industry guests. I then consider students’ comments, discuss with staff, and take appropriate action. The following example indicates this to be an effective method as the evaluation made by the students led to a successful redevelopment in the curriculum.

The staff team I lead considered this feedback, and as a result I instigated the WebSeries Project, an innovation discussed earlier in the portfolio.

I also request student evaluations of teaching throughout the semester so that feedback is specific to the procedure of teaching. The following example is a statement of what has been learned, attesting to the effectiveness of the teaching approach.

Evaluation of Voice Over Class

Describe the main discoveries you made in this class.

1. The amount of energy required for voice over.

2. How to support my voice when recording.

3. Coming in warmed up as time is money in the studio

 Feedback sheet PASA7215 Acting Techniques 3, 2012.

Evaluation from industry

Two years ago I instigated a series of meetings with industry professionals in order to gather industry evaluation of our graduates. Industry perceptions are a vital evaluator of teaching and learning within our programme. For example, funding agencies informed me that our graduates were not familiar with funding application procedures and lacked understanding of how to initiate and conduct negotiations around funding and production. In response I have designed and teach a professional development paper. Assignments include a written application to a funding body, writing two versions of a CV, and creating a seminar presentation. The final task takes the form of a project pitch to a panel of producers made up of tutors and industry guests. The following testimonial provides evidence that my teaching of this Professional Development paper is having a positive result.

Tertiary institutions such as Unitec must not only supply industry with skilled practitioners, but must also equip these practitioners with the ability to innovate, to initiate, to inspire, and to create new partnerships and collaborations. Our students enter our programme to become practitioners and gain employment, therefore all my planning and design for learning is intensely focused on preparing students for industry – as practitioners with appropriate skills, as collaborators, and as people capable of innovation and leadership.

Evaluation from colleagues

Each year there is a process of peer review by colleagues, followed up with a discussion so that points raised can be used to advance the quality of teaching and relevance of the material. At the conclusion of each project I chair a meeting when we debrief as a teaching team. Inevitably, I learn a good deal about my teaching from this evaluative process.

Evaluation from external moderation

Every two years I invite an external moderator to evaluate a nominated aspect of the curriculum and comment on a range of activities including teaching effectiveness. The moderator interviews staff and students, observes classes in progress, reads course documents, and attends student performances. In 2013 I invited the Head of Acting from Toi Whakaari the New Zealand Drama School to moderate my Portfolio paper, and in particular the methodology and effectiveness of my system of feedback.

 From personal reflection

Personal reflection is a continuous, iterative process. At the end of each lesson I evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching and often make notes concerning adjustments and alterations that I think will improve delivery and content. At the conclusion of projects (such as directing a play), and at the close of each semester, I reflect on my work and make further evaluations.  I am not blind to my shortcomings, and I continually strive for improvement. Recently, for example, I have set myself the goal of bringing greater clarity to the setting of appropriate assessment criteria and maintaining informed and accurate assessment procedures.

Professional Development and Leadership in Training

As curriculum leader it is my task to support staff in their daily teaching and in their aspirational objectives concerning professional development and research. My approach is to nurture my staff and encourage professional development and promotion. I arrange teaching schedules so that staff are able to undertake industry activities, because it is vital we maintain our profiles as practitioners. Similarly, I support professional development so that that staff can upskill in specific areas of teaching and research.  For instance one of our core staff is performing with the Auckland Theatre Company in April this year, while another is attending an academic conference in Tunisia and another undertaking professional development workshops in London where she completed her masters studies in 2009.

One example of leadership and professional development of which I am particularly proud occurred in 2011, when I was invited by Drama New Zealand to run a workshop at their annual conference. I had done this previously and was gratified to be told that exercises I taught had made their way into the teaching practice of a number of secondary and tertiary teachers. This quote reflected feedback from a number of sources:

As part of my professional development I continue to maintain study links to the Kongoh Noh Theatre company in Kyoto Japan. This hugely satisfying connection has provided me with a context in which to undertake a cultural synthesis of Japanese and Western theatre forms. Not only do I teach Noh Theatre as part of a theatre history paper, but my research (which has also involved my students) has led to finding some wonderful synergies between Japanese theatre forms and those commonly practiced in Aotearoa.  This research has also given rise to very valuable student engagement with the concept of cultural synthesis in practice.

Conclusion

My intention in this portfolio has been to demonstrate how my distinctive practice as a teacher is informed by my sustained personal commitment to students, colleagues, and to the transformative power of education. The responsiveness of students, and the quality and depth of engagement with colleagues; these, in turn, are the sustaining nutriments of my career.  My inter-cultural research has been an exploration of the profound nature of theatre, and the synergies of inter-cultural art forms.  Such research has created rich teaching opportunities, which many students have benefited from. The nature of my career has seen me involved with industry as a practitioner, but also as a teacher who is mindful that learning in a tertiary setting must be designed to seamlessly flow into industry practice.

Publications

Libretto

Davies, J. The Juniper Passion. CD of Opera. Musical composition by Michael Williams. Published by Atoll Records 2011.   

Chapters in Books

Davies, J. ‘The Audience Are Stones, Performing Aotearoa: New Zealand Theatre and Drama in an Age of Transition. P.I.E. Peter Lang. ISSN 1376-3199.  200, pp. 391-403.

Journal Articles

Davies, J. Aesthetics and Didactic Intention; The Meeting Place of Beauty and Information Transmission in the 2006 Community Theatre Production of Swamp Treasures. Waikato Journal of Education Vol. 13, 2007 pp. 139-147.

Davies, J. Meeting the Dead Onstage: Noh Theatre and its Solution.  Sarah Shieff and Ralph Crane, Katherine Mansfield-Stories and Pictures. Department of English, Occasional Paper No 2, University of Waikato, ISS1176-2837. 2003, pp. 31-39.

Davies, J. ‘Universality and Specificity, Making Drama from Personal Myth and Point of View’. Australasian Drama Studies Association (A.D.S.A.), Mary-Ann Hunter, Geoffrey Milne. Australasian Drama Studies Vol. 47, October 2005. pp. 105-120.

Invited Addresses

Davies, J. The Juniper Passion: An ANZAC opera. Waikato University Alumni seminar series. St Mathews in the City. Auckland 2011

Davies, J.  Intercultural Playmaking. Aotearoa/ New Zealand Playwrights Conference, Playmarket. University of Waikato. 2005

Davies, J. Rakiura: New Zealand’s First Noh Play. New Zealand/Asia Conference. University of Waikato 2005.

Conference Proceedings:

Davies. J.  Reverse Transnational Flow: Red Mole in New York 1979. Australasian Drama Studies Transcultural. Transnational. Transformation. Seeing, writing and reading performance across cultures. Monash University, 28 June-1st July 2011.

Davies, J.  Hana & Mana: Noh Theatre in the Context of Aotearoa. Australasian Drama Studies. Turangawaewae: A Sense of Place. Otago University, July 2008

Davies, J. Aesthetics and Didactic Intention: Community Theatre and its Modal Interface with Common Beauty. At Extreme States, Australasian Drama Studies Conference, La Trobe University and University of Melbourne, 2007.

Davies, J. ‘he Audience Are Stones. At New Zealand/Asia Conference, University of Waikato. 2005.

Davies, J. Te Tupua - The Goblin. Performance/seminar. Australasian Drama Studies Conference  Listening to the Image. Victoria University, 2004.

Davies, J. Chalk and Cheese: Creating Performance from Cultural Encounter.

Australasian Drama Studies Conference. University of Waikato, 1998.

Awards

2012 Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Unitec Award

Testimonial

John Davies has promoted a gradual revision of Acting Discipline curriculum since 2010. The acting programme lacked a cohesive structure and all the different areas operated as single units without a unifying vision. John Davies has implemented a more rigorous approach in which the teaching modules are longer, allowing the students to go deeper in their learning and giving the teachers the opportunity to delve into the process of discovering pathways for/and with the students.

This change was a result of a shift of culture within our discipline. We are still industry focused and engaged with local theatre, TV and Film community, but our approach is far more connected with the development of a creative individual who is independent, disciplined, brave, willing to take risks, free to explore new opportunities and discover new ways to find employment in an ever changing landscape. Our students are now more prepared to embrace the uncertain job market with imagination and resilience.

John Davies’ attitude is the catalyst of this transformation. Embracing the challenges of the local industry and also teaching/preparing a student to transform the same industry. John Davies’ vision of education is focused on nurturing students that will create a strong platform for continuous learning, exploration and critical thinking; that our students will have a balance between artistic sensibility and entrepreneurial drive. And finally, that our students will be versatile, great ambassadors of theatre and acting and above all, engaged with questions that concern human integrity.

Pedro Ilgenfritz  [BA UDESC Brazil, MTA Victoria University & Toi Whakaari]

Lecturer Movement Training and Theatre Theory, Unitec.

Student Appraisal Summary University of Waikato 2005-201

These appraisals span 6 years of teaching. Under the criteria Overall Teacher Effectiveness students score the teacher on a scale 1-5.  The lower the rating, the better the score. On the criteria of ‘Overall Teacher Effectiveness’ my average score over 6 years was 1.1.  On the criteria ‘Overall satisfaction with the quality of the paper’ my average score over 6 years was 1.1.